Sixteen-year-old Ayla Nur got a taste of college life over the weekend. She attended classes, workshops and, of course, parties. She even ate the food.
And after experiencing that bit of campus life, Nur is convinced more than ever that she wants to go to college.
“I want to go to college because it's a higher level of learning and what you want to do in life, they'll teach you how to do it,” said Nur, who wants to pursue a career in forensic medicine.
Nur, of Schenectady, was one of 60 ninth- and 10th-graders from the Capital Region and New York City who got a firsthand look at the higher learning experience during Union College's “Camp College,” designed for students of color who are first generation college bound or from lower economic backgrounds.
The students and their chaperones and mentors attended classes, learned about financial aid and admissions and slept in dorm rooms. The program ended Sunday. Other camps are scheduled for Aug. 1-3 at Niagara University and Aug. 15-17 at Manhattan College.
“There are so many high school students in the state who don't think college is an option for them,” said Kelly Herrington, associate dean of admissions at Union and organizer of the camp. “This program has a proven record of success in making college a reality for those who might not otherwise continue their education after high school.”
Tia Williams, a 2003 graduate of Schenectady High School who attended the camp two years ago, will be attending Union this fall. She is one of several camp alumni who are on their way to college.
Sixteen-year-old Shelvon Smith, from the Bronx, said the camp taught her that classes at college are nothing like the more structured classes in high school.
“The law class I took, I thought it was interesting because we got to discuss topics and get into debates,” said Smith, who plans to study law. “In high school they put the work on the board, talk to you but don't interact with you.”
Camp College is funded by a grant for the New York State Association of College Admissions Counselors and federal grants through the state's GEAR UP — Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. Additional funding was provided by local businesses, including JAMZ 96.3, Hannaford Brothers, Subway, McDonald's, Bruegger's Bagels and Reality Check.
Besides attending classes and workshops, campers at Union were treated to pizza and beach parties, a cookout and a chance to participate in sports.
Seventeen-year-old Latisha Samuels from the Bronx said although she enjoyed the weekend, “I didn't get a real experience because we were the only ones on campus. It would have been better if (college) students were on campus, but I still want to live in the dorm.”
Samuels added that the English, law and American history classes she took were “not really boring. The teachers were nice because they took the time out on their Saturdays for us.”
Smith said despite the fact there were no college students on campus, “visiting classes and having to go across campus” gave her good a dose of college life.
Guest speakers Denny Farrell, D-Manhattan, and Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, both state assemblymen, said events such as camp college are important for minority students.
“You're encouraged to dream about college even if you're intimidated by it,” Tonko said.
Farrell added that a successful college experience is when a student can “go into a classroom and have a professor teach and be able to say 'Hey, I can do that.' ”