February 16, 2010

By JUDY MASTERSON jmasterson@stmedianetwork.com jmasterson@scn1.com

Amanda Gerfen, 17, of Round Lake Park has always dreamed of living in New York City, and on Aug. 31 that dream comes true.

Gerfen, her parents and her three older brothers will rent a van and drive to historic Barnard College in Manhattan, where for the next four years the soon-to-graduate Round Lake High School senior hopes to make her community proud. She was accepted into the elite women's school, and she can afford to go because of the guidance of the Schuler Scholar program.

Since its inception in 2001, Schuler has sent nearly 300 Lake County high school students to the nation's top colleges and universities. The Lake Bluff-based Schuler Family Foundation provides mentorship and scholarships to high-achieving students, many who are the first in their families to attend college. In exchange, it expects diligence and commitment.

"Schuler's not hard," said Gerfen, a straight-A student who loves calculus. "But you have to be dedicated to it. I'm doing it to help myself."

Schuler Scholars can also be found at Waukegan, Warren Township and Highland Park high schools. The program started at Round Lake High School in 2006, and last summer the first group of 17 scholars graduated and now attend schools like Notre Dame, Brown and Pomona College

"It is a rigorous program," said DeEnna Wisdom Holohan, Round Lake High School director/college counselor. "We really want our scholars to have a depth of thought. We want them to be people who are open to diversity, who have a sense of what it is to have an understanding of the world."

Round Lake High Schuler Scholars, who must maintain a 3.4 GPA, receive intensive tutoring in reading and writing, in public speaking, time management and decision making. They attend a leadership camp, the theater, the opera and many other programs designed to expand their knowledge base and cultural experience.

"All the things that we do gives them a jumping off point, teaches them about themselves," Holohan said.

Gerfen spent three weeks in Ghana, West Africa, attended summer college at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and traveled to other colleges on Schuler's tab. She will be the first in her family to attend a four-year college.

"It's huge," said Meg Gerfen, Amanda's mom. "I never dreamed something like this was possible for any of my kids. Amanda will go off to school and fulfill her dreams. So many kids will have a better future because of the Schuler program. So many doors open when you have an education."

Schuler helps strengthen the curriculum of its host schools. It worked with Round Lake High to offer more Advanced Placement courses to all students, and it raises the bar in other ways. Round Lake High honors geometry teacher Gary Ebel said Schuler Scholars are more likely to get involved in their communities.

"Schuler does a lot with character building and leadership training, and we all benefit from that," Ebel said "Schuler kids see the bigger picture. They get things done. You can ask their opinion and they give it to you very clearly. They have confidence and maturity."