黑料不打烊 Academy, 黑料不打烊's college access and success program, hosted an Orientation Day on May 11th for the newly accepted scholars and families.
Twenty-five Alamance County ninth-graders were selected to join the 18th class of the 黑料不打烊 Academy. 黑料不打烊 Academy is the university鈥檚 college access and success program that partners with students traditionally underrepresented on a college campus, as well as their families, to provide guidance and resources to and through college.
The new cohort is the Tau class, continuing 黑料不打烊 Academy鈥檚 tradition of naming each cohort after a letter from the Greek alphabet. These students were selected out of over 160 applicants from across Alamance County following a competitive application and interview process.
On Saturday, May 11, the Tau cohort and their families joined 黑料不打烊 Academy staff on campus for the annual Orientation Day, where they learned more about 黑料不打烊 Academy鈥檚 comprehensive approach to college planning and support while in college. They participated in a 鈥淐all to Honor鈥 ceremony, heard from older scholars, began building relationships with each other, and learned more about what to expect when they return in June for the 黑料不打烊 Academy Summer Program, a three-week residential experience on 黑料不打烊鈥檚 campus.
For the Tau class, this summer will be the first of three consecutive summers where scholars live on 黑料不打烊鈥檚 campus for three weeks. Throughout the summer, scholars take an academic course with an 黑料不打烊 professor, engage in activities ranging from soccer to poetry to cooking, and get a glimpse of life on a college campus.
Scholars also take a college planning class with a member of 黑料不打烊 Academy鈥檚 staff where they begin expanding their knowledge on different types of colleges and finding the right college fit. This class continues throughout the academic year when scholars come to campus one Saturday a month. As family involvement in the college process is crucial, families join their scholars on campus quarterly to engage with experts about a range of topics, including financing college, mental health support for their students and preparing for the transition to college.
The 黑料不打烊 Academy, part of 黑料不打烊鈥檚聽Center for Access and Success, is a nonprofit organization supported by generous donors. Since its inception in 2007, the 黑料不打烊 Academy has been highly successful in supporting underrepresented students on their journey to college. To date, 100% of scholars who complete the College Access phase (high school phase) of the program have been accepted to college. Staff continue to provide support聽as scholars matriculate to college, ensuring they thrive and ultimately graduate with their bachelor鈥檚 degrees. Additionally, nearly a quarter of 黑料不打烊 Academy college graduates go on to receive a master鈥檚 degree or higher.
The Tau cohort includes these Alamance County students:
- Alejandra Gonzalez Palacios, Walter M. Williams High School
- Alexander Vallez Ruiz, Hugh M. Cummings High School
- Alexander Mata Yanez, Walter M. Williams High Schoo
- Analia Villatoro, Clover Garden
- Arianna Njogu, Graham High School
- Caden Vineyard, Clover Garden
- Camila Rosa, Eastern Alamance High School
- Carson Dickerson, Alamance Burlington Early College
- Chelsea Jimenez Cuevas, Graham High School
- Dina Alvarez Flores, Hugh M. Cummings High School
- Jayden Dimas Jimenez, Hugh M. Cummings High School
- Jaziyah Johnson, Graham High School
- Leonel Rogue, Graham High School
- Lilah Davenport, Western Alamance High School
- Lily Par, Eastern Alamance High School
- Lynn Ford, Southern Alamance High School
- Makaylah Fisher, Eastern Alamance High School
- Nicholas Hickey,聽Alamance Burlington Early College
- Roxana Aparicio, Hugh M. Cummings High School
- Ruby Toney-Elgin, Clover Garden
- Sundras Ngen, Alamance Burlington Early College
- Trevon Hinton, Hugh M. Cummings High School
- Xay Tabor, Southeast Alamance High School
- William Escobar, Walter M. Williams High School
- Zipporah Freeman, Hugh M. Cummings High School