"I loved the person that took us around. Her name is Shy and she is amazing. She changed my mind and now I see SSU is another option for me for college. Shy explained so many things to us around campus and gave us the best tour I have ever had at a college. SSU has great people to be around and a good positive energy that we felt yesterday. For the next five years, my hope is to attend CSU East Bay or SSU for sure; those are definitely my top choices now. Our connection with Shy was amazing!" -RUP student
After weeks of planning and collaboration the day was here. It was Shadow Day! The purpose of this event is to give Roseland University Prep (RUP) juniors an idea of what it's like to be a college student. Most RUP students are the first in their families to go to college and this time in their life can be especially stressful as they don't know what college life is like.
Sonoma State University (SSU) students enrolled in the UNIV 238 service-learning class were paired with juniors from RUP. The pairs took off to different locations across campus. Some went to classes, others to the Student Center, and eventually all went to eat at The Kitchens. Some of the groups were even able to check out what a dorm room looks like. SSU students worked hard to take them around and give them a hands-on experience as to what it's like to be a college student here at Sonoma State. One SSU student said, "I liked that I was able to show them what it's like to really be a college student and that there's help everywhere. They're not alone." Another student in UNIV 238 said, "During my tour, the group of guys that I had were really nice to me and listened to what I had to say. They were open to my ideas."
The RUP students had a great time and learned a lot. One said, "My favorite part about today was sitting in a lecture. I got to experience what it felt like to be in a college class." Another agreed, "I think college is for me now. If I study hard and pass the standardized tests, I can do it."
One UNIV 238 student stated, "Shadow Day perfectly related to my study of leadership! I applied for (positions as a) Summer Orientation leader as well as Summer Bridge. I feel as though it was a perfect example of what I would be faced with."
The Center for Community Engagement (CCE) would like to thank the RUP high school students, UNIV 238 students, and their instructor, Bruce Peterson, and Join Us Making Progress (JUMP) for another successful Shadow Day.