Promise Team- Willo Cain
Willo Cain, Reconnection Specialist
The Kalamazoo Promise allows every eligible student the opportunity to forge their own path to post-secondary education. Those paths, however, can change direction at any time. For some, their journey to a post-secondary credential began and certain circumstances stopped their pursuit. Perhaps, their journey never even started. In any case, The Promise is equipped with a reconnection team who connects with those students and assists them in getting back on track to their educational goals. Let’s meet our Reconnection Specialist, Willo Cain.
Born and raised in Kalamazoo, Willo was a student in Kalamazoo Public Schools at Greenwood, Lincoln, and Northglade Montessori Magnet. Early in her educational journey, her family temporarily left the district, and she attended Paramount Charter Academy from third to eighth grade. Willo and her family returned to KPS after her eighth grade year, where she attended Kalamazoo Central High School and graduated in 2012.
Willo Cain is a 2012 graduate of Kalamazoo Central High School.
“We left the district before the announcement of The Promise. We didn’t know the impact of that this decision would make on college affordability. I remember several kids leaving PCA to qualify for a bigger scholarship.”
Willo became interested in communication and public relations after being involved in DECA and marketing classes at Central. She credits her former marketing teacher, Robert Roy, and his courses for clarifying what she wanted to study in college.
“I actually emailed him once to thank him! We were using the 4 P’s to develop a communication strategy for a campus wellness initiative in class. Very few of my classmates were already familiar with the concept.”
With 65 % Promise eligibility, Willo chose to continue her education at Wayne State University. She made the decision to attend Wayne while participating in the Michigan GEAR UP program. It was during a college tour with GEAR UP where she was first introduced to the institution.
“It was really love at first sight. I had never been to Detroit before, but as soon as I got to campus, I could see myself there.”
While at Wayne, Willo worked on-campus jobs that helped her discover her passion for higher education and student affairs. This allowed her to apply her communication and public relations knowledge as a student.
Willo pictured with one of her former students at Niles High School.
In 2017, she graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree with double majors in Public Relations and Communication Studies. Her motivation to complete her degree was her late father, the first person in his family to graduate college.
“It means so much to be able to honor him in this way. His dedication to learning and community really made an impact on our family. We even have a Dr. Cain in our ranks now.”
It was upon graduation that Willo was faced with finding her own path. Her interest in student affairs was clear but was unsure on what that looked like .
“I enjoyed my on-campus jobs and working closely with students. It wasn’t until my last semester that I discovered the student affairs field.”
This led Willo to serve two years of national service in AmeriCorps. Her first service experience was in Indiana to support the Indiana Commission for Higher Education with their 21st Century Scholars scholarship program. In her second experience, Willo returned to Michigan to serve with Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) as a College Advisor at Niles High School.
Following her tenure at AmeriCorps, Willo began working at the University of Michigan in 2019. She was an administrator in the Office of Financial Aid, focusing on student outreach and financial aid education.
“All of my work has been predominately underrepresented and first-generation college students. It is still so rewarding. Going to college was the best decision I’ve made for myself, and I love sharing that with students.”
Eventually, her path would be redirected back to Kalamazoo and the Kalamazoo Promise.
Willo joined the Promise Team in April as the Reconnection Specialist. Willo works with students who have yet to utilize their Promise or have paused their post-secondary journey.
“I remember needing that extra support on my educational journey and feeling so lost. I’m grateful that I can be there for someone else!”
Additionally, she works with our reconnection team to attend community events, create more opportunities to connect with Scholars and increase community awareness of The Promise.
An aspect that attracted Willo to her role was the opportunity to connect and relate to students who have paused their journey while serving as a part of a student’s support system.
“My path wasn’t so clearly defined either. I took a semester off, was on academic probation -you name it! I’m glad to be able to share my experience to help normalize so many issues students face.”
As an essential team member of our work, Willo has appreciated the opportunities to upskill, contribute, and collaborate on developing projects.
“Knowing that we are in the process of growth and substantial change in the organization and in the community, I am a part of creating a real legacy, establishing what this organization does and stands for, and how we are going to impact the community moving forward. I am thankful to have an opportunity to be a part of it all.”
In her role, Willo wants to continue to develop clear outreach initiatives and better utilize data to influence strategies and tactics in connecting with Scholars.
“My hope is to pinpoint Scholars who are showing interest in reconnecting but may be afraid to ask for extra support. Especially, those who are close to completing a post-secondary credential and who may not be comfortable doing it alone.”
For Scholars looking to get reconnected to The Promise, you can contact Willo at the button below!