Saturday, November 9, 25 M.O.S.T. McDonnell Scholars gathered at the University of Memphis for a guided tour of campus, led by a team of Fogelman College of Business seniors. Designed to introduce the 9th through 12th grade McDonnell Scholars to a typical American college campus, this comprehensive four-hour tour was pitched to M.O.S.T. by former M.O.S.T. Scholar Maximino Ramirez, one of the business students.
“M.O.S.T. supported me through high school, and now I’m about to graduate from the University of Memphis with a business degree,” said Max. “When our professor told us about this end-of-semester project and that we would need to chose a non-profit to work with, I immediately thought of doing something for M.O.S.T.”
Max reached out just as the M.O.S.T. team was planning its fall get-together for McDonnell Scholars. Available to all students at M.O.S.T. partner schools who are eligible for standard needs-based M.O.S.T. Scholarships, the McDonnell Scholarship is merit-based, and up to ten are awarded annually to rising 9th graders based on performance on a standardized test, a written essay, and interviews with M.O.S.T. staff and stakeholders. With McDonnell Scholars scattered across various private high schools in the Mid-South, the fall get-together is an opportunity for cohort building and networking with peers.
The students gathered in the soft rain just south of the main campus, and started the morning with an icebreaker. Each student announced their name, grade, and school, and then offered what they expected to major in once they reached college. Medicine. Criminal justice. Business. Engineering. Software design. Architecture. There were as many big dreams as there were students.
“College is about finding yourself,” Max told them. “The pressure isn’t really on you as a high school senior to know exactly what you want to do after college. You have plenty of time to figure that out once you’re here.”
The business students started the tour in the new R. Brad Martin Student Wellness Center, a state-of-the-art gym facility on Southern Avenue. Many of the high schoolers were surprised to learn that access to the facility comes with tuition, a major perk of college life. While touring the basketball courts, the topic of intramural sports came up, and students were pleased to learn that the competition can be fierce.
Exiting the athletic facility, the group mounted the steps to the sleek new bridge that skips over the legendary U of M railroad tracks, where for decades idling trains prevented students from making it to class on time. The group was led to the University Center, the social nerve center of campus that was abuzz with life, even on a typically quiet mid-semester Saturday. The third floor was wild with activity as a Greek Life expo filled the meeting rooms. Hundreds of prospects circulated, wearing their fraternity and sorority attire as they pledged. The high school students in our group studied the hopeful freshmen with great attention.
From the UC, we made our way to the Ned McWherter Library. Inside, the students toured the highlights, including the Center for Writing and Communications, where students can have their papers critiqued mid-draft and get ideas on how to enrich your writing, and a visit to the high-tech Sandbox with its 3D and large format printers, and specialized technology. The business students advised the high schoolers about managing the college workload by not biting off more than you can chew. They advised that while it was possible to enroll in 18 hours or more a semester, it might be best to start with a more manageable load and see what your habits allow you to do successfully before piling on more. They reminded the younger students that college would be the first time they were truly on their own in their studies, and it would be 100% on them to manage their time while a college student.
The Fogelman College of Business was the last stop before lunch at the Tiger Den. Students found seats in the College’s large lecture hall and watched a short TED Talk video, encouraging the students to be on the lookout for ‘Lollipop Moments’, seemingly mundane moments for you that might make a lasting impression on others. Jordan Brown, a senior at Briarcrest Christian School, shared a lollipop moment that changed his life- a simple invitation to join some new friends at a meeting about the football team led to Jordan excelling in the sport, with multiple colleges recruiting him as a player in his senior year.
After the video, the M.O.S.T. Scholars tossed questions at the college students. What’s the best way beyond academics to maximize your college years? Meet as many different people as possible. What are good ways to find a social group quickly? Join clubs, accept invitations to things you wouldn’t normally, say ‘yes’ to new experiences.
At the Tiger Den, the students were set loose with a meal credit, and seemed to appreciate the varied options. They clustered in groups- some by school, others by gender, and downloaded their day to each other.
“It was different than other college visits I’ve had,” said Ka’Nia Hardaway, a Harding Academy sophomore. “I like that we were led by current students. I feel like we really got to see what campus life is like, from a student point of view.”
“It was really, really engaging,” said Omar Jebril, a senior at Pleasant View School. “The tour today gave us an opportunity to ask questions that we wouldn't normally be able to ask. Questions that you can’t find answers to online or anything. I feel like visiting campus, being on campus guided by students who actually attend the campus and are involved in different organizations, it really gives a very in-depth and hands-on experience. I've been on a college campus, but I never really went inside a lecture room.”
“I've already applied to schools and the U of M, they've accepted me. Same with Rhodes. I'm looking at schools like University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Vanderbilt. They're not too far from Memphis, but they also offer good opportunities, said Omar.
For these M.O.S.T. McDonnell students, college is the next adventure. And after Saturday’s tour, it will certainly be a bit less unknown.