Bethel High School cultivated dreams for the future last month as families, educators, and students came together for the GEAR-UP’s “Next Stop: College” Family conference. This event offered many students valuable knowledge about many local colleges and college preparation resources, inspiring them to participate in workshops and internships while providing a powerful sense of support from and for the community.
The “Next Stop: College” family conference aimed to strengthen your voice to say yes to the right university for you. The event featured interactive sessions with representatives from colleges, and a free dinner catered by Olive Garden for the visitors, representatives, and volunteers. The conference was a part of GEAR-UP’s ongoing commitment to the youth, and giving back to our community.
“This event was very informative,” Lanaya Butler, a parent attending the event, observed. “It gave us a lot of information about scholarships, RAMPs, and how to attain that information.”
Programs like this are part of the mission of GEAR-UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), which is a federally funded program that supports students from lower-class communities in preparing for college. By providing trips, resources, mentorships, and guidance, GEAR-UP is working to assure that students and their families are given the knowledge and tools to navigate through to a higher education of their choice.
“GEAR-UP is a way for students to have a little bit more of an enhancement to some of the things that they normally get,” Miya Sumpter, the coordinator of the event, explained. “It really is to try and help students, who probably wouldn’t be aware, with the opportunities to go to college. There are so many different things and sources you have to help you go to college.”
Not only did the GEAR-UP program give students opportunities to learn more about colleges, but it also helped volunteer students take on more of a hands-on role. Volunteers earned 4 community service hours and a T-shirt, and they were responsible for directing parents and students to designated areas, answering questions and helping to the best of their abilities, and providing dinner for everyone.
“It gave me something to do and not just be in the house,” Ariel Seaward, one of the student volunteers at the event, shared.
As the evening came to a close, the event just seemed more and more as a success. The room reflected opportunities that were taken, and pride in what their future may look like. For students like Ariel, Darius, and families across the district, the “Next Stop: College” event was conferenced to be a launchpad for these growing young adults. It provided the support students needed and enhanced the potential every student had.
