While the A+ Program may seem time consuming to some, in the end, it is completely worth it.

The A+ Program is an opportunity for students through volunteer work, consistent attendance, and average grades to earn money to go to any two-year community college in the state of Missouri. Students are required to complete 50 hours of unpaid tutoring or mentoring, maintain 95 percemt attendance throughout high school, and graduate with an overall grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.

Blue Springs South A+ Coordinator Ben Baier talked about when students should get involved in the program.

“Students should enroll (in the A+ Program) their freshman year or as early as possible. I would say that you need to have at least half of your tutoring hours done by the beginning of your senior year due to the fact that senior year is always so busy and filled with activities,” Baier said.

Senior Carter Woods, who completed half of his mentoring hours but did not finish, discussed his regrets and remorse by not finishing what he started with the A+ Program.

“Sometimes college plans may not work out like they were supposed to, so completing A+ would definitely make me feel more at ease in the case that something doesn’t go according to plan. I would definitely recommend that every student participate in the A+ Program even if it is nothing more than a security blanket for your college plans,” Woods said.

Senior Sydney Righi, who will not use her scholarship money next year from completing the A+ Program, talked about how the experience of her mentorship is worth more than just the money.

“I received a scholarship offer for softball next year, so I won’t be using my money from A+. Overall, it was still a great experience and was totally worth the time and effort that I had to put in to it. It was a lot of fun to spend time with the kids, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone that is thinking about participating in the A+ program,” Righi said.

Upon completion, the state of Missouri will grant students scholarship funds at any participating public  community college or vocational or technical school  in the state. Even if the A+ Program is nothing more than a fallback plan for students and their families, it is still completely worth doing to give that sense of security.