Recently, my mom told me that Char Troy had died. She was my school counselor. I never made the honor society, but Mrs. Troy saw something in me that others didn’t. She sat me down in her office to talk about my future. When I got into trouble, she coached me on how to get out, without talking down to me the way most adults did. And in my junior year, by some miracle which I still don’t understand, she sent me to a two-week Gifted and Talented college access program at Eastern Michigan University, all expenses paid.
She was an EduGuide: a person who is passionate about pursuing their potential and finds joy in helping others reach their’s too. EduGuides live to share what they’re learning and to help others discover new ways to succeed — because it’s at these times when they know best what they were put on this Earth for.
Imagine if there were more EduGuides in this world. Imagine if we all worked together to help each student reach their full potential. That’s why in 2000, I founded EduGuide. We began building a body of research and tools, like this website that anyone could use — professionals, parents or students — to tackle any issue from the crib all the way through college. And we designed it as a non-profit, so that our sole focus would be on student success, and any money we raised could be poured back into helping more people.
We’ve had some success. Funders like Kellogg, Lumina, Kresge, Google and many others have helped us to grow to reach more than 1,000,000 people annually. We’ve organized hundreds of volunteers to set national records for helping people complete financial aid forms. And for a small non-profit we’ve received some significant national recognition.
Can you help us? Your money is welcome, but what I really want to know is if you’ll allow us to partner with you in connecting more people with their potential. Here’s a few easy ways to start.
As EduGuides, we’re all in this together. And if we work together, we can change the course of lives, the way Char Troy did for me.
Cheers,
Bryan Taylor, President
P.S. My mom said she saw Char at the grocery a year earlier. She thanked Mrs. Troy for all that she had done for me. This is my thank you, to her and to you.