Penn welcomes middle school students to campus

A host of new prospective Quakers came to campus Saturday, even though early decision letters won’t be sent for another week.

College Day — an annual event sponsored by the Undergraduate Assembly in partnership with the Office of Government and Community Affairs and co-sponsored by the Office of Admissions — welcomed middle school students from Lea Elementary School to be honorary Quakers for a day. The event aimed to get these students excited about the college experience and included several Penn activities, starting with a campus tour.

College senior and the event’s main organizer Alex Amaniel said this year’s College Day is just a starting point. “We can do a lot more to make kids present on this campus,” he said.

“Today’s event is part of a larger College Day series,” he added, mentioning that there will be more events of the same nature in the spring.

Amaniel noted that about eight students helped to plan the event, which has been in the works since mid-September.

Wharton freshman Leah Davidson volunteered for the event because she wanted to “help kids see what the campus is like and to feel the motivation to come to college,” which for many of the students is a prospect they have never considered.

In addition, College sophomore Chinyere Agbai, who is on the Civic and Philadelphia Engagement Committee of the UA, decided to volunteer to promote academic motivation.

“If you’re never exposed to the idea of college, it’s probably harder to think about,” she said. “I’m here because I want to introduce it on their radar and give them a better chance of considering a college education.”

The resounding comments among the students — comprised mostly of seventh and eighth graders — expressed their excitement to see the campus and to go to class. After breaking for lunch, the students attended a mock version of Management 100.

Also on the itinerary were a Penn student-led panel on college life , a student group performance and “recess” at the end of the day at Penn Park.

2011 Wharton and College graduate Albert Pak is a member of the Philadelphia education non-profit 12 PLUS, which partners with high schools to improve college readiness and enrollment. Pak came to College Day to talk to parents about the financial options available when applying to college. He also noted the need for third-party advocates in promoting academic motivation.

“It’s a big transition from middle school to high school, and it’s important to keep kids driven to do well in school despite these changes,” he said.

The parents in attendance appreciated Penn’s initiative in hosting the event. “It’s really cool that Penn reaches out to younger students,” said Tanaya Ruley, the mother of a sixth-grade student on the trip. “There are a lot of colleges around, but they don’t do that—they don’t interact as much.”

She added, “That’s why Penn is such a great staple in this community.”

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