Newsletters 2015-16 Focus newsletter, [2] fall | Page 3

LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC EDUCATION

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Anoka High School’s Colleen Neary earns Rising Star
Award for work on behalf of underrepresented students
Colleen Neary, a career and college
specialist at Anoka High School (AHS),
has been named the recipient of the
2015 Rising Star Award from the
Minnesota Association for College
Admission Counseling (MACAC) for
her “unyielding” commitment to the
students she serves.
Described as professional, caring,
and thoughtful by her colleagues,
Neary is being recognized for her work
with MACAC serving underrepresented
students, both as co-chair of the
Inclusion, Access and Success
Committee and as a coordinator
of Camp College.
A first-generation college student,
Neary said she is passionate about
helping other first-generation students
and underrepresented students, such
as those from lower-income families.
The mission of the Inclusion, Access
and Success Committee is to raise
awareness and get programming and
information out to counselors to be
able to better serve those underrepresented populations, she said.
“Part of that effort in our school is to
get students to identify and understand
what it means to be a first-generation
student, and to then advocate as such.
We want them to be able to access
support systems more effectively, both
in our building and wherever they
choose to go for their post-secondary
option,” she said.

resources specifically aimed at firstgeneration students, she said, and if
they don’t know what first-generation
means, they don’t know how to access
those support systems.
“So we’ve really done a lot in our
building with trying to have staff identify as first-generation, like wearing
T-shirts that say ‘First Generation,’” she
said. “It becomes a shared experience,
something we want to be able to celebrate and not hide. There’s a sense of
pride in having the opportunity to be
the first in their family.”
Neary’s efforts have included puting
together MACAC’s first Camp College
event, held in July at Bethany Lutheran
College, which is also designed to
serve underrepresented, lower-income,
and first-generation students from all
over the state.
“We really target that group. They’re
all juniors going into their senior year.
It’s everything you need to know about
preparing for college in the summer of
your senior year, so that they then can
move forward with more direction and

confidence,” she said. “Each of the
kids is also assigned a mentor, which is
just another adult in their life to provide
guidance and support, and who
continues to touch base with them
throughout the year.”
Neary’s considerable work with
MACAC is voluntary, above and
beyond what she gets paid to do.
“I’m obviously very biased when it
comes to Ms. Neary, and I think she’s
one of the best I’ve ever worked with,”
said AHS Principal Michael Farley. “She
works beyond the number of hours of
her position, and she goes above and
beyond outside the classroom. I have
many, many stories of kids that come
back to say thank you to her for the
work she’s done. To me she’s a role
model for all of us, and we are blessed
to have her working with our students
at Anoka.”
Neary said she is flattered and
honored to have been chosen for the
Rising Star Award, and while she is not
one to relish the spotlight, the award is
affirmation for the blood, sweat and

“ This is really less about me being a
rising star, and more about the
students I’m serving being rising
stars. I think that’s the greater story. ”

Often there are scholarships, support
services on campuses and other

- Colleen Neary, career and college specialist at Anoka High School

Colleen Neary, a career and college specialist at
Anoka High School, is the recipient of the 2015
Rising Star Award from the Minnesota Association
for College Admission Counseling (MACAC).

tears that have been poured into some
of her efforts.
“I’m very proud of the award, and just
the opportunity to serve,” she said.
Neary has worked in the AHS career
center for the past eight years; before
that, she was an English teacher at the
school for 14 years. And while she works
with students in all grades, the majority
of her time is spent helping seniors navigate through the college search, admission, and financial aid process.
“It’s a really great job. And I really love
it,” she said. “I feel a great sense of
honor and privilege to be able to serve
our student body here. Every interaction
I have with a student is interesting and
exciting for me; I’m happy to be a partner to them in this effort and help them
on their journey.” ■

Anoka-Hennepin Transportation Director Keith Paulson
named top in the state
Keith Paulson, the director of transportation for
the Anoka-Hennepin School District, has some
shiny new hardware in his office: a plaque naming
him as the state’s top transportation administrator
for 2015 by the Minnesota Association for Pupil
Transportation (MAPT).
“I’ve never really thought about doing things to
be recognized. I do things to help and serve others,” he said. “So it’s humbling. This award not
only means the work I do for Anoka-Hennepin is
important, but that the work I do in the state
organization and other state-wide committees has,
in some way, been helpful to other transportation
professionals.”
Paulson, who has been with Anoka-Hennepin as
director of transportation for eight years, was
na