Immigrant, refugee, low-income, underrepresented. These are students who compose the majority of Manchester’s public high schools. They are also the students who Access Academy supports.

Access Academy is a program that takes place in the classrooms of Saint Anselm College that offers countless opportunities to at-risk high school students from Manchester. Access Academy began eight years ago after the college received a grant from the New Hampshire Foundation for the Humanities. After receiving this grant, the college pulled together various ethnic communities in Manchester with the aim of creating a program that could best support them. The communities expressed their needs and, with representatives from Saint Anselm, created Access Academy.

Access Academy’s main goal is to provide high school credit for students who may not graduate on time without it; but more than that, explains junior Becca Hall, “Access Academy is about building relationships.” Hall is on the management team of Access Academy and helps oversee the student coordinators.

The program is primarily student-run, and each program within the academy has two or three student coordinators. These coordinators are responsible for developing lesson plans and running class sessions when the high school students come to campus.

A large percentage of high school students in Access Academy are English language learners who have fallen behind in their regular classes. For refugees and immigrants who are new to the United States, it is incredibly difficult to immerse themselves in a new culture and language and perform at the same academic level as their peers who speak English as their first language. Access Academy provides the opportunity for students such as these to receive more individual and tailored instruction. Junior Hayley Pettinato explains that the student coordinators aim to teach “in engaging format that [English language learners] can understand.”

With nearly 80 students this semester, Access Academy appeals to a wide audience. At the start of the school year, the Meelia Center’s student coordinators visit different schools in Manchester. They speak with Extended Learning Opportunities coordinators and English Language Learner specialists in order to identify students who may be interested in or benefit from Access Academy. From there, students are able to choose from seven programs that Access Academy offers. These programs include Humanities after School, Environmental Studies, Creative Writing and Communication, Computer Literacy, Students in Action, College Admissions, and College and Career Exploration.

These programs run once a week, but nearly half of the 80 students choose to enroll in two programs a semester, and therefore visit campus twice a week. Director of the Meelia Center, Nicole Lora, explains that while high school credit is the primary goal, Access Academy also hopes to offer enrichment and self-efficacy to the participants, along with social and cultural skills. The introduction to a college setting and having positive role models assist in setting at-risk high schoolers up for a successful life and career.

Access Academy has proven to be mutually beneficial, supporting not only high school students, but also enriching the lives of the Saint Anselm students who give their time to the academy. At the conclusion of the semester, all Access students were asked to compile a final presentation based on their experience and knowledge gained throughout the semester.

Hayley Pettinato remembers specifically one student from the spring of her sophomore year. During his presentation, the student recalled stories of his parent who had cancer in Afghanistan, who inspired him to want to go into the medical field. The student became emotional, overcome with gratitude for the opportunity to attend Access Academy, learn more, and form connections.

This student is simply one example of the unique background that each student embodies. Access Academy provides the space for a diverse group of students to come together, share their stories, and form a vision for their own futures.