“I took my group of students along with me on my everyday routine. I think it is very beneficial for them to see lecture halls, so they get a better idea of what attending classes is really like in college,” said Julianna Reed, a freshman at Sonoma State.
Shadow Day provided 85 juniors from Roseland University Prep (RUP) and 25 juniors from Roseland Collegiate Prep (RCP) with the opportunity to send the day as a college student at Sonoma State University. The high schoolers spend the day shadowing an SSU student from a COMS 160 or UNIV 102 service-learning class through their regular daily routine. Their itinerary includes attending classes, club meetings, studying in the library, and eating lunch in The Kitchens. The students were also shown a dorm in the Sauvignon Village, The Maker Space located in the library, and the University Bookstore.
Related: Read About Past Shadow Days
Both the high schoolers and college students learn and grow through this experience. The high school students leave SSU feeling like college is a real possibility. The Sonoma State students prepare for this leadership role in their class.
“My three friends and I were placed into a group with two SSU students. The small groups made our experience so much better. We were able to ask questions and actually bond with the students we were shadowing,” said Sam, a student at RCP.
The Sonoma State students couldn’t stop talking about how respectful and engaged their high schoolers had been. “The kids listened to everything I had to say about my experience here at Sonoma State. They were fully engaged in our conversations and asked great questions,” said Evan, a freshman in the COMS 160 class.
All the high school students I talked to had the same reaction to Shadow Day: being able to see what day to day life is like on a college campus is better than any regular college tour. Taking the time to expose high schoolers to the idea of college can be the difference between a student going to college or not. Shadow Day was another great hit this year!