By Christian Coffman

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — When it comes to helping students march off to a brighter future, Copiah-Lincoln Community College is providing the boots.

Co-Lin’s Natchez campus is one of only two community colleges in the state collaborating with the U.S. Army Recruiting Division of Baton Rouge to serve as a host site for the March2Success program.

March2Success is an online study program offered free of charge to help prepare students for standardized tests and improve school performance and grades.

Army recruiters will be working directly with participants in the program.

Director of Veteran’s Services Dr. Tim Lea said army personnel will monitor and help those taking the test, and the program will customize itself to meet the individual participant’s needs.

“The facilitators will give people an account and monitor them as they do it,” Lea said. “The program will drive the customization and the facilitators are there to help the students through it.”

Lea said the March2Success program would track progress and show strengths and weaknesses, guiding the students in the areas that need more work.

The optional program geared toward high school and college students will have four hour-long sessions.

Morning sessions are scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon and afternoon sessions from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on June 5 through 9.

Lea said the sessions will happen before the national ACT test on June 10 and if enough participants attend, the March2Success program could become a regular event.

“If we see the community come out and take advantage of this … we can see it long-term this being a regular offering,” Lea said. “The army has come to Co-Lin because of our relationship. If the community takes advantage of this, it’ll be something we’ll be doing every year. I could almost see this being every time the army let’s us do it.”

Education Services Specialist Jerrick Hornbeak, who works in junction with Co-Lin with the help of Lea, said the federally funded program is meant to help today’s youth through increasing test scores.

“We’re trying to draw the interest of upper classmen and decrease the number of remedial level courses in Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee,” Hornbeak said. 

He said new incoming students are paying close to $20 million to take remedial level courses in those states.   

“We want to help students avoid those types of courses,” said Hornbeak.

Lea said Co-Lin’s military-friendly status is one reason the recruiters reached out and wanted the campus to be a host site for March2Success.

“We considered it and honor because of the service Co-Lin is offering the military,” Lea said. 

Both Lea and Hornbeak said that the program is in no way meant to be a military recruitment tool.

For more information about the March2Success program and how to participate, contact Hornbeak at jerrick.1.hornbeak.civ@mail.mil or 225-769-1038.