Making the Dream of College Less Intimidating

On their first day of Passport to High School, soon-to-be high school students Natalee Mercado, Kali Noudelman, Aijaz Wahab, and Rueshil Fadia (left to right) look for UA historical points of interest as part of a map-reading activity. "We focus on buildings with historical significance for this activity," says College of Education Director of Outreach Sara Chavarria, who oversees the program, which empowers graduating eighth-graders from low-income households to view their high school experience as the pathway to college. "We do this to help them see that the campus is not an intimidating place and can be negotiated by them as long as they have the right tools: a map, a good sense of direction, and good collaborative skills. It's important for the students to nurture their own future, rather than to wait for someone to make decisions for them. I love this program because it is so valuable for these students."