Ten talented high school female students and their chaperones came to campus on July 18-19 for two days filled with pre-college workshops, tours and lab experiences. The students, chosen by the Long Island Latino Teachers Association (LILTA), are rising juniors and seniors from Central Islip, Brentwood and Bayshore schools.
For pre-college support, students attended an admissions workshop where they learned guidelines for choosing a college and information on the admissions process. They had a discussion solely for the college application personal essay. A financial aid workshop provided them with guidance on how to navigate the financial aid process and answers to the many questions they had.
“This program is important for these girls because they need help on how to go to college. They have the dream, but the support and guidance may not be there” said Vicky Meji, a teacher in the Central Islip School District and volunteer for LILTA.
Other activities included: a tour of the campus where they took pictures in front of University landmarks, a tour of the Melville Library where they learned about available tools and resources, and a Fake News presentation by the School of Journalism that taught them how to identify truthful information online. They also had a geosciences lesson as they explored the campus grounds while learning about the gardens, various lawns and wooded areas of the University.
“This trip has helped me prepare for college by informing me how I should narrow down what I want to do,” said Kamila Martinez, a junior from Brentwood High School. “The library tour was an amazing experience, as I was able to see all the great support offered to students here.”
“I loved the Fake News presentation, it was really interesting and funny,” said Rashel Nunez, a senior from Brentwood High School.
The variety of activities gave these students a college experience as well as the necessary information for their college career preparation.
“The process of getting to college is challenging, and I really like how the staff here have all been welcoming,” said Hilda Orama, a teacher in the Central Islip School District and volunteer for LILTA.
LILTA is a not-for-profit organization that advocates and provides education with a mission of increasing high school graduation rates and the pursuit of higher education degrees.
The following Stony Brook employees helped make this program a success: Judy Berhannan, Dean of Admissions; Erika Karp, Staff Assistant, School of Journalism; Gil Hanson, Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Geosciences; Lisa Socci, Senior Assistant Head of Public Services, Melville Library; Stephanie Rovello, Assistant Director of Scholarship and Customer Support Services, Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Services.
The program was managed through the Office of Government and Community Relations and supported by the President’s Office Plan for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity.
— Cohen Miles-Rath, Community Relations Office
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