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8th-graders take in ‘college experience’

News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Eighth grade students from Thunder Bay Junior High boarded charter buses that took them to Ferris State University and Saginaw Valley State University so they could get a look at college life on a four-year university. The trips are part of the Career College Access Program.

ALPENA — About 300 eighth grade students from Thunder Bay Junior High got the day off of school Friday to participate in the Career College Access Program that exposes students to universities around the state.

The students, staff and volunteers began filling charter buses at about 7:30 a.m. with each bus having a different destination. One of the buses was bound for Big Rapids and Ferris State University, another went to Saginaw and Saginaw State University. On Monday students will travel to Mount Pleasant and tour Central Michigan University, and Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste Marie.

Principal Steve Genshaw said the program is made possible though grant funding, including money from the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan and the Besser Foundation.

The program was created to give students a peek at what a large campus has to offer and tive them a glimpse at what to expect should they choose to go to a four-year college after graduating from high school. Genshaw said because Alpena is geographically distant from universities, there are few students in Alpena who have ever been to one for an event or visit.

“Most of these kids have never even stepped on a big campus and this program kind of gives them a taste of what college life is all about,” he said. “They get to visit the dorms, stadiums, cafeterias and other facilities. It is very beneficial to them and they have a lot of fun while doing it.”

Genshaw said there are few junior high students who have decided on a career, but guidance counselors at school helps them to explore possible careers they are interested in and how to move forward in pursuing it.

“They may not know what they want to do specifically, but they have developed a career pathway,” he said. “We do the best we can to take the information from the career pathway and use it to match the kids up to universities that have those types of programs.We aren’t promoting a certain program, or recruiting them to a certain university.”

Genshaw said Alpena Community College provides a great curriculum and offers students a great option to continue their educcation or earn a two-year degree before transferring to a university. He said it is important for students to know all of their options and which one is best for them.

“ACC does a great job, but we want to expose them to as many options as we can and maybe help them find the fit that is right for their situation,” Genshaw said. “This program helps us do that.”

Steve Schulwitz can be reached via email at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5689. Follow Steve on Twitter ss_alpenanews.

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