Tyger Signing Day celebrates seniors’ plans for the future

MANSFIELD — Effie James told parents not to hold back when they heard their child’s name.

“We pride this ceremony on being the kind of anti-graduation,” said James, GEAR UP coordinator and emcee at Mansfield Senior High School’s Tyger Signing Day.

“When you hear your child’s name, don’t be quiet. We invite you to scream and yell.”

Mansfield Senior held its third annual Tyger Signing Day last week. The ceremony celebrated seniors who have committed to a plan for life after graduation.

“The first signing day, we had 17 kids,” James said. “Last year we had 37. This year we have 70.”

Most seniors who participated have their sights set on college, but a handful were recognized for their plans to enlist in the military or enter the workforce.

Principal Robert McQuate said increasing participation in the event is evidence of a growing “culture of belief” at Mansfield Senior High School. Then he issued a challenge to the underclassmen sitting in the bleachers.

“Recognize that you have the ability and the responsibility to increase these signing day numbers and more importantly, to be prepared for your life after high school,” he said.

GEAR UP program promotes college future culture at Senior High

Signing Day is coordinated by the staff of GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), a grant-funded program designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. Mansfield City was selected to receive a seven-year GEAR UP grant in 2021.

Senior Yasmin King plans to study biomedical science at the University of Akron. She said the GEAR UP office was instrumental in helping her prepare.

“I’m in there every day. I did not know what college was or how to apply or anything,” she said.

“They were literally there every step of the way. They helped me with scholarships. I already got a job on campus now. I haven’t even started school yet. They’ve helped me a lot.”

After their names and plans were announced, students sat with representatives from their respective school, military branch or employer. Together, they signed a pledge committing to ask for help when needed, strive for success and be the best version of themselves.

GEAR UP advisor Malon Samuel said he’s honored to see the event’s growth over the last three years.

“This goes to show that kids can do anything if they put their mind to it,” he said. “With a little bit of help from the community, they can get to where they want to be in life.”

GEAR UP planning summer hours to support college-bound students

While the atmosphere at signing day was mostly celebratory, James didn’t sugarcoat the challenges of life after college.

“This next step is going to be hard,” he told the seniors. “Many of you will consider giving up. We want that signature that you just put down to represent that you won’t give up.”

James also addressed the parents in the audience. He urged them to encourage their children to keep going when things get tough.

“Even though all of these students have applied and have been accepted to the schools that they’re representing today, half of them don’t go,” he said, citing data collected by the GEAR UP staff.

James said the phenomenon of students not following through with their college plans is known as the “summer melt.”

According to the National College Attainment Network, students of color, students from low-income backgrounds and first-generation students are the most susceptible to summer melt.

Summer melt often occurs due to the complicated logistics of college enrollment — navigating financial aid, housing, textbook costs, placement testing and orientation requirements can be overwhelming.

“It’s a hiccup in the process,” James said. “So many students, instead of following up, they just say ‘Well, I’ll just skip this quarter’ and they don’t end up going back.”

James said his office is responding by offering summer hours this year — though the exact hours haven’t been determined yet.