As students enter high school and prepare for college, many will face many obstacles and hardships. AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a class at Freedom that offers a helping hand to students who need additional help preparing for college and teaches basic organization skills. AVID impacts students school-wide and prepares them for other classes by improving writing, collaboration and critical reading skills.

“Before I took this class I was all over the place, I wasn’t prepared for anything. Once I took this class I was surprised on how much it helped me,” said Edith Collier (10).

AVID helps students get into the right mindset and leads them into the right path for college and success. Additionally, this class is beneficial to many students, since it offers a variety of scholarships.

“I took AVID because I wanted to be more prepared for college. I did not feel as if I was ready for it. I recommend this class to those students who plan on attending college,” said Tyler Paton, 10.

Paton continued, “This is actually my fourth year in AVID. I started this class when I was in 7th grade. This class is a lot of work, but it gives me a better knowledge of college and it will better ready me for it.”

In class, students work on Cornell Notes and tutorials, “which is where we ask questions and try to get a better grasp on the topics we do not know,” according to Paton. They also frequently hold socratic seminars. Even with all the hard work, the students have a lot of fun, too.

The students have opportunities for interesting  activities like touring and visiting colleges like USF. Wednesday, October 4th, for example, there was a field trip with an unknown destination. “It is a surprise,” said Daphnicka Elisme, 10. “Socratic seminars are pretty fun too.”

Students in AVID have a lot to gain from this class, which leads them closer to success each day.

Ms. Bala, Freedom’s new AVID teacher, concluded, “AVID prepares students for 21st century careers each day by providing the academic and behavioral skills necessary to succeed in the workplace.”