Open Campus

Open Campus activities give high school students a chance to learn about alternative futures.

Transcript

Yesterday my university had Open Campus to introduce high school students to our facilities, programs, staff, and students. From our viewpoint Open Campus helps with recruitment, but Open Campus also gives high school kids a chance to learn about alternative futures for themselves.

Yesterday our English Department and our Center for International Programs had quite a few visitors. We were pretty busy from early in the morning until about 4:30 in the afteroon. We spoke with high school students and parents, and some of our students gave campus tours.

Seven English Department juniors and seniors worked all day as part-time helpers. I was especially pleased to watch two juniors as they confidently guided people and described campus facilities and programs. When they were freshmen, they were pretty quiet, and now after just two years they can guide total strangers with confidence and pride.

Two high school girls were interested in our semester abroad program, so I introduced them to one of our students who'd recently spent a semester at a large American university. As she told them about her experiences, I sat in amazement at her dramatic and honest storytelling. I'd never imagined that such a quiet person could become such an engaging storyteller in just a couple of years. For a few minutes those high school girls were in California.

Thanks in great part to our students, yesterday some high school girls began to consider alternative futures for themselves. I think our students showed some of them that they, too, can find new interests and have exciting adventures when they go to college.