One of College Possible’s core values is “Strive to be Delightful: People who constantly exceed expectations are not only delightful; they are always the most successful.” Krystel Calubayan is the epitome of delightful, both in her attitude and presence, and in her commitment to the success of our students.

Krystel is an AmeriCorps member with College Possible, which focuses on education. Our organization helps low-income students achieve college admission and success, and we focus on results because we know each number represents a student’s life. What makes Krystel’s role unique is that it can’t be directly measured by ACT score increases or college acceptances. Instead, her role is to provide equally important but sometimes less tangible experiences that help students understand that they are college material, like giving students opportunities to practice taking the ACT, visit a wide range of college campuses, and to celebrate success with a graduation ceremony to send them off to college with the encouragement and motivation they need to be successful. Krystel plans all of these opportunities with the meticulous and thoughtful preparation of a veteran event planner, but with the gusto, enthusiasm and passion that only an idealistic AmeriCorps member can embody.

Krystel has the added challenge of remembering the long-term effects of her service without daily affirmation of her success because she isn’t always surrounded by the students she is serving. Despite this, she is one of the most consistently positive individuals I’ve had the pleasure to interact with, regularly going above and beyond to ensure quality programming for our students. She had an ambitious goal to give every high school student in our program the opportunity to attend at least one campus visit this year, which meant convincing nearly 30 different colleges to fund visits for over 1,400 students. Organizing over 30 visits also entailed sharing unique information about each campus, collecting RSVPs, communicating about on-campus programming, and coordinating the transportation – no easy feat considering that she was wrangling over 1,000 students, countless college representatives, a bus company, and nearly 50 other AmeriCorps members to make these visits a reality.

Beyond the number, though, campus visits are one of the most important services we can provide to our students. Many have trouble picturing themselves as college students, and while they may be interested in attending college, choosing the right one and having the courage to take the leap and actually attend is a daunting task for anyone, especially someone who may be the first in their family to go to college. Krystel’s service this year has helped to break that cycle of doubt and questioning for countless students. When students can see themselves as a college student, they gain the confidence they need to succeed.

Krystel is delightful in her spirit and attitude, to be sure. She consistently exceeds the expectations of all those around her, and that’s delightful too. Perhaps the most delightful thing about Krystel, though, is the incredible impact she is having on young people’s lives.