Plymouth Students Find It 'Possible' To Help With Donations

They have the same first name and similar future ambitions made possible through the same program.

Samantha Vang and Samantha Boline, both seniors at, are looking at pre-med after graduating high school. Vang wants to go into family practice while Boline is thinking about going into psychology. Both futures seem more possible than they had before thanks to an organization that has helped them both work toward a future that includes their aspirations.

Admission Possible Twin Cities is a nonprofit organization that makes college admission and success possible for low-income students through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support. The organization was launched in 2000 and serves 7,600 low-income high school and college age students through its college access and completion programs. Nationwide, Admission Possible serves 8,700 Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin students in 2011-12 with plans to reach 20,000 students annually in 10 locations across the country by 2020.

The two Samanthas were part of more than 400 juniors and 300 seniors from 19 local, participating high schools that came together to collect canned goods Nov. 5 for the Emergency Food Shelf Network during Admission Possible Twin Cities' National Make a Difference Day. The students participating have all been helped and part of the Admssion Possible progarms.

The Armstrong group met early Saturday morning in front of the school to split into small groups and scour the surrounding neighborhood for canned goods. Since the Armstrong group have been two-time defending champs for the past couple years, they had their work cut out for them.

A rally later in the day at the Minneapolis Sports Center brought all the youth from across the metro together to count up how much was collected and determine a winner (check back to Plymouth Patch to find out who collected the most this year.) Last year more than 9,000 pounds of food was collected from Admission Possible students who went door-to-door in neighborhoods in Plymouth, Minneapolis, St. Paul, New Hope, Coon Rapids, St. Louis Park, Brooklyn Park and Bloomington.

Being able to give back to the community has been important to both Samanthas and their peers James Jones and Janel Sanders-Collins, also seniors at Armstrong.

"I like to go around my community and help people," James said. "I"m helping rebuild the inside of the roof of my church too."

Janel said it's simply a lot of fun to help out. She and Boline both participated in the canned food drive last year. All four Armstrong High School seniors have learned different things from the help they get from Admission Possible.

"It has helped me out with the whole college process," Vang said. "Admission Possible has helped me raise my ACT score by six points."

Boline said her ACT score went from a 21 to a 26 from the assistance she's received with Admission Possible coaching and programs.

James struggled in math, especially when it came to ACT time, but he has seen improvement. He has already applied to six colleges, three in-state and three out of state. He wants to study kinesiology, movement of the body, to maybe become a sports physician.

Janel found that working with Admission Possible staff at school has helped her improve her study habits not only for tests like the ACT, but for school work in general.

"I quiz myself before tests now and I've done better with my regular homework," she said.

Janel would like to go to Iowa State University and study fashion and business.

For these four students and many others, Admission Possible has made it possible for them to not only make plans for the future, but find ways to help others in the present.