One of the cornerstones of the Appalachian GEAR UP Program is campus visits. Research has shown that when students take trips to college campuses, especially in middle school, they are more likely to enroll in postsecondary education. Appalachian State University is a natural choice for many campus visits, and school districts in close proximity to Boone are fortunate in that they don’t have to travel very far for their students to experience a college environment. However, students in our farthest counties along the western edge of the state sometimes have to travel up to four hours by bus one-way to attend a campus visit at Appalachian State University.
In an effort to provide more accessible college visits to our school districts in the westernmost service area, GEAR UP College Visit Coordinators Mollie Payne and Jeremiah Stanton-Rich began partnering with Western Carolina University to offer guided campus tours to GEAR UP students. The first of these tours took place on March 5th as 7th graders from Rosman Middle School in Transylvania County participated in a field trip to WCU.
Angela Cannon, GEAR UP Coordinator for Transylvania County Schools says, "Exposing students to opportunities for higher education while also keeping it close to home was very impactful for our mountain community students!"
While touring the UNC System's westernmost campus, Western Carolina University, students began their visit with a presentation highlighting the amazing opportunities at the university. Popular majors, the NC Promise, and amazing resources available were all mentioned. Next, current WCU students toured the group around campus. This tour showcased the beautiful grounds and all the opportunities available to students. The 7th graders were able to ask questions and get a real life example of what life on a college campus is like. The tour concluded with a dining experience at the Catamount Cafe. Students were immersed into campus life as they ate alongside current WCU students.
Rosman Middle School student, Audrina, says, "My favorite part about WCU was getting to see where all the classes were and seeing how things work. I enjoyed getting to see the campus and where everything is. One of my other favorite parts was the food– it was so yummy! I had a blast, and I hope we can go back next year!"
“Our trip to Western Carolina was amazing! The Rosman students were very engaged and asking questions to plan for their future. I was thrilled to see 7th grade students on and interacting with the campus that is right in their backyard. We are so thankful to have this connection with WCU to provide an awesome experience for our southwestern counties,” says Mollie Payne, GEAR UP College Visit Program Coordinator.
The GEAR UP Campus Visits Team has three more visits planned for this spring at WCU for neighboring counties of Macon, Clay, and Graham. They are continuing to build the partnership with WCU and hoping to be able to offer academic presentations on tours in the future. They are also partnering with other universities across the state to provide more opportunities for GEAR UP students in the summer. Summer bus tours are expected to take place at UNC Greensboro, Elon University, NC State, UNC Chapel Hill, Eastern Carolina University, UNC Wilmington, and Cape Fear Community College.
