COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • DECEMBER 12, 2018 •
3A
Mentorship program ‘ASPIRES’ to help students plan future
LORANE NEWS
• A delightful time was
had on Sunday, Dec. 9,
at the Lorane Grange
dinner open house pot-
luck. Th ere was a large
attendance,
delicious
food and much laughter
with the gift exchange as
many people had their
gift s taken several times.
All veterans were rec-
ognized as they stood
with a round of applause.
Two Lorane Grange
members, Randy Eshle-
man and Mike Cantrell,
received an award for
2018 Veterans of the Year
for outstanding commu-
nity service since leaving
the military.
• Applegate Elementa-
ry has its winter program
tomorrow night, Dec. 13,
with a soup dinner from
5:30 to 6:30 p.m. prior to
the 7 p.m. program.
Everyone is encour-
aged to bring canned
goods to donate for those
in need in the CAL dis-
trict.
• Just a reminder, sev-
eral Lorane organiza-
tions, including Lorane
Grange, are still col-
lecting canned goods
and non-perishables for
those less fortunate.
If you need to drop off
any goods at the grange,
call Randy or Gary T.
• Th e high school
winter band program is
Tuesday, Dec. 18, begin-
ning at 7 p.m.
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
High school is hard.
In between self discovery,
grade point averages, extra
curricular activities and col-
lege applications, students
have to begin charting a path
towards the question that
has been looming over their
12-year educational career:
What do they want to be
when they grow up?
It’s a tough question and
while traditional classes and
career fairs work to help stu-
dents navigate their choices,
Cottage Grove High School
(CGHS) is bringing in a new
program to ease the confus-
ing task.
Th e ASPIRE program has
been in Oregon for years, of-
fering students a chance to
engage in training and edu-
cation outside the classroom.
It’s billed as the state’s sanc-
tioned mentorship program,
partnering students with
professionals in the commu-
nity to help them meet their
future career and education-
al goals.
“… while the ASPIRE
program is generally geared
toward helping students pur-
sue higher education aft er
high school, many of our
seniors are not planning to
pursue college aft er gradu-
ation,” Lacey Guest wrote
in response to questions
regarding the ASPIRE pro-
gram.
Guest serves as Cottage
Grove High School’s college
and career transition special-
ist and recently presented the
benefi ts of the ASPIRE pro-
gram to several community
organizations including the
Cottage Grove City Council.
According to Guest, 69
percent of the class of 2019
is interested in attending
college — either community
college or a four-year school
— but 12 percent remained
unsure of their future plans. '
Eleven percent said they
were interested in the mili-
tary and 8 percent planned
to explore apprenticeship or
trade jobs.
Guest told the city coun-
cil that the ASPIRE program
could help that 12 percent
of the class narrow down its
options and explore diff er-
ent careers whether they’re
based in college tracks or in-
ternships.
Th e program works
through one-on-one men-
torships with volunteers
from the community. Volun-
teers do not need to have a
college degree or be experts
in a particular fi eld to take
part in the program.
While ASPIRE has been
in other schools around Ore-
gon for a number of years, it’s
new to Cottage Grove High
School this year.
“Th ere were two factors,”
Cottage Grove High School
Principal Mike Ingman said
in explaining how ASPIRE
was chosen for the school.
“Alan Baas, on our school
board, was always really sup-
portive of what ASPIRE does
and had been talking about it
for years.”
Th e second factor, Ing-
man said, was an all-around
eff ort by the administration
at CGHS to aid students in
their aspirations.
“As we looked around
here at the high school for
ways we could increase stu-
dent success aft er they grad-
uate, we looked at ASPIRE,”
he said. “It gives our seniors
mentors as a way to increase
the likelihood they have suc-
cess whether it’s college or a
career and ASPIRE increases
the number of mentors for
the students.”
Before the ASPIRE pro-
gram is off ered to CGHS
students, the school is look-
ing for additional mentors.
CGHS staff and Guest would
provide training, support
and resources to volunteers
and ask that all volunteers be
consistent but note volunteer
time is fl exible.
For more information,
contact Guest at 541-942-
3391 ext. 225 or lacey.guest@
slane.k12.or.us.
Deadline to apply for Oregon Health Insurance is Saturday
SALEM — Time is run-
ning out for people who want
health insurance in 2019 but
do not get coverage through
their job or another pro-
gram. Dec. 15 is the last day
to enroll. Th e Oregon Health
Insurance Marketplace has
fi ve tips for Oregonians who
need to get or renew coverage
and fi nancial assistance. Th e
marketplace is the state-level
partner to HealthCare.gov.
Tip No. 1: Don’t assume
you make too much to get
help paying for your plan.
Families of four making
about $100,000 a year or less
may qualify. Th e most sin-gle
people can make and qualify
is about $48,000.
Th e income guidelines
rise every year, so even if
you have not been eligible
for subsidies in the past, try
again this year. Start at Oreg-
onHealthCare.gov.
Tip No. 2: Get free, lo-
cal help enrolling. Licensed
insurance agents and certi-
fi ed community partners are
ready to help you. Agents
and partners are experts on
the HealthCare.gov applica-
S entinel
C ottage G rove
tion for fi nancial assistance.
Th ey can also guide you
through your health plan
options before you enroll.
Choose an agent or partner
in the directory at Oreg-
onHealthCare.gov/gethelp,
or call the Oregon Health
Insurance Marketplace at
1-855-268-3767 (toll free).
Tip No. 3: Look beyond
the sticker prices. More than
70 percent of people who got
coverage through Health-
Care.gov last year also qual-
ifi ed for fi nancial assistance.
Th at means their cover-
age cost them less than the
full premium. On average,
they saved $421 each month
off their premium. Th e best
way to fi nd out how much
you might pay once fi nancial
help is factored in is to apply
for coverage.
If you want an estimate
fi rst, visit HealthCare.gov/
see-plans and answer a few
screening questions.
Tip No. 4: Read the fi ne
print on deductibles. Some-
times health insurance shop-
pers wince when they see the
deductibles that come with
health plans.
Deductibles are usually
the amount a person with
insurance has to pay for care
before the health plan kicks
in. Th e good news is that de-
ductibles do not apply to ev-
erything. Even a plan with a
deductible will cover eligible
preventive care for no extra
cost.
Plus, all Oregon plans
on HealthCare.gov with
“Standard Silver” in the plan
name, and some others, cov-
er in-network offi ce visits
even if you have not paid
the deductible. You pay only
your co-payment for those
visits and not the full cost of
the visit.
Check for those details
when you shop, or work with
an insurance agent who can
look them up for you.
Tip No. 5: Don’t miss the
deadline. Th e deadline to en-
roll is Dec. 15.
If you miss it, you may
go a year without health in-
surance. Avoid the risk and
get started at OregonHealth-
Care.gov.
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