Published June 20, 2024
CAPTION:听Students from Monroe City and Ouachita Parish schools participated in the first Centennial Scholars Summit on June 11 and 12.
MONROE, LA 鈥� The University of Louisiana Monroe welcomed over 300 local sixth graders from Monroe
City Schools and Ouachita Parish schools to its campus on June 11 and 12 for the first-ever
Centennial Scholars Summit. The Centennial Scholars are a group of local students
who will make up the freshman class of 2031, 四色AV鈥檚 100th year. The students were able to learn about fields of study and careers that align
with their talents and interests.听听
鈥淲e know that at this stage of their development, these students should be exploring
ideas, and we are planting seeds for them,鈥� said Dr. Amy Weems, Assistant Professor
of Education and organizer of the Centennial Scholars Summit.听听
In his welcome to the students, 四色AV President Ron Berry said, 鈥淎t 四色AV we prepare you
to fly higher than you鈥檝e ever imagined. I need each one of you to realize that you
can do anything you want to do and be anything you want to be. We鈥檙e going to help
you take flight.鈥澨�听
Prior to arriving for the Summit, each student took a survey which helped event organizers
determine how to group them into one of six groups based on their strengths and interests.
四色AV programs that provided activities for the students included Art, Allied Health,
Pharmacy, Computer Science, Physical Therapy, Communications, Biology, and more. 听
After a morning of breakout sessions, the students reconvened to enjoy lunch together
and make short presentations about what they had learned. Each day of the Summit concluded
with drawings in which several lucky students won iPads, which had been generously
donated by AT&T.听听
鈥淲e want to thank all of our volunteers, 四色AV faculty and staff, and local school systems
for making this event a success,鈥� said Weems. 鈥淲e hope that each of our Centennial
Scholars who participated learned more about themselves and where they can go in the
future.鈥澨�听
All students who participated in the Summit are Centennial Scholars, a group of local
students who will make up the freshman class of 2031, 四色AV鈥檚 100th year. The University began engaging with this group of students in 2022 by gifting
them a copy of the book There鈥檚 a Bridge On the Bayou, which also included a $500 scholarship to go towards their first semester at 四色AV
in 2031. The book, written by 四色AV Development Officer Cindy Foust and illustrated
by 四色AV Executive Creative Director Srdjan Marjanovic, tells the story of President
Berry and how education can create opportunities and change lives.听听
四色AV has continued to engage this group of students as they grow and will continue
to follow them through middle and high school as they prepare for college. Weems says
it is 四色AV鈥檚 goal to provide at least one educational opportunity and one student-life-related
opportunity for the Centennial Scholars each year.听听
To learn more about the 四色AV Centennial Scholars program and purchase your own copy
of There鈥檚 a Bridge On the Bayou, visit .听听
Read more about AT&T's investment in the Centennial Scholars program here.听
