Students from local public and private high schools on Wednesday were checking out life on a college campus – attending classes and tasting cafeteria food. Around 250 juniors and seniors were taking part in the Shadow Our Students recruitment program at the Albert A. Sheen Campus of the University of the Virgin Islands on St. Croix.
The SOS program is designed to enhance UVI’s recruitment efforts and build mentoring relationships between college students and graduating seniors in the local high schools.
According to Searl Gordon, guidance counselor at the Seventh-day Adventist School in Christiansted, the exposure to the university is timely for those students “on the brink of making a college decision. This event has served them well,” Gordon said.
Tshauna Benjamin and Amelle Williams, both juniors at the Seventh-day Adventist School, said UVI was definitely on their list of choices for college.
“We went to classes and heard what professors’ lectures are like,” Benjamin said. “I think this event was very informative.”
Williams said she really enjoyed the psychology class they attended. Students chose what classes they wanted to visit while on campus and the classes were designed for the SOS program.
Mekiah Sheriff, a junior at St. Croix Central High School, said the instructors were awesome and so was the cafeteria food. “We heard the tuition is reasonable too,” Sheriff said.
The students even had the chance to see motivational entertainment in the Great Hall.
Motivational author and speaker Stan Pearson II captured the attention of the possible new recruits getting them excited and connecting with them through comedy, interactive activities and relating life experiences.
Pearson sang clips from a number of songs in a comedic way getting the students all roaring with laughter. He encouraged the students to live in the present, to be creative, consistent and resilient, and to be their own best friend.
Central High senior Moquannie Springer said she felt motivated by Pearson’s message to do the right thing and be yourself.
Shenequa Hector, a junior at Central, said the entertainment provided by Pearson was excellent and she had a fun day at UVI.
St. Croix Educational Complex junior Denzel Cliffton said he believed it was beneficial for everyone attending.
The Student Government Association hosted the seventh annual SOS Program. Each participating student received a T-shirt, backpack with pens, notebooks and “Am I Too Sexy” a self-help book written and published by Pearson, who was swamped with students waiting in line to get him to sign their books.
Amiquah Freeman, secretary of the student government, said SOS is the perfect chance for high school students to experience college life. Freeman, a UVI senior majoring in business, said she was influenced by the SOS program after she attended in 2010.
