UD kicks off community partnerships

Seventh grade is not too early to start doing what it takes to get into college and succeed there.

That’s the message being conveyed to middle school students, their parents and advisers through a new partnership between the University and community organizations. Part of the Commitment to Delawareans Campaign and Student Diversity and Success Initiative, the program aims to help prepare more underrepresented Delaware youngsters for admission to the University.

Thirteen percent of UD’s undergraduate students are African American, Hispanic, Asian or Native American, and the partnerships are designed to increase those numbers. The goal is to give students, parents and guardians across Delaware information about the kind of academic preparation and noncognitive skills their children need to be admitted to and succeed at UD and other universities.

The inaugural event took place Jan. 30, when about 60 kids gathered in the Clarence W. Fraim Boys and Girls Club of Delaware in Wilmington. They heard words of encouragement and advice from Terry Whittaker, UD’s assistant provost for student diversity and success, and George Krupanski, Boys and Girls Club president.

Whittaker took the microphone, stood in the center of the room and asked his audience, “Who wants to be successful in life?” Almost everyone raised his or her hand.

“One of the things that makes you successful is a college degree. UD is reaching out to help make you successful. We want you to get a college degree,” Whittaker said.

He told them the University will be working with the Boys and Girls Clubs to see to it that students who want to go to college get there. He gave them copies of what courses they need to take in high school and what grades they need to earn and said that they’d have to stay out of trouble and be involved in extracurricular activities. He said if they did all of those things, they could win scholarships and get enough financial aid to pay for UD or any university.

As an example of what hard work can do, Whittaker introduced students who were able to attend UD by getting scholarships and aid.

Tarilyn Little, a senior psychology major, said she chose UD because of its beautiful campus, its closeness to her home in New York state and because she got an academic scholarship. “It’s important to start getting good grades early because it’s getting increasingly harder to get into college,” she said.

Graduate student Kwasi Agbottah urged the youngsters to work hard and not worry about how to pay for college. “There are so many scholarships, so much help out there. Just get good grades and don’t worry about money. If you want something bad enough, you can’t be afraid to risk failure,” he said.

“We’ll coach and guide you,” Whittaker said. “You’re going to be taken on tours of the campus and invited to attend UD’s campus events and programs. You’ll meet college students and professors and talk about college life and majors.”

Then, he divided the room into numerous teams of students with varied abilities and grades. He recorded the names of the members of each team and told them they are now Boys and Girls Club members of an academic team that will work together throughout the year to help each of the members of the team excel academically.

“You’ve got to help each other do well, and each team will be assigned a University of Delaware undergraduate student, who will serve as your coach,” he said.

The event also had a pep rally flavor, with the help of University cheerleaders and mascot YoUDee. Cheerleaders chanted, “We are Delaware, let’s get fired up,” and YoUDee ran through the audience delighting everyone with its antics.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Delaware serve youngsters ages 6-20 at 15 clubs and 20 outreach sites in New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties. Fifty-one percent of club members are members of minority groups and 42 percent are female.

The following day, a second partnership was launched before an audience of seventh- and eighth-grade students at Thomas A. Edison Charter School in Wilmington. Joining Whittaker was Ernesto Lopez, associate director of UD admissions, and Charles Hughes, principal of Edison.

Hughes described the rally as the beginning of contact between students and the “best college on the East Coast.”

“Five or six years may be a long time for you, but today, you’re going to start thinking about going on to college,” he told the students. “This is your chance to start doing the things that will get you there.”

Whittaker told the youngsters that one of the things they need to do is take algebra as soon as possible, followed by three years of high school math. He passed out information sheets listing what courses and how many credits the students would need in high school to be considered by any university for admission.

“That sheet I just gave you, that’s your paycheck,” he said. “You’ll be paid for the work you do in high school by becoming eligible for scholarship money for college. Your teachers, counselors and principal will be helping you, but you’ll also have the University of Delaware to guide you.”

During a question-and-answer session, Edison students wanted to know if UD had cooperative programs, how many courses are required per semester, how many foreign languages can be taken at the same time, what kind of grades are needed to play athletics and what social life is like on campus.

“College is going to be open to you if you work for it,” Hughes reminded the students as the rally concluded. “Go home and talk to your parents about this.” 

— Barbara Garrison