Vol. 19, No. 12

Nov. 18, 1999

Admissions staffer makes
her students feel at home

Harriet Porter with students David Cruz (left) and Daniel Cruz from the U.S. Virgin Islands UD students from the U.S. Virgin Islands have a home away from home with Harriet Porter, admissions, and her husband John, who works for MBNA. This Thanksgiving, as they did last year, a number of students will gather around the Porter table to share turkey and all the trimmings, as home is far away. "They are all invited, but some have family members or friends to visit, and I never know until the last minute how many will be coming," Porter said. The Virgin Island connection began in the 1970s when Porter was living in St. Thomas and working in admissions at the College of the Virgin Islands. "The job was an opportunity, and I had a wonderful two and a half years there before coming to UD in 1975," Porter recalled. Little did she know then that her connection with the Virgin Islands would have an impact on her life at UD and that she also would acquire a whole new family. "The University seeks a diverse population, and I have made visits to the Virgin Islands to recruit students there, since I am familiar with the culture and the high schools-not to mention the fact that I also am accustomed to driving on the left hand side of the road," Porter said. Porter, who also has recruitment duties with high schools in the region, has hosted informational breakfasts and luncheons for principals and guidance counselors at the schools in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. She recruits students in the fall, and in the spring she goes down and holds a reception for admitted students, their parents and the parents of current students. Porter said she is very up front with the parents. "Send me your children, and I will watch over them," she tells them, and she means it. A week before the residence halls open, Porter (aka Mrs. P to the students) and her husband open up their home to the Virgin Island students. They meet them at the airport and bring them to their home near Newark for a four-day stay and a personal orientation. "This year, there were eight of them so we pressed couches and air mattresses into service. John and I both love these kids-they are great-and I could not do this without him," Porter said. Like all freshmen, the Virgin Island students have to make the transition from high school to college. In addition, there is culture shock and climate shock, she pointed out. "I explain to them what is expected of them at the University. I take them on shopping trips for supplies and warm clothes-the K-Mart clerks all know us-help them with buying their books, opening up banking accounts and finding their way around campus," she said. "We are the students' surrogate parents, and it's a time of bonding with us and with each other," Porter said. Moving-in Day is a big event for most parents of college freshmen, but for the Porters, it's even more daunting. "We helped 10 students move in this year. Fortunately, my son Andy Saxton, who graduated from UD in 1998, and his friends pitched in to help," Porter said. "We are on call for the students the way parents are," Porter said. "When two of the girls became stranded at the mall, they called us. When one student went out for the cross country and track team and could not go home for the winter holidays, he stayed with us. Another stayed with us during spring break," she said. Porter, who also coordinates major campus events related to admissions and is involved with transfer applications, said she takes a personal interest in the students and is proud of their accomplishments. "We are recruiting some excellent students. This year, we have the top three students from a high school in St. Croix. Students from the Virgin Islands are majoring in everything from the sciences and engineering to nursing and hotel, restaurant and institutional management. When I checked the grades of the first group of freshmen last year, I was elated to find out two were on the dean's list and the others were doing well," she recalled. "As part of the United States, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are ideal places for recruitment since the high schools are accredited and students qualify for the same student aid and scholarships as other U.S. students do," Porter said. "At the same time, they add diversity and a new dimension to our student body. Currently, we have approximately 20 students from the Virgin Islands at UD, and I hope to see the number grow," Porter said. -Sue Moncure Photo by Robert Cohen