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ABOUT US

WE OFFER INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATIONS AND  INTERACTIVE  GROUP WORKSHOPS TO FAMILIES TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE THROUGH THE COLLEGE PROCESS STARTING IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. WE ALSO TEACH HOW TO BE ACADEMICALLY READY TO PLAY COLLEGE SPORTS. 

MS. JOWAN SMITH,  COLLEGE PREP CONSULTANT & MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

FIVE YEARS AGO I FOUND MYSELF IN THE POSITION OF BEING A SINGLE PARENT WITH A STUDENT THAT SHOWED INTEREST IN POSSIBLY GOING TO COLLEGE AFTER GRADUATION. KNOWING MY INCOME WOULD NOT COVER TUITION I DECIDED TO START DOING RESEARCH AND THIS LEAD ME ON A DAILY JOURNEY OF SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AND COLLEGE WEBSITE BROWSING. MY DAUGHTER WAS ALSO A ATHLETE SO I HAD TO LEARN ALL ABOUT THE NCAA PROCESS AND CLEARINGHOUSE. WITH LITTLE ASSISTANCE FROM OTHERS I HAD TO FIGURE OUT MOST OF THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES MYSELF. AS A RESULT IT MADE ME VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE JOURNEY AND WHAT IT TAKES TO GET YOUR CHILD TO COLLEGE. I DECIDED I WANTED TO HELP OTHER FAMILIES SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO WORK AS HARD OR MISS OUT ON SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT I FOUND DURING MY SEARCH.

ABOUT US & OUR CEO

We offer interactive workshops and individual consultations to families and students to help them prepare for the post secondary education process starting in middle school. We also teach how to be academically ready to play college sports. In 2019 our student workshop series was created to teach students life skills. Curriculum is created by Jowan Smith, who is a mom that went through the college prep process with her student athlete. Ms. Smith wants to empower parents to be a resource to their scholar.

 

Interactive sessions are conducted so that parents get a hands on experience with navigating through the resources themselves. GOBTC started February 2017 and has since assisted over 4000 students get to college that did not think college was a option. That number does not include families that were on track to attend college but needed assistance finding resources. This commitment to family engagement and repairing the relationships between families and school has opened the door for us to reach numerous school districts. 

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Jowan the CEO has a degree in Business Administration and over 25 years of experience in Marketing, Public Relations, and Event Planning. She was also a part of Jim Brown's Amer-I-Can program as a Facilitator and Publicist. Prior to starting GOBTC she was a Case Worker for Cuyahoga County Department of Jobs & Family Services.

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Pitch Competitions:

Cleveland Leadership Center Accelerate Community Change Winner 2020

Accelerate 2017 competition with Cleveland Leadership Center Education Finalist

JumpStarts Core City Impact Competition Finalist

Urban League Growth Plan Pitch Competition Finalist

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Featured Speaking Engagements:

WGBH Ed Forum 2017

National Family & Community Engagement Conference 2018

City of Cleveland Mayor's Youth Summit (2017, 2018, & 2019)

President's Council Youth Summit 2018

CSU Teen Summit (2017, 2018, & 2019)

Warrensville Heights HBCU College Fair 2017

Great Lakes Black Authors Summit 2019

Cuyahoga Community College 32nd Annual Frances M Franklin Scholarship

Luncheon Keynote Speaker 2022 

Cleveland Plain Dealer High School Standouts Awards Featured Speaker 2023

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Jowan Smith Features:

Today's Family Magazine

WKYC's We the People 2018 & 2019 

Praise 94.5 Cleveland

1490 Talk Radio Cleveland

Elevations Radio

WZAK Access Cleveland

WTAM 1100

Triumph Magazine Cover Story 2023

Cleveland.com (5 stories)

TV20 Cleveland

90.3 The Sound of Ideas

WISH Cleveland

WUAB Focus

Cleveland 19

CMSD News

WEWS 5 Cleveland

Fox 8 Cleveland

Spectrum News Ohio

Call & Post

PHENOMANAL WOMAN MAGAZINE

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Awards

2019 Future History Maker Z107.9 & 93.1 FM

Emerging Philanthropist Honoree in The Soul of Philanthropy Cleveland

NCNW Trailblazer Honoree 2019

2020 Cleveland Public Library Drum Major for Change 

Phenomenal Woman Award 2020

John Hay High School Hall of Fame Inductee 2022

Cleveland Public Library Unsung Hero 2022

Phenomenal Woman Award 2023

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                                                                              www.jowansmith.com

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Since August 2020 Jowan has released seven children's books. These books are great for all ages. Also 20% of all book sales will be donated to the

1,000 Ties organization.

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Great Bulk Rates!!!!

It's More Than a Business, It's a Movement!!

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