Mr. Amadis Velez teaches a class called AVID for seniors that helps them apply to colleges and supports them along the way. It can be a long or hard process to apply, and students need a lot of help. I asked Mr.Velez why he does what he does.
What makes you want to help with college admissions for seniors?
I believe that the college admission system is complicated and stressful and often inequitable. I think that students, especially those who will be the first in their families to attend college, need help in order to be able to submit a strong application. I enjoy helping students navigate the process so that they can have strong options to continue with their education, and perhaps later become changemakers in their communities.
When I started at MHS, I was a history teacher, and I would informally help students with college applications during my lunch break. After a few years, I was offered the opportunity to teach one class where I can focus on college applications. Eventually, I became an AVID teacher and had the opportunity to teach many more 12th graders who wanted help with the process of college applications.
My original plan for college was to attend community college for 2 years and then transfer. However, during Thanksgiving break of my 12th grade, my cousin Lucille was visiting from college, and she convinced me to complete the UC application and sent it (by mail). To my delightful surprise, I was admitted to the only college I applied to, UC Berkeley. My experience at Berkeley changed my life, and it motivated me to give other students a similar opportunity to attend college.
I had a very nice experience at Albany High School in the East Bay. I had some fantastic teachers and a good group of friends. I always viewed myself as a “middle-of-the-pack” student, and didn’t really value my potential. But I had some teachers who really motivated me to try harder, and I was able to improve my grades to become competitive for college. As I mentioned, my original plan was to attend community college and transfer.
Mr. Velez is known as kind and humorous. He throws in a lot of Spanish to help illustrate real-world analogies. His class itself isn’t challenging, but it’s important and necessary. Students learn about the college process, apply to schools, learn about the financial aid process and fill out their FAFSA. In addition, students fill out scholarship applications.
Mr. Velez is confident that all students can go to college and his confidence helps you become more confident in the process.
