For one day last week, nearly 250 students from four San Diego-area high schools got to experience first hand what it’s like to be a college student.
Taking a page out of the college athletics recruiting playbook, SDSU spent the day courting sophomores, juniors and seniors from Crawford, Hoover, Lincoln and Morse high schools, showing them the campus, introducing them to other students and even having them participate in mock lectures with SDSU faculty.
Providing a meaningful experience
“It’s so much more meaningful than giving them a brochure,” said Reggie Blaylock, director of SDSU’s 40-year-old Educational Opportunity Program, which hosted the students with the support of the offices of President Weber and San Diego City Council Member Tony Young.
“In athletics, we’re always bringing kids to campus, courting them, showing them all the great things SDSU has to offer. But most universities never think to provide the same experience to other students.”
About the program
Freshman for a Day was intended to expose high school students to the world beyond their own communities, expanding their horizons and their expectations. The day included personalized mock lectures, where faculty engaged with students in small groups, financial aid and admissions presentations, lunch in the student dining hall, campus tours and question and answer time with current SDSU students.
Some of the messages were a dose of reality about what it takes to get into, and to succeed in college.
A clear message
But throughout the day, one message was clear: “Just because you come from a low-income family, that should not stop you from getting your education,” said Trimaine Davis, a former SDSU student-athlete who now works in EOP.
“And just because you’re the first person in your family, we want to make sure you’re not the last person in your family to get your college education.”