About the 20 Stories Series
To celebrate 20 years of impact, we're sharing 20 stories from the people who’ve made our journey possible. From past participants to longtime partners, these voices reflect the heart of our program. Each story highlights the voices, experiences, and milestones that shaped our community. This is one of them.
How did you decide to join AdviseVA?
I graduated from TC Williams High School, now Alexandria City High School in 2007, and was one of the first graduating classes to have a College Guide as advisers were called then. My parents both have college degrees but didn’t know much about the modern college application process and my college guide was integral to me applying for colleges and financial aid. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after college so serving as an adviser for a couple years was a great opportunity to pay forward the help and guidance I received.
I had my heart set on going back to my own community so was initially really disappointed to be placed at Bassett High School. It was nerve-wracking to be going into a totally new environment and community and I was hesitant to commit to spending 2 years in an area I knew nothing about. But after visiting BHS I had an overwhelming feeling of peace and certainty that this was the right choice for me. Looking back, I know that going out of my comfort zone and integrating into a new community taught me so many invaluable lessons about building relationships, shared humanity, and resilience.
What is one memory from your time as an adviser that has stayed with you?
One of my most cherished memories is helping a student who was coming into the college application and financial aid process very late in the game. He shared with me that his parents suffered from substance abuse problems and he had been living with a friend’s family, and he realized that once his friend left for college he would likely no longer have a place to stay and was at risk for homelessness. So for him, getting accepted to a school and receiving financial aid wasn’t just about higher education and future career opportunities, but it was about making sure he had housing and food security. Even though it was past the application deadline for most schools, we called several admissions offices and ultimately Radford University said they still had room in their incoming class and would make an exception, guaranteeing they’d find on campus housing although the deadline for that had passed as well. On graduation day as I was walking around congratulating the various students and families we ran into each other and he just grabbed me in a hug and said “Thank you for everything Mr. Francois.” Knowing that you’ve made a difference in just one persons life means regardless of everything else that you have won some victory for humanity.
What are you up to now, and how did your time as an adviser prepare you for life after your service?
Right now I work for a management consulting company that serves clients in the federal government. My time as an adviser fanned a passion for public service in me and while I enjoyed being able to have an impact with people on a day-to-day basis, I saw that to have a greater impact we had to work on policy, process, and technology issues that create systemic inequities in how individuals and communities engage with public goods and services.
Professionally, there will never be a more anxiety inducing public speaking engagement than being in front of 300 high school students in an auditorium. I learned how to walk into any room and build a rapport with who I’m talking to and how to speak persuasively and authentically.
Personally, as someone who was not a natural-born extrovert, being in a new community away from my friends and family taught me how to put myself out there and not to be scared of unknown outcomes. It taught me to say “why not” instead of “why” when it came to doing new things and meeting new people.
What is something you were proud to have accomplished during your time as an adviser?
I could point to year-over-year increases in the college acceptance rate and scholarship dollars received during my 2 years at BHS, but as I learned during my graduate studies in public policy, correlation is not causation! What I can be sure that I accomplished was being present and showing up for my students and the community, whether that was facilitating weekend SAT/ACT prep, cheering them on during a Friday night football game, or coaching the local travel soccer club.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your time with AdviseVA?
AdviseVA is more than just a great experience for advisers, it is an investment in the future prosperity of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Investing in education and programs that support education is one of the greatest returns on investment for our tax dollars. A high school education is no longer enough for Virginians to be competitive in the modern, global economy, and adoption of AI across industries will only exacerbate that skills gap. AdviseVA and other programs that support enrollment and completion in post-secondary institutions should be publicly funded through the state budget to make sure that Virginia is home to a highly-skilled workforce and an attractive destination for companies to set up operations in.