C.A.M.P. Empowers Canton Students to Launch Successful Careers or College Journeys

A Journey of Education and Opportunity

CANTON - As a young girl in Pakistan, Tooba Sindhu had a deep love for education. She always believed she would attend college, but she never imagined how challenging the journey would be. “I thought college was very confusing,” said the 18-year-old who fled her country due to religious persecution. “I started thinking about college as soon as I got here (in the U.S.), especially in high school. What colleges would I like to attend? What did I have to do to get into college? There are so many factors, I just found it very confusing.”

Sindhu received support through the Career Apprenticeship and Mentorship Program (C.A.M.P.) at the Early College at Lehman, a program at McKinley High. “Having someone who can walk you through every step is so helpful,” she said.

Sindhu is heading to the University of Michigan in the fall to study mechanical engineering after being accepted by seven schools. C.A.M.P. representatives helped her navigate applying for federal financial aid as well as filling out the CSS Profile, an online application used by many colleges and universities to determine a student's eligibility for financial aid, grants, and scholarships. “It would have been too late without C.A.M.P. telling me about it,” she said.

Understanding C.A.M.P.

The Career Apprenticeship and Mentorship Program’s main goal is to get students college- and career-ready. The program was founded by Tom Venturella, who retired from sales and marketing at Kraft after 35 years in business. The Jackson Township resident got involved with CAST—Caring and Serving Together, a volunteer group at Glenmoor County Club. The group did service projects, including some work at Early College at Lehman.

C.A.M.P. grew out of Venturella's desire to help. “One morning I woke up and I was playing too much golf,” he said with a chuckle. “I have been so blessed and I thought, who can I help?”

The all-volunteer group began in 2012 with a goal to help underserved and at-risk students by providing them with the support they need to thrive in school and future careers. Members focused on hosting career seminars, creating resumes, and helping students secure internships.

Over the next decade, the program has grown. Sticking to its core values and partnering with Canton City Schools, the organization has added a mentoring program, visits to area colleges and universities, scholarships, job shadowing, ACT/SAT prep, and financial aid and planning guidance.

Success and Growth

The 2024 class had 19% of graduates score 30 or higher on their ACT. This year, 26% of grads scored a 30 or higher. Students wanting to participate are vetted to ensure they have the desire to succeed. If they are willing to put in the work and commit, Venturella and his team do what they can to hit those goals.

“We know that if they are part of the Early College, they are already highly motivated and want to break the cycle of poverty,” he said. Students are selected in their sophomore year to participate in C.A.M.P. They attend seminars in the summer before their junior year to discuss everything from what is expected as an employee, how to dress for an interview, how to shake hands, and why it's important to have a good ACT score.

Breaking Down Barriers

C.A.M.P.'s reach in Stark County goes beyond helping with filing the FAFSA form or getting a better test score. It also breaks down barriers like transportation to and from school and work or dealing with a problem at home. “It takes a village,” Venturella said. “That's where the wrap-around services come in. We are problem solvers.”

For instance, they helped a blind student who was accepted at Ohio State University attend a school for the blind for a year to learn how to live on her own before heading off to Columbus.

C.A.M.P. continues to grow its reach. It recently entered a partnership with Aultman College and Altercare to provide cost-neutral tuition to nursing students. Two graduating students accepted a full scholarship to Aultman College and will enroll in the fall to start their nursing careers. Altercare is also offering free State Test Nurse Aide certification training for select students. Certification courses run around $750 to $1,200. The free training will allow those who complete the certification to find immediate employment, he added.

“One of the reasons we are so successful is that we have many people in the community involved,” Venturella said. “This will make our community more successful.”

Expanding Opportunities

The group also partnered with United Way's Young Leaders and Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce's ystark! to pair young professionals with the students. Participating students can earn one to two associate degrees while completing the C.A.M.P. program.

When Sindhu heard the program would prepare her for college and a career, she knew it was a good place for her. Sindhu thought she wanted to be a doctor, but after C.A.M.P. gave her the opportunity to intern at medical clinics, she realized that might not be the right path. She talked with advisers and they put Sindhu in touch with a NASA engineer. “I talked to him and questioned him and it was pretty interesting,” Sindhu, who has a love for science and physics. Now Sindhu, who earned an associate degree of science and arts before graduating from high school, is ready to take the path toward her ultimate goal—building rocket ships.

“I want to work at NASA, but first I have to get a master's in aerospace engineering,” she said. “I thought about being an astronaut but there are a lot of requirements. Maybe in the future.”

Alumni Success Stories

A C.A.M.P. alumnus, Justine Chester, is an alumnus of C.A.M.P. She graduated in 2014 and went to Malone University, where she earned her degree in psychology and later a master's in clinical counseling. She's a full-time licensed professional who works with children and young adults.

Chester recalls not really having a direction in high school. She thought maybe she would be an engineer but she was terrible in math. She started to have an interest in industrial organizational psychology. C.A.M.P. put Chester on the right path. “I was able to connect with various professionals. I learned how to interact and I was able to secure $1,000 scholarship for graduate school.” Chester now serves on the advisory committee for the scholarship committee and is a mentor for C.A.M.P. students.

“We are reinventing how we do things,” Chester said. “Now we have more feet on the ground and we can really connect with the students interested in a similar career field. We can make sure their grades are OK, their mental health is OK, and help them navigate college.”

Community Involvement

A fundraising gala will be held on September 24 at Glenmoor County Club in Jackson Township. To learn more about the organization and make a donation, visit https://www.echscamp.com/.