Dartmouth Student-Athletes Volunteer to help the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation
4/14/2010 9:17:00 AM | Athletics
April 14, 2010 - Dartmouth Student-Athletes Volunteer to help the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation
By Jeff Friedman
On April 6, over 30 students from various towns in the Northwest portion of Vermont who are freshman or sophomores in high school came to the Dartmouth campus to see what a college was like. Each one of these students will be a first generation college student. According to the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) website, the mission of VSAC is to “ensure that all Vermonters have the necessary financial and information resources to pursue their education goals beyond high school.” A group of about 10 Dartmouth students, including a few Dartmouth student-athletes, gave tours of Dartmouth to the students and served on a panel to discuss their college experiences. Jesse Adler, a '10 on the women's tennis team, thought that “it was a really great program and was conducted in a well thought out manner. It was the right size so that I felt that we, as the college students, were able to try and really talk to the high school students in a more one and one setting.” Adler stressed that the intimacy of the group helped her and other Dartmouth students to best understand the desires and goals of each of the high school students. Adler also expressed her admiration for these first generation college students. She said that “to be a first generation college student is truly incredible and all of these kids had the skills to make that happen, so hopefully we were able to give them something else as well."
Molly Khalil, a '12 on the women's softball team, shared a personal connection with each of the VSAC students because she is a first generation college student. She felt intimately linked with each of the students there because she knows how proud she feels to go to college, yet also understands the hard work that it takes. Khalil said that “As a first generation college student, I felt like I was really able to connect to the high schoolers and give them some encouraging words about college. They were all very interested, and I hope I made some sort of positive influence, whatever that may be.” Having a Dartmouth student like Khalil who is a first-generation college student certainly made the VSAC students feel more comfortable and let them share their experiences more. Andrea Imhof, an '11 on the Women's Track and Field team also reiterated Khalil's sentiments. Imhof stated that “The VSAC program is just one of many amazing opportunities that Dartmouth offers to reach out to first-generation college bound kids to get them thinking about college early. It was really encouraging to see how many kids--many of them freshman and sophomores in high school--were really interested in learning about the college process so early in their high school careers.” Imhof was particularly impressed by the students' drive for success and life goals. She reiterated that “Many of them already had pretty ambitious goals for their schooling and career paths lay out ahead of them, and displayed an incredible amount of maturity and personal drive for 14 and 15 year olds. I was very impressed.”
By explaining the importance of a college education to young high school students who have not been exposed to a collegiate atmosphere before, Dartmouth students served a great deed for the students and for the community. Many of the Dartmouth students, such as Adler, Khalil, and Imhof discussed the various attributes that high school students should look for when entering the college application process. Yet, the overall theme described was finding a college that fits you well with strong academics and a strong support network. The VSAC students were amazed on the various opportunities present at Dartmouth, in particular, and seemed very excited about college. Similarly, the Dartmouth students enjoyed speaking about a place that has been so special in their hearts since they entered as freshmen. We hope that the VSAC students came away with a better understanding of college and its boundless opportunities.
