By Frances Clause
Youngstown State University welcomed over 500 potential Penguins during Penguin Preview Day at the Watson and Tressel Training Site on Nov. 2.
This college visit day gave high school juniors and seniors the chance to experience what YSU has to offer by taking campus tours, talking to YSU students and professors and learning about different majors.
The high school students began their experience at 9 a.m., visiting tables around the WATTS that represented YSU’s different colleges, programs and services.
The Beeghly College of Education gave potential students a glance into the different areas involved in the education field and answered questions.
Rachael Malizia, a graduate student, said she was proud to be a part of Penguin Preview Day representing the BCOE because high school seniors need as much guidance as possible.
“When I was in the high schoolers’ shoes, I really could have used the guidance and someone to tell me about the programs offered at YSU,” she said. “I wanted to make sure I could give high schoolers this important information by being a part of this day.”
The BCOE serves as a premier provider of programs that prepare teachers, school psychologists, counselors and educational administrators, as well as provide developmental education programs to the YSU community.
“One of the things I like to tell potential students is education is a good backup plan,” Hunter Thomas, a senior early childhood education major said. “This is because the BCOE offers a degree in many different areas.”
These areas include art, health, language arts, math, science, social studies, Italian, Spanish, music, physical education and special education.
Maddy Demetra, a Boardman High School senior, said the area of the BCOE she was most interested in was seventh through 12th grade language arts.
“I always wanted to be a teacher since I was young because I like the thought of being able to make a difference in students’ lives,” she said. “I believe YSU has the power to help me achieve this goal.”
Before leaving the WATTS for college tours, the YSU pep band, directed by Brandt Payne, taught high schoolers YSU’s fight song. President Jim Tressel spoke to the students after the performance about positive change occurring on campus.
“In the last few years, [YSU] has added about 600 apartments on campus, a Barnes & Noble and we’re in the midst of building an intramural sports field and an innovation center,” he said. “There are a lot of exciting things happening.”
Tressel said YSU is a great place for high school students to consider because the faculty works directly with the undergraduate students to reach their goals.
According to Tressel, there are three main goals students should be focused on during their time at YSU.
“Goal number one [YSU] hopes students consider is coming here and finishing in four years, and goal number two is at the end of those four years, [YSU] wants students to know where they are going next,” he said. “The third goal is leaving with as little or no financial debt as possible.”
The potential students left the WATTS with President Tressel’s advice and followed representatives of the college of their interest for campus tours.
The next Penguin Preview Day is Nov. 30 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting at the WATTS.