GET INVOLVED

High school students get taste of college life.

Think back to how you would have felt as a high school junior if you had had the chance to visit a college lecture, participate in a working lunch at which you tackled questions related to international business, and toured a campus, including a residence hall.

That’s the experience that nine students from Miami-Jackson High School had, thanks to the Civic Engagement Initiative, coordinated by Robert Hogner, associate professor, Management and International Business Department in the College of Business Administration. It was part of the college’s mentoring effort at the high school through which volunteers help high school students plan a collegiate entrance strategy.

“At the mentoring sessions at the school, we survey students to identify their interests and have them search the Internet for details on tuition, fees, housing, required tests and test scores, and other admissions issues,” said Malcolm Vivian, graduate assistant/Civic Engagement, who revived the mentoring program and is one of the people who goes to the high school every two or three weeks. “Once we establish these basics, we help them set targets for themselves, do mock interviews, and have them fill out an application online so they can see what’s involved and review it to make sure they’ve completed it correctly.”

Working in conjunction with the high school’s director of the Academy for International Business and Finance—also known as the Magnet Program—the college devised an agenda for a day-long campus visit. Items included a presentation about financial aid and a classroom visit to the Business and Community Leadership course taught by Hogner.

“We adjusted the session slightly to allow for Miami-Jackson students to interact with class members and participate in the discussion,” Vivian said.

A working lunch followed, during which the high school guests worked on a college freshman-level group international business exercise with students from the college. The interactive exercise was created by J. Randall Martin, a member of the Management and International Business Department, and led by Luis Carranza, internship coordinator in the department and a member of the International Business Honor Society IBHS), who also gave an introductory speech about international business, what the program in the college offers, and the importance of internships.

“The activity involved dividing the students into teams and having them answer questions,” Carranza said. “We had laptops available for them to do research on the spot. It was very dynamic and we’ve been hearing that many of our visitors gained an interest in international business. The event also was valuable for me because I got an insight into young people: how they’re thinking, what they know, and how much we should teach them.”

The day concluded with a tour of Panther Hall.

For high school junior Alex Alvarez, the experience was a revelation.

“I learned a lot I didn’t know about admissions, the processing of applications, scholarships, and classes,” he said. “I also enjoyed joining in the cooperative group discussion with the members of the IBHS.”

The experience also modified his college plans, which was true for several of his classmates, too.

“I was not considering Florida International University. I’m a student athlete, and I wanted to play collegiate basketball at Duke while majoring in sports management,” he said. “But after being in an international business class with a professor and students, I enjoyed it. Also financial aid will play a huge role in my decision. And lastly, the campus was amazing, and I am really interested in attending it in the fall of 2007.”

If you’re interested in helping high school students get on firmer footing for applying to college, contact Vivian at malcolm.vivian@fiu.edu. Anyone can join the project, which will start up again in Fall, 2006.