Archers Taking Advantage of Gear Up Program before Making Final College Decisions

By Po Aye (10)
po.aye@fwcsstudents.org

March 23, 2023

South Side High School has opportunities for students to visit different colleges over spring break with their program, Gear Up. Gear Up is a college readiness program created by Fort Wayne Community Schools that has existed since 1998. The program works directly with South Side High School, and it isn't something students join, but rather a walk-in foundation that provides opportunities to anyone that seeks interest in figuring out their dream college. 

“These trips have been going on for as long as I can remember. I’ve been working at South Side High School for thirteen years, and they’ve been going for as long as I've been here,” assistant principal Lori Adkins said. 

Any student from South Side High School can participate in these trips, however, there are designated times for each grade. For example, currently, sophomores and freshmen are able to go on these trips over spring break. In order to attend, students must have their parents’ consent in order to leave the campus and sometimes leave the state, as some of the trips are outside of Indiana. They must also have a GPA of 2.5 or higher, and the students’ guidance counselor must approve them of going on these trips as the counselors have direct contact with the colleges. Students are also only allowed to go on two trips a year. 

“During these trips, I find out many new things about colleges that I do not know already. I believe I have found two of my dream colleges which are University of Xavier and Manchester College,” Wai Lway (10) said. 

Visiting these colleges lessens the stress of picking out colleges in the future. As students already get an idea of what the schools are like, they won’t have to worry about the school’s policies, what they do and don't have, and generally question the campus overall. They are already somewhat familiar and comfortable with the environment and the campus already. 

“I think these trips are beneficial because you will have to experience what it is like being a college student like how they get around the campus and walk a lot the whole day to get around, and because you can see how a college campus would look like for example the dorms and cafeteria,” Shaina Be (10) said. 

Some colleges that students will be visiting on these upcoming trips are Trine, Michigan State University, IU Bloomington, Indiana University, St. Francis, Ivy Tech, and more.

Above are some pictures of Xavier's campus in Ohio from a recent Gear Up college visit. The South Side students continue to visit colleges throughout the year to help students make a more informed decision concerning where to attend following grdauation. (Photos by Shaina Be and Wai Lway)

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