A MCAC Story: Alexa Lynch

Alexa Lynch recalls that “there didn’t seem to be much conversation or focus around what happened after high school” when she arrived at Lansing’s J.W. Sexton High School in 2015 as part of the Michigan College Advising Corps (MCAC). Often confused for a high school student herself, Lynch, a recent graduate of the University of Michigan, arrived at the school at a time when 7th-12th graders all occupied the same building, with one guidance counselor for all 7th-9th graders, and one for those in grades 10-12.

Lynch was born in the United States, but spent her high school years in Mexico. Her mom immigrated from Ecuador at a young age, and the “number one value she ingrained was we all had to go to college.” However, her school in Mexico lacked guidance counselors and other college preparatory programs.

At U-M, she got involved with college access through time as a Center for Educational Outreach student employee, supporting programs like Maximizing Academic Success (MAS), Future U and College 101. Working as an MCAC adviser was the natural next step for her work towards expanding college access for others.

“I could directly see the impact being made in my community,” Lynch describes. During her second year as an adviser, every member of Sexton’s senior class applied to college, which, she recounts, “hadn’t really been a thing at Sexton before.” The class also received nearly $2 million in institutional aid and scholarships, “breaking a cycle that [students] hadn’t thought of for themselves.”

Lynch still works in college access, currently serving as the program manager for Intend to Attend (I2A) through U-M’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. But “the power of the MCAC network is very real.” Colleagues from her high school and the greater Lansing educational community have provided letters of recommendation and references. “Having very genuine relationships with like-minded people who want to support and advocate for students” is one of the many enduring impacts of her time working with CEO.

This story originally appeared in “Celebrating 15 Years of Educational Outreach.”