"I think I'm more excited for college just by seeing how all these students feel about it," said Gisselle Alvarez from Roseland Collegiate Prep (RCP). At Discovery Day, RCP students learned how to get to college and what to expect.
"I had all the qualities of a leader: smart, caring, including others and building relationships," student leader Edgar Arroyo writes upon reflection. SSU students used what they learned in class to be effective leaders and mentors.
Each academic year, high school freshmen from Roseland University Prep (RUP) get exposure to college and create connections with Sonoma State University students at Discovery Day. This year was a year of firsts for many students, as Bruce Peterson's University 238 service-learningclass met the first freshman class of RUP's sister school, Roseland Collegiate Prep (RCP).
Discovery Day is the first time many young students experience a college campus because they don't know that college is an option available to them. They, like many of their SSU student guides for the day, are the first in their families to go to college. Icebreakers and a scavenger hunt gave both groups an opportunity to get to know each other and build connections.
The students of Discovery Day learned from Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) adviser, Andre Bailey, that going to college is possible. EOP encourages the presence of historically low-income and first generation students in higher education. As Andre said, "I have learned from you, just as I hope you have learned from me," highlighting the ways in which Discovery Day involves levels of reciprocity. Students from Outreach shared stories about campus life. They talked about their experiences being away from home, coursework loads, Greek life and clubs, and much more.