Nearly 100 Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian high schoolers participated in Penn's College Horizons Program last month.
Credit: Abhiram JuvvadiThe College Horizons Program, which looks to empower Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian high schoolers to pursue higher education through culturally relevant college advising programs, took place on Penn's campus last month.
Nearly 100 students from 19 states representing 33 Tribal Nations, Alaska Native Villages, and Hawaiian islands participated in the weeklong program held from June 22 to 28. It was third time the program has taken place on campus.
“Penn has been my dream school for years, so it was amazing that College Horizons was being hosted here,” Veronica Tuzroyluk, a participant from Alaska and a rising high school junior, said to The Daily Pennsylvanian.
“I learned so much about the application process,” Tuzroyluk added, “and realized Penn is a great fit for me.”
Like Tuzroyluk, many students traveled long distances to get to the program from states including Arizona, California, Hawaii, and New Mexico. 30% of the participants were first-generation college students, highlighting the program’s focus on creating a bridge to higher education for underrepresented communities.
Ryly Ziese, a rising Wharton senior who participated in the program during her junior year of high school and interned at the program this year, spoke about the impact College Horizons had on her own journey of coming to Penn.
“I wouldn’t have been here if it weren’t for College Horizons,” she said. “The program helped me with my personal essay, financial aid process, and understanding the college application landscape.”
Ziese, who grew up in the Cherokee Nation and now serves as president of the Native American student organization at Penn, also emphasized how the program helps to foster connections.
“It was so rewarding to see so many Indigenous students on campus,” Ziese added. “I hope that during my senior year, I'm see[ing] their faces around because it was so powerful to have 97 Native kids on campus when there's usually around five.”
The program offered a blend of practical college admissions guidance guidance and cultural celebration. Students participated in workshops led by nearly 60 faculty members and admissions representatives, gaining insight into the college application process in areas such as financial aid and application strategies. Participants also had the opportunity to connect with representatives from various colleges and universities at a college fair.
Christine Suina, program coordinator for College Horizons, highlighted the program’s deeper mission in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“Our program is really about nation building,” she said. “Many of our students, they become the first doctors, lawyers, professors [in their families]. Some of the people in our program become the movers and the shakers of Indian country.”
To celebrate these diverse heritages, the week culminated in a “traditional night,” during which students were invited to showcase their unique cultural identities. This powerful event included song, dance, and presentations of important cultural objects — a highlight for Tuzroyluk.
“In addition to providing high school sophomores and juniors with a comprehensive program to prepare them for college applications, this week gives us a chance to show off our community of problem solvers, thinkers, and connectors at Penn,“ Penn’s Vice Provost and Dean of Admissions Whitney Soule wrote in the Penn Admissions blog.
College Horizons alumni boast a 99% college matriculation rate and an 85% graduation rate from college within four to five years.
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