College students share college experiences with LEAP Aspire students

February 9, 2012

College students from Rutgers–Camden and other universities participated in a college mentoring panel to speak with 180 high school students from LEAP Academy Charter School on February 9th.

The panel was hosted as part of CLC’s ASPIRE project, an innovative student mentoring program designed to support Camden youth during their transition into high school. ASPIRE is funded by a grant from the AT&T Foundation.

The February 9th event invited current undergraduate and graduate students to LEAP Academy where they met with LEAP students in grades 8-10 and spoke about their own experiences in college. Panelists shared important information about admissions, internships, financial aid, time management and how to adjust to living on college campuses.

“Our students sometimes struggle to understand the importance of what they are learning in their classes, how it relates to the real world and how it prepares them for college. But this panel really brought it home for them,” said Jenna Tutjer, CLC’s Associate Director for Special Projects.

“Our students were able to relate to the panelists, who shared their experiences and motivated our students to achieve in high school so that they can excel in college.” 

National studies have consistently shown that students in 8th to 10th-grades are the most likely to drop out of school, with more than one-third of all high school dropouts lost in 9th-grade.

ASPIRE provides mentoring experiences for LEAP students to help them develop academically and socially throughout their high school years. The program recruits college students to work as mentors and frequently hosts events to inform and inspire LEAP students to excel in school and pursue their college dreams.

“This is an incredibly important time in these students’ lives and every positive academic interaction they have will increase their motivation for college,” said Atnre Alleyne, a doctoral student at the University of Delaware who attended the panel.

Mr. Alleyne founded his own youth leadership program, TeenSHARP, and said students need to understand that every grade matters. “How they perform academically today absolutely matters when they apply to college. Their college applications begin now.”

 

For more information on how you can volunteer for the ASPIRE program please contact Jenna Tutjer at jenna.tutjer@rutgers.edu or (856) 225-2871.