Summer Euro welcomes high schoolers

Online Photo

 

This summer, recent high school graduates can join Oklahoma Christian University students on the summer European studies program.

The primary requirement for the students is to complete one or more sessions at the Honors Summer Academy, a one-week academic program that provides high school students with a preview of college life.

“Scott LaMascus and Lisa Carroll made an extremely attractive academic week that shows OC to its very best advantage,” Professor of Bible and Philosophy and Director of Honors Program James Baird said.

This year marks the fifth annual session of Honors Summer Academy and a few changes.

“Honors Summer Academy has great programs for when you’re going into your sophomore year, your junior year or your senior year of high school,” Baird said. “But we don’t have anything for the gap between, when you’ve graduated from high school and you’re coming into college.”

In light of this gap, the Honors Program and the Office of International Programs began a series of conversations about creative ways to fill that empty space.

“Dr. Baird started talking to the Office of International Programs about the desire to have something for students after they’ve done their senior year in high school, so that it’s attractive to them to come back to OC to do their college career here,” Study Abroad Coordinator Mendy Kooi said.

That “something” ended up being a study abroad experience.

“Several folks had wished for some kind of foreign experience and it turned out it worked for us,” Baird said.

The discussion resulted in the addition of Honors Summer Academy seniors to the existing program.

Kooi is confident the seniors are prepared for the experience.

“Since they’ve pretty much had a college experience at least one time through Honors Summer Academy, we feel those students can better handle going a little early,” Kooi said.

Senior Emily Cates, who studied abroad with the Summer Euro program in 2012, said the seniors will be at a disadvantage.

“My initial instinct is to say that I think they need that year of college under their belt before they go,” Cates said. “It’s also better because you get to know the people in your class. With [these] kids just coming in, I feel like they wouldn’t connect as well.”

Seth Reiter joined the Summer Euro program last year as the initial test subject for the program.

“I thought I was [prepared] pretty much in every area,” Reiter said. “It might have been cool to know people before I went, but now the more I think about it, it was pretty cool just to meet new people there.”

In the past, students were required to complete one year of college prior to traveling abroad. With the new policy, the Honors Summer Academy is considered a full collegiate experience.

“These are all kids who have made one or more years successfully at Honors Summer Academy,” Baird said. “They’re students that we know can perform well and are responsible. We’re pretty confident that they’re going to be good kids and they’re going to get a lot out of the European experience.”

Kooi hopes summer experience abroad accumulates increased interest.

“Hopefully, getting here in the summer and connecting with the students as they’re traveling would be a great motivator for them to come to OC in the fall as well,” Kooi said.

While Honors Summer Academy has doubled in size over the past couple of years, Baird does not expect it to result in overwhelming interest in the Summer Euro program.

“It’s never going to attract the majority of the Honors Summer Academy kids, in my opinion, but I think there’s going to be a good number who want to do it,” Baird said.

Managing Director for the Honors Program Lisa Carroll agrees.

“I don’t think we’ll ever have a huge number go,” Carroll said. “One, because of the cost and two, [they’re] just out of high school.”

There are no scholarship opportunities available for high school students going on this trip.

“OC can work with them about the tuition,” Baird said. “But the regular scholarship doesn’t start until the fall.”

Nevertheless, the student reaction to Baird’s announcement at the previous session of Honors Summer Academy was positive.

“It’s great,” Carroll said. “They’re so excited. You should have heard the clapping when he announced it last year.”

Two Honors Summer Academy graduates will be accompanying sponsor John Fletcher, professor of music, and 28 Oklahoma Christian students this summer for the European Studies program.

“We have two high school seniors that will be going this summer,” Kooi said. “One of them is a local student and the other is a student from Montana. They have to do all the requirements; they have to apply and be accepted just like a regular student.”

The program will provide a distinct opportunity for the seniors to connect with current Oklahoma Christian students and faculty members during a unique study abroad experience.

Baird encourages all students to pursue this opportunity.

“I would say Summer Euro or Fall Euro are magnificent experiences for any student that at all can swing it,” Baird said. “Travel does things that we cannot quantify and that you cannot put in a syllabus and you cannot reproduce in any other way.”