INDIANAPOLIS — A local collegeis helping underprivileged high school sophomores and juniors imagine a reality where higher education is attainable.
It’s all apart of Wabash College’s Pathway to Your Future program.
Throughout the week, students got a chance to tour the college’s Crawfordsville campus, meet professors, hear success stories from alumni and see the value of attending a private liberal arts men's college.
Wednesday was all about networking.
Students got a chance to visit places like the Indianapolis International Airport, IMS, One America and the AMP.
“These are students who’ve come from Texas, Arizona, Illinois and Indiana. We are exposing them to innovation in central Indiana, specifically Indianapolis,” Dean for Professional Development Steven Jones said.
Avery Huggins dreams of playing for the NFL one day.
But in the meantime, the Westfield High School Student is focusing on plans for college.
“Anything to do with agriculture. I like turf science specifically in agriculture. So like working on golf courses, football fields, baseball diamonds," Huggins said.
Andres Ornelas sees himself as an entrepreneur.
Between internships and a window cleaning business he started, the 16-year-old is driven towards his future.
“My goal is to make cars for celestial body use, which is like moons or mars," Ornelas said.
Huggins and Ornelas are two of 31 rising high school sophomores and juniors participating in Wabash College’s Pathway to Your Future program this summer.
The free week-long program gives the boys a taste of collegiate life and opens their minds to what’s possible in the future.
Collectively, the group has an average GPA of 3.9.
“We try to help them understand that so much has happened since the Fred Flintstone mobile with the feet to now cars driving themselves. That sense of innovation and creativity, we know that young people are a big part of that," Dean Jones said.
The program is geared towards underrepresented minority students, those eligible for Federal Pell Grants, and first-generation college students.
“When you think of young men who are coming from backgrounds where there may not have been three meals a day. To be able to show a pathway where they can have an opportunity to hold a significant job, that pays well, and puts some of those other concerns behind them, that’s a great opportunity," he said.
Mentor Olivier Tuyishime didn’t think an education at a place like Wabash College was possible for him growing up.
He and his family immigrated from Rwanda to the U.S. In 2012.
Today, he studies political science and has dreams of going to law school.
“I always wanted to build a better life for myself, for my family, but I never knew about many of the colleges in the state," Tuyishime said.
Pathway to Your Future is funded through the “Restoring Hope, Restoring Trust” grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
Each student in the program has the potential to receive an annual scholarship up to $25,000 to attend Wabash College.
