Much like a father and a daughter, John Kasak and Susan Zaghlool spend a lot of time together.

        The General Electric Aircraft Engines retiree encourages the high school senior when she's discouraged, helps her prepare college applications and helps her look for scholarships. He even taught her how to drive.

        The two are not related. They met two years ago through GE's partnership with Aiken High School, a Cincinnati public school in College Hill, in a program called College Bound.

Mentor John Kasak of Mount Airy laughs with his mentee, Susan Zaghlool of Clifton. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

        Mr. Kasak has been Ms. Zaghlool's mentor ever since.

        The Aiken High program received even more support from its corporate partner with a $250,000 grant presented Thursday at a ceremony at the high school — bringing GE's total program contribution to Aiken to more than $1.5 million.

        The new grant will be used for a number of initiatives at the 1,250-student school, including the mentoring program, a library of college information, classes for test preparation and college applications, a reading laboratory for ninth-graders and summer programs for incoming ninth-graders. It also will support a partnership with the University of Cincinnati that allows seniors to earn college credit for some classes.

        GE's mentoring program is not the only one of its kind in Greater Cincinnati.

        The Cincinnati Youth Collaborative coordinates other mentoring programs, link- ing Cincinnati business people with students in 66 local schools.

        Since the GE-Aiken program began in 1985, the percentage of graduating Aiken students going on to college has grown from 5 percent to nearly 60 percent.

        “With GE now involved in the whole school, the goal is to increase the number of students involved in the College Bound program and expand it to all of our students,” said Thomas Higgins, Aiken's principal.

        Mr. Kasak is one of 38 current mentors from GE, and he has been involved with the program since 1988, during which he has mentored 20 students.

        “I try to give the students someone to look up to and try and get them interested in applying for college,” Mr. Kasak said. “Some of them don't know anyone who has gone to college to ask about how they should go about doing it.”

        Since retiring from GE three years ago, after 42 years as a controls engineer, Mr. Kasak meets with his students and helps out at the high school as many as four days a week. He is a mentor to two students, including Ms. Zaghlool, he refurbishes computers for the school and acts as a classroom helper for two programs encouraging minority stu dents to get involved in math, science and engineering.

        “He's like a father figure to me. He's dependable and reliable,” said Ms. Zaghlool, who has applied to eight colleges and wants to be a physician. “I'm glad to have him as a part of my life.”

        The College Bound Program at Aiken is part of GE's 50 years of community service in greater Cincinnati and one of more than 80 community projects in which GE participates.

        The program has served as a model for other similar GE programs nationwide.

        At the same ceremony Thursday, GE also presented Xavier University President James E. Hoff with the first payment of a new $53,000 grant to support Xavier's Williams College of Business.
       

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