Jesse Hendrix Named New Executive Director at College Forward

AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- College Possible, a national nonprofit that has worked to improve equity and access in the college admissions process for more than 20 years, announced the appointment of Jesse Hendrix as executive director of College Forward, its newest regional site in Austin, Texas.

"We are excited to welcome Jesse as we begin an important new chapter for the College Forward site," said College Possible CEO Craig Robinson. "With experience in both college access and success, he is in a unique position to expand our student services and college partners to meet the evolving needs of students throughout Texas."

Since its founding in 2003, College Forward has grown from a local college access program to become a national leader in the higher education nonprofit industry. In 2005, programming was expanded to offer college completion services, along with College Possible becoming one of the first organizations in the country to provide college persistence support. As part of its continued commitment to deepen its impact and scale meaningful student outcomes, College Forward became a part of the national College Possible organization in July 2021. Hendrix succeeds Austin Buchan, the former CEO of College Forward who transitioned to the College Possible national office in August 2021 following the merger.

"I am honored to step into this role with an incredible network of professionals at College Possible. I am excited to seize the opportunity to expand College Possible's strong tradition of impact and influence in college access and college success," said Hendrix.

Hendrix most recently served as the director of college persistence at KIPP Texas Public Schools. In this role, he led the implementation of the post-secondary success strategic plan at one of the largest KIPP public school charter management organizations in the nation, serving 28 schools and 14,500 students.

Hendrix comes with extensive experience in college access and college success at both secondary and post-secondary institutions. Before working at KIPP, he was the assistant director of multicultural affairs and leadership at Rice University. Prior to his tenure at Rice, Hendrix was the director of enrichment services at Columbia University in the City of New York. In both roles he designed and implemented strategies around college retention, academic progress and success, and professional development for undergraduate students.

About College Possible: As one of the largest and most successful college access and success programs in the country, since 2000 College Possible has helped put more than 59,000 students from disinvested communities on the path to economic mobility via completion of a college degree. Its proven near-peer coaching model, delivered by recent college graduates serving as AmeriCorps members, provides high-touch interventions proven to help students navigate and overcome the most common barriers to college access, retention and degree completion. Nationwide, College Possible students are three times more likely to earn a bachelor's degree within six years than their peers from similar backgrounds. Headquartered in Saint Paul, MN, College Possible operates: regional sites in Chicago, IL; Milwaukee, WI; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; Portland, OR; and Seattle, WA; College Forward in Austin, TX; and has Catalyze partnerships in California, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, and Tennessee. Learn more at CollegePossible.org.

About College Forward: College Forward is a college success organization that specializes in coaching low-income and first-generation students to and through college. Through strategic partnerships, innovative technology, and students-first policy initiatives, College Forward aims to reshape the higher education experience for underserved students across the nation. Since its founding in 2003, College Forward has grown from a cohort of 30 high school students to an organization serving over 6,000 high school and college students each year. As part of a continued commitment to deepen our impact and scale meaningful student outcomes, College Forward became a part of the national College Possible organization in July 2021. Learn more at CollegeForward.org.

SOURCE College Possible