5 Takeaways from Goals for Perfect Attendance

Published: Monday, May 9, 2022

Goals for Perfect Attendance is a program to motivate students to attend school consistently by creating incentives for perfect attendance. This initiative is a joint effort between NJIT, the New York Red Bulls, and Newark Public Schools and stretches across Newark.

Each month during the school year, students from all 17 Newark public high schools are invited to attend a workshop hosted by the Red Bulls and NJIT at Red Bull Arena. The workshops help students engage with different learning opportunities and prepare them for graduation through actionable instruction for college applications, resources for financing higher education and career selection guidance. 

1. Applying to College

Goals for Perfect Attendance educates students on how to apply for college. For Freshman Michael Cuyon of Eagle Academy the most valuable aspect of the program was the detail provided: knowing early what colleges are looking for, and how to make his application stand out. “It felt more fluent because the presenters actually work for a college,” said Cuyon. 

For many students, knowing where to start is the hardest part. With help from faculty and from the admissions office at NJIT, Goals for Perfect Attendance is setting students up on the path to college acceptance. 

2. Paying for College

Finances are a fundamental consideration  for any college hopeful. “The financial aid workshop helped a lot… how much I have to pay, available scholarships, what major I would need to pursue for the career I want to go in, they explained every step of the way,” says Faheema Isahawk, a junior at Technology High School.  

Providing information on where to find resources, how to apply for financial aid, and giving students actionable solutions to their financial concerns is just one of the ways NJIT encourages students to invest in their future. 

3. Career Counseling 

What now? Where do I go from here? By asking the right questions before applying to university students are able to set themselves up for long term success. “We talked about career development, how to choose what you want, and how to use college to develop in a career,” said Darla Torres, a sophomore at Technology High School. 

By helping students understand what excites them and motivates them, Goals for Perfect Attendance is helping young people think about life after college. Shela Mensah of American History High School has decided to pursue a career in medicine and plans on applying to NJIT. “I feel like when I visited it had a lot of resources and I got to learn a lot,” Mensah shared about visiting the NJIT campus. 

4. Hands-On Learning

Student engagement is essential to the success of any program. In addition to learning about potential career paths and opportunities, workshop attendees got a personal tour from Jantzen Rogalski, the Control Room Manager for the New York Red Bulls. Rogalski demonstrated to students the work and technical detail that goes into creating an entertaining and engaging event. When asked what part of Goals for Attendance made the biggest impact on him, Asan Jones Jr. of Eagle Academy didn’t hesitate in his response. “Definitely the control room and how it contributes to the arena experience. From the little things like the LED lights all the way to the big screen,” he said. 

By providing an opportunity for hands-on learning, the Goals for Attendance program is working to ensure that the experience participants have is engaging and makes a lasting impact. 

5. Showing Up (is Half the Battle)

Students with high attendance are statistically more likely to be high achievers. By owning their education, and the important role attendance plays in their future, Goals for Perfect Attendance participants are actively acknowledging how “showing up” correlates with their future success. “Attendance in school is imperative for the development and education of these students, and it is important to us at the New York Red Bulls to help provide incentives for students to increase their attendance,” stated Jordan Schwartz, Manager of Marketing Partnerships at the New York Red Bulls. 

At the conclusion of the program, the three high schools with the highest overall attendance will be awarded incentives courtesy of NJIT and the New York Red Bulls: 

  • 1st – $10,000 donation to a school project, and an all-school assembly with the New York Red Bulls Freestyle Crew

  • 2nd – $5,000 donation to a school project, and an all-school assembly with the New York Red Bulls Freestyle Crew

  • 3rd – An all-school assembly with the New York Red Bulls Freestyle Crew

Educating young people on how to apply to college, how to pay for education, how to pick a career, and how to prepare for the pursuit of college, are just some of the ways NJIT and the New York Red Bulls are working together to build a stronger community.