By Mary-Justine Lanyon
It’s not often that middle school students have the opportunity to tour a university. But that’s exactly what 88 students from Mary Putnam Henck Middle School did on April 24 when they too a field trip to Cal State University San Bernardino.
Most of those students are part of the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program at MPH; that program is funded in part by the Rim of the World Educational Foundation. Three members of the Rim Ed board – Jo Bonita Rains, Carol Kinzel and I – were invited to accompany the students on the field trip.
At CSUSB, the MPH students were divided into four groups; each group was led by a college student who gave them a tour of the campus. They got to see what stadium seating at the college looks like and heard about the study abroad program.
The four groups came together in a lecture hall where the four tour guides participated in a panel discussion. Moderating the discussion was Demia, a recent CSUSC graduate. The other three students were Lindsay, Jesus and Jesse.
First Demia asked the other guides to identify themselves by name and major. Their goals are to be social workers, a school counselor and a math teacher. All four work on campus and at least two are first-generation college students.
Almost all had been part of AVID in high school; that program, they said, helped them improve their grades. “You have to get serious in high school,” Jesus told the younger students. “Your grades count, especially if you want to go to college.”
Asked about a typical day, each one described their course and work schedules. “Don’t be intimidated when they talk about their schedules,” Demia cautioned the MPH students. “You’ll get reminders about homework. You will develop those time management skills.”
She then asked the other three what they were nervous about when they got to college. “I was scared about the homework load,” Jesse said. “But that depends on the professor.” He said if you don’t get a homework assignment done on time, you can email the professor and ask for some extra time. They are usually very understanding, he noted.
Jesus added that every major is different. In his counseling major, grades depend heavily on class attendance. Lindsay admitted she is a big procrastinator. She was nervous about knowing when and how to study, something she said they didn’t teach her in high school. “You have to learn that on your own.”
Demia said she was nervous about making friends. But she discovered there are a lot of opportunities through the clubs on campus. They all encouraged the younger students to join a club or two that interests them. Jesse reminded them that they can start a club if one doesn’t exist in their area of interest.
As for how they found jobs, they all stressed the importance of connection, of networking. “It’s about who you know, who you talk to,” Jesse said.
“Networking is the best thing you can do,” Demia said, repeating it twice to drive home the message.
As for things they learned from their mistakes, Jesus said he waited until the day a big essay was due for his English class. “It wasn’t my best work. I decided not to make that a habit.” Lindsay said her first year was her hardest as she made the transition from high school to college. “I didn’t realize how much bigger the workload was,” she said. “My mistakes was not studying for tests. And I had to learn to manage my time.”
Jesse said it was more of a regret than a mistake – not being involved on campus. The first couple of years all his focus was on classes, work and his family. “Being involved will help you survive. You’ll meet interesting people.”
“It’s important to learn from your mistakes,” Demia said. She said her approach was to do everything herself, to not ask for any help. “I thought that was the best way to go. But trying to do it myself drove me down into a mental health hole. Always ask for help,” she said, asking the students to repeat it. “And if you fail one time, come back 100 times harder.”
It was then the MPH students’ chance to ask questions. When asked if they would have chosen a different college, Jesse said he wishes he had started at a community college and then transferred. It is, he noted, a cheaper way to get those core classes out of the way.
As for the benefits of AVID, Lindsay said the program “helps you prepare for college and helps with the applications. And I learned how to take notes.”
Following the student panel, the MPH students were treated to lunch in the dining commons. They were able to choose from pizza, burgers, tacos, chicken and rice, a salad bar – and they all found the soft serve ice cream.
Following the field trip, Rains – president of the Rim Ed Foundation – thanked Dr. Monica Alejandre, Erica Gutierrez and Adiran Hermosillo for making it happen.
“On behalf of the thrilled students from our Mary Putnam Henck (MPH) Intermediate School and the adults who joined them, we thank you. Everyone from CSUSB energetically engaged our students, most of whom were AVID students.
“Thank you is not enough. We all appreciated the way the staff engaged our Rim students by making each aspect of your university as something they could see themselves involved in! Our MPH students felt comfortable asking questions, exploring the venues and listening and interacting with the moderator and panelists of CSUSB students.
“Thank you for opening their eyes to the wonderful opportunities that are available at CSUSB, just down the mountain! On behalf of our Rim of the World Educational Foundation, which provided funds that helped to make this experience occur, we thank you with great sincerity.”
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