Students in NaJa Jackson’s English 12 Honors class this week received a taste of higher education this week, auditing two Vassar College courses.
The courses – Introduction to Biology with Prof. Mary Ellen Czesak, a large lecture with more than a hundred students, and Issues in Contemporary Education with Prof. Mark Emerick, a smaller seminar that encouraged group discussion and collaboration – gave students the ability to experience what college academics look like in different settings.
Jackson, a 2018 Vassar graduate, often shares her own experiences at the school with her students as a way to connect real-world applications to the skills and habits she teaches. However, she said, her students have been most receptive when hearing first-hand stories from recent college graduates, prompting her to seek a way to give them an authentic experience.
Not only did the students attend the classes on Sept. 22 and 24, they completed the assigned readings and participated in the classroom discussions. They learned for themselves the preparation that is required to thrive at the next level, observed different teaching styles, and reflected on the consequences of their own participation or lack of it.
“In the biology class, I was able to follow along because I did the prep work ahead of time,” Giselle Hernandez said. “In the education class, we worked on a group assignment about segregation in schools with college students, and I loved it.”
Many left with a stronger sense of what it takes to succeed, more clarity about their own preferences for learning environments, and a renewed motivation to take their final year of high school more seriously.
Aljamel Johnson reflected on the confidence the trip gave him: “I felt welcome here, like I actually deserved to be here. The students made me feel good about myself and gave me extreme confidence. It showed me that I’m ready for college.”
The trip was a collaboration between Jackson and College and Workforce Readiness Counselor Kelly Semexant at Poughkeepsie, and several members of the Vassar community, including Director of Community Engaged Learning, Teaching and Scholarship Elizabeth Cannon; Exploring College Program Coordinator Anabel Varghese; school-based partnerships Program Coordinator Zerah Ruiz; and professors Czesak and Emerick. 
Hernandez said, “This trip actually solidified me going to college. At first, I wasn’t sure if it was for me, but now I know I want to go.”