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Boys & Girls Club visits Edison for higher education answers
JENNIFER WHITNEY / Staff
On Thursday, July 17 high school students from The Boys & Girls Club of Collier County summer program visited Edison College to learn more about the options the school offers. Mandy Belmont raised her hand to ask a question about study abroad options during the informational lecture portion of the visit.
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Woody Seraphin doesn’t know exactly what he wants to be when he grows up.
But the 15-year-old Golden Gate High School sophomore does know that he wants to go to college.
Woody, whose parents didn’t attend college, says he wants to go to college “so that I can get a better education for my life.”
He added that it would also help him get a better job.
Woody, along with 34 local high school students in the Boys & Girls Club of Collier County’s summer camp, got a chance to visit Edison College’s Collier County campus Thursday morning.
All eyes were on Edison College staff and students as they spoke about the college, including student testimonials, academic advising and financial aid opportunities.
Inside the auditorium, students, mostly sophomores and juniors from Golden Gate, Naples, Lely and Palmetto Ridge high schools, listened carefully about the difference between high school and college, including the perks of college life, such as flexibility of schedules.
Financial aid coordinator Frank Garofalo spoke to students about the numerous public and private scholarships and grants available, including federal financial aid, Edison College’s Project HOPE (Help One Person Excel) scholarship and the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship.
“There are many opportunities that can help you go to college,” he told students.
Garofalo urged students to do well in high school so they open more opportunities for financial assistance.
“There’s plenty of money available for you,” he said.
Students also learned about the nine clubs at Edison College: Student Government Association, Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society, Christian Fellowship Club, Gay Straight and Lesbian Alliance, Multicultural Club, Student Nurses Association, Peacefully Education Activists on Current Events, Environmental Studies Club and Creative Expressive Club.
After the presentation, the group toured the East Naples campus.
It was the group’s first visit to Edison.
Thanks to the visit, Woody’s realized he is interested in becoming a computer technician and video game designer.
After the presentations, Woody said he was also interested in applying for financial aid once he decides on a school.
The college visit enabled the high school students to learn about different opportunities, Boys & Girls Club program specialist Derek Clemmensen said.
Those enrolled in the summer program visited Florida Gulf Coast University in June.
Clemmensen said the college visits help push students to further their education and have their questions answered about college in case their parents didn’t attend a university.
Golden Gate High School sophomore Lynsey Sillien, 15, is excited about attending college.
Lynsey’s mother attends Edison College, yet the teenager wants to attend a university “far away from home.”
She’s interested in becoming a doctor.
“I want to do something in life,” Lynsey said. “I want to make a difference in the world.”
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