Thursday, Oct 21st: Trip to Bryn Mawr College

On Thursday the Student Success Block class came to Bryn Mawr for the whole day!

Below is everything that we did while we were there:

SSB students posing for a class photo at Pem Arch.

Nate' Hall from the Admissions Office spoke to the class about various components of the college applications/admissions process. 

Ariel and Jomaria facilitated a panel of four current Haverford and Bryn Mawr students answered questions about their own path to college, what challenges they have faced, and what they have done to be successful. Thanks to Emilyn Sosa (HC '11),  Joe Howard (HC '11), Sharaai Marreo (BMC '13), and Mickecia Witherspoon (BMC '12) for being on the panel!

On our way to lunch we stopped at Pem Arch for a photo.

After the panel we went to lunch in the Erdman dining hall with the filmmaker of "First Person" and Steve, Malikka, and Mario from the film. Anna & Elly surprised us in the dining hall with cupcakes!!

The next stop was Professor Jody Cohen's "Identity, Access, and Innovation in Education" class. We joined the students in the class (who also come to Parkway once a week) and Ben, Steve, Mario, and Malikka from 'First Person' for an interactive panel about the film, the issues it raised, and our work together as college and high school students thinking about our individual and collective futures. 

After the Education class we were on to the art studio at Bryn Mawr to be trained as assistants for the mural paint day the following week. 

Shira projected a portion of the mural design on the wall and showed us how she was tracing it on to the parachute cloth we would paint. 

During the Mural Class everyone said what they wanted to do on the paint day (work on the scaffolding, work on the ground, work with kids activities, focus on detail, etc). 

After a long day of college classes there was some leaf throwing before finally boarding the bus and heading back to Parkway!

The trip to Bryn Mawr was a great success! It was wonderful to have our class at Bryn Mawr alongside the college students. 

Weds, Oct 20th: 'First Person' screening and panel

"First Person" playing for a Bryn Mawr College audience

Myiesha and her "cousin" Steve from "First Person"

On Wednesday evening four Parkway students came to Bryn Mawr College for a screening of the "First Person" film. Before the screening Myiesha, Aaron, Ramire, and Dominique ate dinner in the dining hall with three of students featured in the film and the filmmaker.

Ramire & Dominique sample college food at Haffner.

The film screening was well attended by members of the Bryn Mawr community. After watching the film there was a panel discussion featuring  Ben Herold (the film director) and the students of First Person as well as Lisa Nutter (President of Philadelphia Academies and First Lady of Philadelphia), Kate Shaw (Executive Director of Research for Action), Azsherae Gary (Bryn Mawr senior), and our own Aaron Jones (Parkway West HS senior).

The film, and the conversation afterward were quite provocative and it was great to have some of the Parkway class at Bryn Mawr for the screening and the panel.

Dominique, Jomaira, Myiesha, Aaron, Ramire, Enuma, & Zanny after the film.

Dominique, Myiesha, Aaron, & Ramire

Aaron did a wonderful job on the panel, as well!

Friday, October 15th: PA state college & "First Person" documentary

Focus on: 

Public College and Universities in PA

&

The Documentary Film First Person

"Because making it to college costs more than you think."

On Friday Adrienne did a wonderful presentation on some of the benefits of attending a PA state college or university. 

Adrienne's presentation on PA State schools

Adrienne profiled 9 schools from the PA State System of Higher Education in order of their proximity to Philadelphia. The list of schools was:

-Cheyney University

-West Chester University

-Kutztown University

-Millersville University

-Shippensburg University

-Lock Haven University

-Mansfield University

-Clarion University

-California University

Adrienne started by addressing the question:

Why State Schools?


In Pennsylvania we have 34 universities and nearly 500,000 students attending public universities. This includes Penn State Branch Campus and the Penn State System of Higher Education and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PSSHE).


AFFORDABLE: Tuition at System universities is $5,554 per year for Pennsylvanian undergraduate students.

 Board and room charges vary, as do local fees.

LOTS OF SCHOLARSHIPS: The PASSHE Foundation supports all 14 PASSHE universities by providing scholarships to their students. Over the past three years, the Foundation awarded nearly 700 scholarships totaling almost $2 million.

QUALITY the PA State System of Higher Education, they can offer you the benefits of a private college for the price of a public one!

We spent the second portion of class watching the first half of the documentary film "First Person." The movie follows 6 Philadelphia high school students and their attempts to make it to college.  Next week when the students from the SSB come to Bryn Mawr they will attend an Education class where First Person filmmaker, Ben Herold, will be helping to facilitate the class. Additionally, some of the students from the film will also be in class.