By
Maya Schechter
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Almost 6,000 eighth-graders learn prep lessons
Last year, more than 2,500 Tucson grade school students visited the UA campus to learn the skills to make them better students and prepare them for college.
Through the Middle School to College program, about 25 University of Arizona volunteers, called Junior Wildcat Recruiters, teach the young students college preparation skills. The UA students volunteer with students of the Tucson Unified, Sunnyside, Marana and Amphi school districts.
"I really love working with the kids and having the power to get them excited for college," said Terra Pierce, anthropology sophomore, who serves as the Junior Wildcat co-president.
Pierce said her job includes coordinating UA campus tours for young students and giving presentations at the middle schools.
The Middle School to College program was created last year, and covers three different projects to assist students in preparing for college, Arezu Corella, Early Recruitment senior admissions counselor, said. The projects are UA campus tours, the eighth-grade classroom presentations and parents' nights.
About 5,800 Tucson eighth-graders have learned the benefits of early education through the classroom presentations.
"We are really trying to make a connection with the Tucson community, and let them know we care about their children," Corella said.
The Jr. Wildcats will apply to become an Associated Students recognized club in September, and then the organization will elect a full cabinet, Pierce said.
Courtney Abbott, a secondary education senior, said the Jr. Wildcats volunteer work has given her experience to be a teacher.
"It is a really neat experience for me because it has helped me speak in front of the children and meet with different teachers and principals," Abbott said.
Abbott and Pierce both said they enjoyed taking the children to McKale Center on the campus tours and seeing the children's excitement on their faces when a basketball player would walk by and say hello.
"I think it is a fabulous program because by 11th grade it may be too late to reach out to the students, so doing this at this time is really going to help them prepare for their future," said Holly Colonna, a Tucson Unified School District resource counselor.
Last year, the Jr. Wildcats served more than 1,200 hours of volunteer work, and this year they are hoping more members will join.
The eighth grade presentations also offer scholarship information, which Abbott said she thought was really important because the volunteers make many presentations to schools with low-income students.
"The kids also have the chance to find out about special programs they may not have ever found out about if it weren't for us," Abbott added.
