Kelly Herrington '96, associate dean of admissions, has received the Rising Star Award from the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) for his role as founder and organizer of Camp College, a program that encourages first-generation, college-bound high schoolers to “try on” college.
The award was presented recently at
the national meeting of NACAC.
Camp College, now in its fourth year, hosted some sixty high schoolers on campus last summer. This year, the program expanded to include sessions at Niagara University and Manhattan College, each of which hosted sixty students.
“There are so many high school students who don't think college is an option for them,” said Herrington. “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.”
The simulated college experience strives to demystify college life-from academics to social life. Students, chaperones and mentors attend classes, learn about
admissions and financial aid, participate in parties and sports, eat college food, and sleep in dorm rooms.
An admissions
travel recipe
Courtesy of Kelly Herrington '96, associate dean of admissions, here are some highpoints from life on the road:
- Cover 3,758 miles by car
- Fly 32,000 miles
- Visit 61 high schools
- Eat too much fried bread and beans after a presentation on Jemez Reservation in N.M.
- Take guidance counselors kayaking
- Wear tube socks on your hands in the mountains of Colorado because it's snowing outside and your rental car doesn't have heat
- Conduct a presentation for the Northern Valley Regional School District in N.J. on writing letters of recommendation
- Interview the captain of the Centralia High School Football team in Centralia, Wash. (halfway between nowhere and somewhere) in the bleachers after practice (did I fail to mention he has a 1520 SAT score?)
- One speeding ticket
- Three parking tickets
- 34 on-the-road interviews
- Too many Starbucks' lattes
- Plan a N.Y. state college program for a community-based organization (the Daniel's Fund) in Denver
- Eat an organic lunch under
the Bay Bridge at a prospective student reception - Meet a total of 720 amazing prospective students
Cost: Priceless