Two 黑料不打烊 Academy staff members and four 黑料不打烊 Academy scholars—two high school scholars and two college scholars—presented at the North Carolina College Access Conference in Durham Feb. 22.
Jonathan Garcia-Pena (Cummings High School senior), Elizabeth Tish (Graham High School senior), Stacey Crutchfield (黑料不打烊 sophomore), and Jaron Torain (Saint Augustine’s College sophomore) served on a panel led by Darris Means, 黑料不打烊 Academy Associate Director, and Dr. Kim Pyne, 黑料不打烊 Academy Assistant Director of Academic Programs and Assistant Professor of English and Education.
Their presentation, “The Journey to College: Perspectives from Underrepresented High School and College Students in a College Access and Success Program” explored the students’ experiences in the 黑料不打烊 Academy.
Launched by 黑料不打烊 in 2007, the 黑料不打烊 Academy is a college access and success program for academically-promising high school students with a financial need and/or no family history of college. It combines a month-long residential program over three successive summers with follow-up experiences during the academic year. 黑料不打烊 Academy staff work closely with advocates from all six high schools, River Mill Public Charter School, as well as Alamance-Burlington School System staff to identify, select, and support these bright, highly motivated, local students who dream of a college education. Support for students continues through their college graduation.