On April 8th, around 250 Jay County 7th graders will visit Taylor University to learn about what going to college is like. They will attend workshops presented by various departments, eat lunch in the Dining Commons, and engage in conversations about making college a reality.
“Some students have never been to a college campus. Some of them have never even known anyone who's gone to college before,” explained Shelly Engle, Director of Teacher Education and Assistant Professor of Education. “So being on campus and just experiencing it opens students’ eyes to say, ‘college could be for me.’”
For over 15 years, Walk Into My Future has been sponsored by the Portland Foundation and hosted by the Education Department at Taylor University. The Education Department aims to have the middle schoolers experience as many things on campus as possible, and to have Taylor students walk with them every step of the way.
Education students lead groups of Jay County students around campus to various stations, eat lunch with them, and talk with them. Students in other majors, such as business and art education, provide programming for the activities, planning both demonstrations and hands-on experiences. For example, the School of Nursing will showcase Taylor’s new state-of-the-art simulation labs and modern facilities, helping students learn about a future in nursing.
Indiana sits at 42nd in the nation by percent of adults with a bachelor’s degree. College attendance is in decline, with approximately 53% of Indiana high school students attending college after graduation, down from a peak of 64% in 2015. In Jay County, only 13% of adults have a four-year college degree.
The Portland Foundation, a non-profit organization created to enhance the quality of life in Jay County, helps students start their 529 plan. Along with seeing what college could be like at Walk Into My Future, students will learn about practical steps to take toward attending college in the future, including how to apply for 21st Century Scholars, an early-college promise program designed to make college more affordable for students. Over 80% of 21st Century Scholars go on to attend college.
“We have had some Jay County students come to us as Taylor students and say that they visited Taylor for the first time under Walk Into My Future, which is super fun,” Engle said. The primary goal of the day is to recruit students to college, not just Taylor. Engle’s favorite discussions with the young learners are of them realizing, “Hey, I could go to college.”
As a first-generation college student herself, Engle believes strongly in the importance of higher education. She hopes Walk Into My Future will spark more first generation students to consider college as an option that will open new doors.
“College was introduced to me at a young age as a gateway to improve my life,” she said. “I think that's what higher education can do for you. It lets you experience God's knowledge in a very specific way.”
One time, a young Jay County student approached to Engle at the Dining Commons holding a huge bowl of ice cream and asked, “These students do more than eat lunch, right?’” After Engle responded yes, he asked what students do. Engle pointed out several nearby students that she knew, explaining their majors. “He kept asking questions that we might take for granted that kids would know about college,” Engle said. In the end, the young man said a whole new world had been opened to him.
