COMMERCE CITY (March 23, 2010): Junior Visit Day is an annual event at CU-Boulder that offers Denver metropolitan-area schools and students the chance to get an inside look at college life. This year, 14 participating juniors from Adams 14’s Adams City High School (ACHS) received more than they expected when at the end of the day, the university admissions office announced each student’s eligibility for a $6,000 scholarship.
The announcement came as the culmination of a day-long visit on Thursday, March 11. In addition to providing a tour of campus, the event presented students from attending schools with a cycle of three challenges intended to demonstrate strong teamwork and communication. More than 200 juniors from 17 schools competed. For one challenge, ACHS students designed a poster representing their school. The other challenges included building a car from a mousetrap kit; ACHS students successfully built a fast-moving car that triumphed over other schools in subsequent races. They also had to design a logo for the School of Business’ Office of Diversity. One junior with an artistic bent designed an impressive shield image over the CU buffalo logo with the letter “D” for diversity and a slogan: “Lead the World”.
“One of the most inspiring aspects of the day was how well the students collaborated,” says Shannon Holtmann, the high school’s post graduate counselor who attended. “The students did not all know each other ahead of time; they’d independently requested permission to participate in Junior Visit Day and many of them hadn’t necessarily socialized beforehand. But the way they came together as a team to meet each challenge head on and impress the university’s admissions team was remarkable.”
Afterward, Holtmann continued, they had a great time celebrating together. “This kind of success encourages high school students to see the hope and possibility of attending college. A future in higher education is within reach.”
But if the scholarships represent a great opportunity, it is only the first step in a journey the students still must commit to. All the students must apply to CU-Boulder with other applicants, and maintain sufficiently competitive grades and ACT scores to earn admission. That’s when the scholarships kick in.
“Our students had a great time at Junior Visit Day and made us incredibly proud,” adds Wes Paxton, ACHS Principal. “We look forward to seeing them take advantage of this opportunity by applying their strong talents throughout the rest of this year and the next.”
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