Newswise — Making good on a pledge to even further expand on its commitment to student diversity, Amherst College recently hosted a group of Native American high school students for a weeklong summit intent on helping students get to college.

Eighty high school students were on campus for College Horizons, a pre-college program for Native American high school sophomores and juniors. The program offers a six-day crash course in college admissions and financial aid. The New Mexico-based nonprofit is dedicated to increasing the number of Native American students succeeding in college and boasts a 99-percent success rate in getting its participants placed in four-year colleges.

The Amherst group represented some 35 nations, from the Wampanoag (Massachusetts) and Mohegan (Connecticut) to those in the Southwest, Hawaii and Alaska, said organizers with the College’s Office of Admissions.

This was the first year Amherst hosted the program since signing on as a partner with College Horizons two years ago. Two colleges are hosting this summer: College Horizons 2016 reconvenes July 9 at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis.

The partnership is one of a series of initiatives devoted to improving access and success for low-income students, first announced following a 2014 national summit at the White House.

For College Horizons, Amherst matched participating students with college admissions officers, college counselors, essay specialists and other educators, and deployed student “Telementors,” students from diverse backgrounds extensively trained in admissions and financial aid application procedures.

“I didn't know what I was getting myself into, and I'm glad I did it,” said Alyssa Mosely of Bridgeton, N.J., a member of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape tribal confederation. “Back home in my tribal community, not a lot of people attend college. I learned so much new stuff that I probably couldn't have been able to learn on my own.”

She said that coming to Amherst has led her to think about liberal arts and smaller campuses.

“Being around this campus, I kind of fell in love with it. It's so beautiful. I was like, this is what I want in a college,” she said.

At a closing panel, members of the Amherst community spoke of their own transitions to college life.

“It was a big culture shock, and I wanted it,” said Rick Lopez ’93, professor of history and environmental studies and dean of new students. He joked that “I wanted to ask a girl out and not find out she was my cousin,” a comment that drew laughter from the visiting students.

Lopez spoke of how first-generation college students from minority communities can struggle when coming to college. “You get your first bad grade, and you think, 'Did I get in by accident?',” while students with more resources back home might take such a thing in stride, he said.

In addition to the research and discussion groups, there was time to unwind, and time to gather and celebrate. The week ended with a “traditional night,” where students shared performance, regalia, food and more from their respective nations.

“We talked about our communities and how we feel as natives,” said Mandy Worrell of Tucson, Ariz., a member of the Kenaitze tribe. “It was very emotional. A lot of people were brought to tears by the stories.”

MEDIA CONTACT
Register for reporter access to contact details