UA Hosts College Mentoring Program for High-School Juniors

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Rising high-school juniors in Ernst & Young LLP’s College Mentoring for Access and Persistence program, or MAP, will have the opportunity to participate in a summer camp from Sunday, July 7, to Friday, July 12, at The University of Alabama.

This is the second year UA has offered this summer program in coordination with Ernst & Young LLP.

“I am excited to work with students from across the United States and welcome them to UA,” said Dr. Lowell K. Davis, assistant dean of students and assistant to the vice provost for academic affairs at UA, who will direct the summer program. “It is important to help individuals understand they have the ability to succeed in life. Through programming initiatives, camp participants will have a keen understanding of what it takes to be successful in college and beyond.”

College MAP, the signature Ernst & Young LLP volunteer program for education in the United States, targets underserved high school students who have the potential to succeed in college but need some extra help creating the “MAP” that will take them there.

One distinctive trait of College MAP is the team-mentoring model, providing a community of support as students move through the college application process. Ernst & Young collaborates with College For Every Student, which has helped more than 100,000 underserved youth in 380 schools. College MAP mentors students in 12 cities and plans to expand to 24 by 2014.

Last year, UA welcomed College MAP students from Restoration Academy, a small private school supported by families and area churches to serve the needs of an urban student population. After the success of the summer camp in 2012, UA opened its doors to any College MAP student from across the U.S. to attend free of charge.

This year, students from Birmingham, Chicago, Detroit and Boston will gather for the one-week program on the UA campus.

“At EY, we have a global commitment to building a better working world through our interactions with all our stakeholders — including our own employees, our clients and our communities. One example is our work on college access and persistence,” said Deborah Holmes, Americas Directory of Corporate Responsibility for the global EY organization.  “Through this work, we not only help underserved students access the benefits of a college degree, we also help our employees to broaden their leadership skills, practicing a more inclusive mindset by teaming with each other in a context that value different perspectives, experiences and backgrounds.”

Some 50 high-school students will be selected to attend the camp, which will include a series of college preparation workshops and other enrichment activities on and off campus.

“Many students who enroll at Restoration Academy do not think that college is an option, but we expect all our students to attend,” said Molly Stone, director of student affairs, advancement and volunteer services for Restoration Academy. “Our relationship with The University of Alabama and EY LLP exposes our students to university life, college expectations and prepares them for their future career. This opportunity shows them that college is a viable option,” she said.

With support from the College MAP participating schools, Ernst & Young, volunteers and UA faculty and staff, the high school students will learn about the college experience and will also be provided with personal, financial and educational support.