Today we’d like to introduce you to Renee Green.
Renee, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My parents migrated to the United States from Jamaica so that the family that they planned to have could have access to the opportunities that were not afforded to them. The expectation in my parent’s home was that my siblings and I attended college and pursue post-secondary education. With the US educational system being a foreign concept to them, they did all that they could to encourage us but they were not necessarily sure how to guide us. I was blessed to have an amazing school counselor who helped me identify scholarships and supportive programs that would make me competitive for college. I used what she taught me to help guide my younger sisters. I have always had a passion for community engagement and education and initially started my professional journey as a social worker.
During my years as a social worker, I worked with families who experienced DCF involvement and homeless mothers and their children. My experiences as a social worker impacted my desire to be on the preventative side of community mobilization and I made the switch to get a Specialist in Counselor Education. My years as school counselor have been the most impactful professional years of my life. Although beautiful work, I consistently saw that some students were missed, that families were overwhelmed with how to help their students be competitive for college or to reach their post-secondary goals, students were being denied acceptance to their colleges of choice due to low test scores and were unaware of the opportunities available to them. The concept of and need for”The PLUG” came more vividly to me when I realized that my siblings and I were first-generation college students and we had no idea, when I met an amazing student by the name of Queeny (another first-generation college student), who was unaware of her potential and options available to her and when I saw how many students and parents would gravitate towards me because they felt as if the post-secondary exploration journey was confusing and overwhelming. My heart is to provide traditional counseling support in a nontraditional way, where parents and students are provided support to and through their post-secondary experiences.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I just laughed out loud. I was just sharing with my some of my close friends how difficult the road has been. I have a big vision, with a small staff. There is a huge need and we have little funds. Although I know that the work we are doing is great work, it is difficult work. So many people believe in The PLUG’s vision and are supportive with their words. It is so encouraging but hard when I work a 7-5 and do the work of The PLUG in my “free” time. Staying organized and having the ability to express what I need to those who ask has always been hard. This past year, we were blessed with an amazing program assistant who has helped me tremendously. As we continue to do this much needed work, I must always keep my purpose and the end goal in mind.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am high school counselor and the Executive Director of The PLUG. The PLUG is a program that connects students to college and career options through education and experiences. The PLUG provides free ACT and SAT tutoring, scholarship and financial aid information, mentoring and exposure to post-secondary opportunities.
The parents and students that I meet with often tell me that I have a gift. Since I am so passionate about helping students identify their goals and creating a plan to attain it, I have never really saw it is as being my gift but more so my purpose. When I think about and speak on college and career, I light up! It has been so rewarding to see students attain college acceptances and scholarships due to their test scores increasing up to 200 points from attending our ACT/SAT prep. When I helped coach one of my mentees with her interview for Vanderbuilt and the University of Pennsylvania after she realized she was competitive enough to apply to these institutions, I was encouraged by how empowered she felt. As I help students develop their personal statements or share unique information in an engaging way and hear how beneficial parents and students feel our interactions are, makes me honored to be a part of their educational journey.
As I reflect on my journey as school counselor, I feel as though I have married my passion with my career. As the lead school counselor at my school, I have planned programs to ensure that parents and students are aware of resources, graduation requirements and post-secondary opportunities. Exposing students and families to the opportunities that are available to them and ensuring that they all have access to information is important to me. I love doing this through innovative and intentional programming. I desire to be an advocate for the students and families that I work with and to minimize the barriers that they experience. During my time at Colonial High School, I have served as a sponsor for the Junior Class and started a girl’s mentoring group called the Legacy Club. The Legacy Club is an opportunity for minority female students to develop as leaders, increase positive self-regard and impact the community that they reside in.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I have lived in Orlando since I was six years old. This city raised me and I love it! I love the diversity and the hidden gems. I adore my family and they all live here, along with some of my best friends. I met my husband here, which is also a huge plus! Something that I struggle with is that when working in a diverse city, you will experience frustrations where you receive more student and parental involvement from certain areas and schools, although you know that the need is there. I desire to mobilize the resources available to students and parents so that the students and families that could benefit from what is available are aware and present to take advantage of what is available.
Contact Info:
- Email: theplug4conneection@gmail.com
- Website: https://theplug4connection.org/
- Instagram: theplug4connection
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Theplug4connection
