Things started on a high note for the 350 students from 13 South Florida high schools who arrived at Florida International University (FIU) on October 5th for the recent College Summit—thanks to the welcoming beat of tunes from Y100, Miami’s hit music station.
What followed was an action-packed agenda that began with welcoming remarks from Joyce J. Elam, executive dean of the College of Business Administration, and ended with a college tour and school information sessions.
According to Margaret Brisbane (BBA ’80), co-chair of the Dean’s Alumni Circle’s community service committee, the participating students are peer leaders with whom College Summit works to build a college-focused culture in their high schools. These students all attended a three-day workshop this summer hosted by the College Summit program.
“Many of them attend inner-city schools and will be first-generation college-going students,” she said.
Second year of FIU and College Summit partnership produced an “awesome experience.”
Martin G. Cerda (BBA ’96), Alumni Circle member, was impressed with the energy in the room as the students prepared for the campus tours.
“They were cheering as the schools and majors were called out,” he said. “It’s clear they not only have aspirations to attend college but also already have an interest in possible fields of study.”
Brisbane adds that the feedback from the students was extremely positive.
“They were excited about being on a university campus,” she said. “They were eager to hear about student life, to learn about the admission and financial aid programs offered by the university, to take a campus tour and to learn about the opportunities available in the various schools and student organizations.”
To wrap up their college-for-a-day experience, the students received gift bags courtesy of Gables Engineering and Rick Finale (MBA ’90), Alumni Circle community service committee member.
Brisbane credited her event co-chairs Cerda and Juan Carlos Morales (BACC ’05), the committee members and the FIU staff for working to ensure the success of the event.
“We look forward to doing this again in 2012,” she said.
