College student, even if for a day
High school students get a taste of college life at TCU
By Jessica Sanders
Staff Reporter

Though she looked a little out of place, 12-year-old Krystian Williams sat confidently in the front row of a junior-level sociology class Wednesday.

Williams, a student at Glencrest Junior High School, said she thought college classes were going to be hard and professors were going to be mean, but that she changed her mind after spending a day on campus.

“The fun part is walking around seeing other places, the things that a college student gets to do,” Williams said. “Its all a new adventure, a journey to college.”

Sixty-five high school and middle school students from Fort Worth ISD participated in College Student for a Day by shadowing TCU students, said Shelley Marshall, volunteer coordinator for Communities in Schools, a national stay-in-school program.

College Student for a Day was coordinated by Student Government Association and Communities in Schools, said Brad Thompson, SGA president.

The program shows those in junior high and high school about college life in a fun way and encourages them to stay in school, Thompson said.

“A lot of the high school kids are in this program because they are at risk for not graduating,” Thompson said. “So we want to get them thinking about staying in school and realize that college is an option if you work hard.”

Paul DeLuna, 14, from Paschal High School, said he has changed his mind about college after participating in College Student for a Day.

“I didn’t think I was going to come to college because I wanted to be a chef and I was going to go to chef school,” DeLuna said. “But I saw (TCU) and I think I’m going to go to college now.”

Matt Rubenstein, a freshman radio-TV-film major, said the program allowed him to show high school students what daily life is like in college.

“I remember what it was like when I was in high school and I had no idea what college was like,” Rubenstein said. “I would have really liked to have someone take me around and show me what it was all about, which is why I am more than happy to do it for some high school kids.”

Robin Williamson, the director of community service, said she hopes College Student for a Day will continue to expand and will possibly include a mentoring program in the future.

“The more TCU students who sign up, the more kids we can bring,” Williamson said. “In the fall when we start it up again, we will probably have more publicity about it and hopefully the word of mouth from TCU students who have done it will get more of their friends involved.”

Thompson said College Student for a Day is an easy and rewarding way for busy college students to get involved with the community.

“Its a great way to spend your day,” Thompson said. “It doesn’t put you out, you just do your thing and they follow you and you talk to them.”

j.d.sanders@tcu.edu