Western Regional AHEC CHHS Immersion Program Impacts Rural Students

Coming from a rural area there is not a lot of exposure to universities or what campus life is really like. Rural areas are often overlooked due to their income base and how hard it is to assess students without traveling great distances to get to high schools. If you look up the characteristics of a rural community chances are you will find a diversity unlike that of an urban/suburban setting. We experience diversity in a different way. The community members are connected to agriculture, allied occupations, religion and extreme poverty that make up that one community. You soon find out this is a community where everyone knows you and your family. These students can trace their family back generations in one local area.You might even say they are stuck in a cycle of poverty, or the safety confines of small town life. To many of these students college education is not a priority within their families. So getting a chance to visit a university makes a lasting impression and brings new opportunities that students may have not ever thought of or been exposed to. We are looking at these rural area students as being the first generation to attend college from within their families.

That is where R.E.A.C.H. (Respect, Excellence, Academics, Community and Health) and the Engage! Out-of-school Time Programs step in. Our programs are funded through a grant from the Fremont Area Community Foundation. We are one of the many programs of a non-profit organization called TrueNorth Community Services that assists both individuals in Newaygo County and throughout the state. Our goals are to provide students a continuation of their education throughout the school day and provide them with opportunities they wouldn't have otherwise, such as attending Western Michigan University's College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) Immersion program. We are bridging the gap and bringing them to the colleges and trade schools in addition to hoping colleges also come to us.

How do I know so much about this? A long time ago TrueNorth Community Services was called Newaygo County Community Services (NCCS). I am a byproduct of their services. They provided me with a student loan to achieve my dream of going to college. I graduated with a BA in Biological Anthropology from the University of Maryland. There weren't any immersion programs, knowledge of the inner workings of institutions for higher education, or free college tuition in my county. You basically walked in blindly, if you went at all. My life led me back to my hometown, where an opportunity presented itself, it only made sense to work for the place that helped me. I have great pride in my community and I saw there was a need to inspire today's youth. Now I am running a successful STEAM based out-of-school time program at White Cloud Junior/Senior High School as an on-site Supervisor. Within this position my goal is to give positivity and guidance, along with the tools, needed for students to succeed in achieving their dream. Maybe one day, they too will come back and help their community the same way I have.