Alamance County high school freshmen accepted into the Elon Academy's Iota class will spend parts of the next three summers on campus learning from Elon University faculty and preparing to apply to college.
Twenty-four rising sophomores from the Alamance-Burlington School System have been selected to join the eighth class of scholars in the Elon Academy, a college access and success program for academically promising students, on the Elon University campus.
On Saturday, May 3, the new cohort arrived on campus with their families to take a campus tour, complete paperwork and physical exams, enjoy lunch in McKinnon, and meet with current scholars, families, faculty and student mentors. With the new cohort, the Elon Academy is now serving 142 scholars and more than 350 family members.
Twelve Alpha class scholars are preparing to graduate from college while 18 Beta scholars are preparing to enter their senior year of college. Twenty Epsilon class scholars will go off to college in the fall. This summer, the Iota Class scholars will join the 45 scholars in the Eta and Theta classes who will be returning to Elon as rising seniors and juniors.
The 69 high school students will spend a month on the Elon campus taking academic courses during the day including personal finance, philosophy, criminology, engineering, creative writing, cognitive science, and sustainable food production.
The summer of 2014 will bring a new Study Away program, “Twenty-First Century Leaders Addressing 21 Century Challenges and Opportunities,” that will include a one-week experience in Washington, D.C. Scholars in this course will explore the topic of poverty and how it applies to education, healthcare and legal systems. This project is supported by a NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation grant.
All scholars will participate in college planning classes which include organizational and study skills, SAT preparation, the college application process, and securing financial aid. The evening curriculum includes fishing, sports conditioning, dance, swimming, golf, personal defense, art and sand volleyball.
On Saturdays scholars will be engaged in leadership development classes and community service projects. Scholars will also have the opportunity to take college trips to visit a variety of colleges and universities so that they can begin to consider which school is the best fit for them. Elon University students and faculty members, along with other educators in the area, mentor scholars and teach classes.
Elon Academy staff worked closely with advocates from all six high schools, River Mill Public Charter School, and staff from the Alamance-Burlington School System to identify, select, and support these bright, highly motivated, local students who dream of pursuing a college education.
The Iota class and high school advocates for the Elon Academy include:
Hugh M. Cummings High School
Geraldo Cruz
Tiffany Roy
Advocate: Julia Johns, Assistant Principal
Eastern Alamance High School
Brent Allred
Harley Finn
Malia White
Advocate: Ako Barnes, Assistant Principal
Graham High School
Jorge Carillo
Martha Lopez Lavias
Bailey McCann
Elizabeth Sobalvarro-Franco
Advocate: Beth Taylor, School Counselor
Southern Alamance High School
Bailey Bruner
Alberto Gamboa
Tyler Gardoski
Jeremy Legette
Sierra Morris
Advocate: Kelly Coble, Math Teacher
Walter M. Williams High School
Jawuan Cates
Mykkyh Corpening
Michael “Julian” Mangione
Florencio Ortiz-Escobar
Advocate: Carole Workman, Academic Coach
River Mill Academy
Malaysia Wilcox
Advocate: Stacey Frazier, School Counselor
Western Alamance High School
Jocelyn Alvarado
Kevin Alvarado
Caitlen Arnett
Matthew Garcia
Malika Moore
Advocate: David Nebrig, Assistant Principal
Launched by Elon University in 2007, the Elon Academy is an intensive college access and success program for local high school students with high financial need or no family history of attending college. It combines a month-long residential program over three successive summers with follow-up experiences during the academic year. The Academy is a multi-year, year round program beginning in the summer after the ninth grade and continuing to and through college.
Although the Elon Academy was launched by Elon University, the program is not funded through tuition dollars. The sustainability of the Academy is dependent on the generosity of individuals, businesses, organizations, and foundations.
For more information: www.elon.edu/elonacademy.