For Caterin Rodriguez, attending Southern New Hampshire University is her dream. But, as the first in her family to graduate high school, navigating complicated financial aid forms and SNHU’s application has been overwhelming.

“I want it to be perfect,” Rodriguez told Adam Howard, the college and career counselor sitting next to her at Manchester West High School. Her fingers hovered over her laptop as they worked through questions on the SNHU application.

Had anyone helped her with her application, it wanted to know.

“Only one,” Rodriguez said, turning to Howard. “You.”

Manchester West High School senior Caterin Rodriguez, the first in her family to graduate high school, wants to be a teacher. Adam Howard, the former associate director of Educational Talent Search in New Hampshire, is helping her apply to Southern New Hampshire University and complete complicated financial aid forms.

As of this fall, Howard is no longer getting paid to help Rodriguez and nearly 100 other first-generation and low-income high school seniors in the state. But he has kept showing up, for free.

Howard, of Dover, used to be the associate director of New Hampshire Educational Talent Search, a federally funded program that’s been providing New Hampshire students like Rodriguez college and career planning since the 1970s. Educational Talent Search is part of TRIO, a federally funded program that supports students who are first generation or from low-income families.

Howard lost that job in September when the Trump administration abruptly cut funding, citing the program’s efforts to reach students of color. The notice did not acknowledge that the first Trump administration had allowed—and even required—programs to include equity efforts, as ETS did when it applied for its current grant in 2020.

The funding cuts left nearly 1,200 middle and high school students in 29 New Hampshire schools suddenly without help from counselors like Howard. TRIO has sued to reinstate funding, and the New Hampshire program may have a chance to apply again in December, if the U.S. Department of Education continues accepting applications.

But in the meantime, Howard, a first-generation college student himself, decided he couldn’t walk away. He’s still checking in with students at Manchester West, while he’s interviewing for a new job.

“I have a family to worry about, you know, daycare, mortgage,” Howard said. “I do have to think about that, but I’m going to stand up for what I believe in and give my students the promised services to the maximum ability and extent that I can.”

Another Educational Talent Search colleague continues to work with her seniors at Concord High School, but the other counselors could not afford to return.

‘You deserve the help.’

Howard meets weekly with 16 seniors at Manchester West. He has also encouraged the families of the other 126 seniors in the program to reach out with questions. If he gets a job, he said he’ll continue to support students after hours and on weekends. He’s even prepared to use vacation time if necessary.

Howard reassured Rodriquez during a recent meeting that he’d see her through her final year of high school: “I had someone help me with all this stuff, too,” he said. “You deserve the help, so don’t ever feel like you’re asking for too much.”

Shortly after Rodriguez headed back to class, Ammar Sehic, who wants to study medicine at Dartmouth College, took a seat next to Howard. Sehic’s parents, who are Bosnian refugees, have always encouraged him to go to college, but they can’t provide the expertise he needs, like edits on an essay and help with financial aid forms.

Ammar Sehic, the first in his family to go to college, wants to study medicine at Dartmouth College.

“Unfortunately, there are kids who have great opportunity who are wicked smart in English, math, music, you name it,” Sehic said, “and they don’t have the resources or the knowledge to be, ‘Oh, I can go to college and hone in my skills and be able to make a difference to the world or whatever they want to do.’ ”

To hold onto its funding each year, New Hampshire’s Educational Talent Search has to meet certain goals for high school graduation rates and completion of higher education. Last year the program exceeded its goals, with a budget of about $670,000, about $575 per student.

Nearly 90% of seniors in the program enrolled in a post-secondary program, most in a four-year college. That far surpassed the program’s goal of 56% enrollment. And nearly 60% of students completed their education program within six years, which is in line with the national average among low-income and first-generation students.

To get support from Educational Talent Search, schools must meet federal criteria, which includes a high number of low-income students and low graduation rates from high school or college. Students who are low-income and the first generation automatically qualify.

That day at Manchester West, Howard saw students back to back for most of the school day. Rashid Conteh, who’s been working with Howard since eighth grade, walked in next.

Conteh’s plans have shifted in his five years with Howard. He initially wanted to work in cybersecurity but now, he wants to go into nursing. He also wavered on going to college altogether because he was reluctant to leave his single mother and the younger brother he helps care for.

Howard put college back on the table.

“I told [Howard] my situation and he just gave me, like, all the possibilities of how I can overcome that and still, you know, get my degree and get into college,” Conteh said.

Conteh is applying to community colleges to cut tuition costs and stay at home, but he is also considering Keene State College and the University of New Hampshire – if he can get enough financial aid.

“With [this counseling program], it can really change your mind and your perspective of college,” Conteh said.

Adam Howard, center, helps Manchester West High School seniors Rashid Conteh, left, and Adam Serhan with their college applications. Serhan is applying to Boston College while Conteh is considering community college to remain close to his single mother and the younger brother he helps care for.

Howard made his way from Conteh to Mallory Brave, a junior on track to graduate a year early. She wanted Howard’s final feedback on her essay, which focused on being the first in her family to pursue college. She wants to study radiology.

“About freshman year I decided I wanted to go to college, and then I got a little iffy about it again,” Brave said. “But then now I’m like, ‘Yes, I want to go to college.’”

Brave said she and her parents got “iffy” because – like Conteh – they weren’t sure they could afford the tuition. That changed when Howard helped Brave find scholarships and other aid, a big part of his work.

“Once they found out all about the financial aid and stuff like that, they’re very supportive and happy,” she said.

‘Their futures are unlimited.’

Alan Bergeron, of Sunapee, was in Brave’s place nearly 40 years ago: capable of going to college with no idea how to do it or pay for it. He said his life changed when he connected with TRIO programs in high school and then college.

Bergeron went on to graduate from the UNH in 1989 with degrees in microbiology and immunology, and has spent his career at Dartmouth Medical School. When his children began thinking about college, Bergeron was able to counsel them in a way his parents, who didn’t attend college, could not.

“Their futures are unlimited because of that,” Bergeron said, of his two children. “TRIO broke a generational, low income, first generation, um, way that my family was probably going to continue on if I didn’t make that break.”

Manchester West Principal Richard Dichard is aware that nearly 1,200 students in other New Hampshire schools have lost their counselors. That’s particularly hard on seniors facing big questions about college and life after high school.

“We’re just lucky,” Dichard said. “We shouldn’t be rolling the dice and getting lucky because we have great people like Adam to…do this work. That’s not what we should be doing with our young people.”

Howard is not doing this work alone at Manchester West.

The school’s counselors work with these students too. But they can’t give them nearly as much time and attention as he can because they each have almost 170 other students to help

And private college counselors, which may cost thousands of dollars a year, are out of the question for these students.

Dichard said that’s why Educational Talent Search is critical.

“I don’t understand why we would ever cut a program like this, that has very distinct, very clear, positive outcomes for students and our and our community.”

Bergeron went on to graduate from the UNH in 1989 with degrees in microbiology and immunology, and has spent his career at Dartmouth Medical School. When his children began thinking about college, Bergeron was able to counsel them in a way his parents, who didn’t attend college, could not.

Courtesy, Alan Bergeron

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NHPR

Alan Bergeron with a photo from his graduation at the University of New Hampshire in 1989, where he earned degrees in microbiology and immunology. He credits that accomplishment and career at Dartmouth Medical School to his Educational Talent Search counselors.

“Their futures are unlimited because of that,” Bergeron said, of his two children. “TRIO broke a generational, low income, first generation, um, way that my family was probably going to continue on if I didn’t make that break.”

‘We shouldn’t be rolling the dice.’

Manchester West principal Richard Dichard is aware that nearly 1,200 students in other New Hampshire schools have lost their counselors. The loss is particularly hard on seniors facing big questions about college and life after high school.

“We’re just lucky,” Dichard said. “We shouldn’t be rolling the dice and getting lucky because we have great people like Adam to…do this work. That’s not what we should be doing with our young people.”

Howard is not doing this work alone at Manchester West.

The school’s counselors work with these students too. But they can’t give them nearly as much time and attention as he can because they each have almost 170 other students to help.

And private college counselors, which may cost thousands of dollars a year, are out of the question for these students.

Dichard said that’s why Educational Talent Search is critical.

“I don’t understand why we would ever cut a program like this that that has very distinct, very clear, positive outcomes for students and our and our community.”