Centralight

BY SARAH CHUBY, '03 M.A. '11 Co ι0ιllege CMU professor and Honors students work to impact at-risk students In the middle of CMU's University Center Rotunda, next to a poster board about the Health Fitness major, Honors students Sasha Rudow and Alex Farrington drop to the ground and start doing pushups. One. Two. Three. Suddenly a crowd gathers around them. The two CMU sophomores get up and dare the onlookers – high school students from Southwest Detroit – to do the same. After a pause, a group of boys decide to accept their challenge. After the competition is over, Rudow talks to the high school sophomores about college and what they are looking to do with their lives past high school. Several shrug their shoulders. But one girl speaks up: "I want to go to college. I just have to figure out how." With that, her classmates shake their heads in agreement. Then the dialogue opens up between the high school and college students. And so does the possibility that these students – called at-risk by their high school – will have a connection with the college experience. That is why Paul Hernandez, sociology, anthropology and social work assistant professor, created the College 101 program. College 101 happens at CMU every semester and gives high school students an opportunity to come to campus for a day. They go to a major fair, see a live concert, visit the residence halls and attend a lecture. He says through surveys given to high school students who attended College 101, 89 percent reported a complete change in confidence about their potential to attend college. "To witness firsthand the power of diverse groups of people coming together, sharing their passion with one another and making a difference in each other's lives is touching. That is what happens during College 101." Transformation through education In a Wednesday night class, Hernandez plans the spring College 101 visit days with CMU Honors students. More than 30 students work on major boards – with interests of the high school students in mind – and think up interactive activities. "These students are not going to come up to you," Hernandez says to his class. "You need to draw them in, talk with them and show that you sincerely care. Only then will you have the opportunity to gain their trust. Top, Alex Farrington and Sasha Rudow discuss what they learned from College 101 in their Honors course taught by Professor Paul Hernandez, bottom. That is when the real dialogue will start. That is how you get through." Emma Tuthill, a sophomore who volunteered at College 101 in the fall, says it was difficult to hear what these students face in their school and personal lives. "It's not that they are unable to get good grades, but there are so many challenges that affect their ability to do well." 14 centralight spring '12 PHOTO BY JAMIE BUNNELL

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