Students had the opportunity to get firsthand knowledge of the UW-Madison experience Friday by taking part in the Associated Students of Madison Student Shadow Day.
Student Shadow Day, sponsored by the College of Letters and Science Diversity Committee, is for high school students who identify as persons of color or lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
The day, which was initially cancelled last year as a result of administrative concerns about recruiting LGBT students, is designed to give those interested in attending college the opportunity to interact one-on-one with current UW-Madison students. Participants attended classes, took a campus tour, met with key faculty and staff and received help filling out applications.
\Our goal is that by sharing information and resources and connecting high school students with college students, personal communication will be fostered, high school students will have a clearer picture of their goals, and will have an incentive to achieve them,"" ASM Diversity Committee member Ted Koehler said in a statement.
Pabitra Benjamin, an ASM volunteer, spent the day with Madison West senior Joeniece Spencer. Benjamin and Spencer discussed being a student of color on a mostly white campus.
""At college, you think stereotypes [would] stop, but people ask some random stuff,"" Benjamin said.
""In my classes, I'm usually surrounded by white people, and that's something you'll notice right away,"" Benjamin told Spencer, but added, ""everyone finds their niche.""
The two visited the offices for the journalism, communication arts and business programs, areas in which Spencer said she might be interested.
The one-on-one tour was also a chance for students to learn about day-to-day activities and the parts of the college experience that go beyond just attending class.
""Everything will distract you,"" Benjamin said. ""You have to motivate yourself to do well.\
