Program on college presented

The two women created their own college preparatory presentation.
By HAROLD GWIN
Vindicator education writer
YOUNGSTOWN -- A pair of recent graduates of the Youngstown city school system said they could have used a little more information about the college experience when they were still high school students.
Shawntae Burton and Misha Stredrick, now both college seniors, decided they wanted to share some of what their college experiences have taught them with Youngstown high school students who may or may not be considering college.
Burton, a public communications major at Kent State University, and Stredrick, a senior applied health studies major at Bowling Green State University, created "College Craze" a year ago and presented it to about 200 juniors and seniors at Woodrow Wilson High School.
They'll visit Wilson again today to present the program to this year's juniors and seniors.
The program can be of benefit to every student, but the real target is students who have average grades and may not be on the college track, Burton said.
Those are young people who could go on to college, and the program is designed as an incentive to get them interested, she said.
About the program
It offers testimonies from people who were once where the high school students are but who have now moved on to further their education.
The program starts with a PowerPoint presentation focusing on academic success, financial aid, campus life, preparatory work and even culture shock that students can experience when they arrive at a college.
Other Youngstown alumni will join Burton and Stredrick on a panel discussion of the college experience.
The program also offers the high school students a variety of gifts, from book bags to T-shirts and coffee mugs, all donated by colleges the presenters are attending, Burton said.
"This program is a vision we both had," Burton said, noting that she and Stredrick have been friends since childhood. They started grade school together, and Burton went on to graduate from The Rayen School in 2002 while Stredrick graduated from Wilson the same year.
As members of the community and successful college students, they felt a desire to give something back to the schools that gave them their chance, Burton said.
They presented "College Craze" at the city school's Teen Summit in December and have an invitation to take it to the Akron schools, Burton said.
The program goes over well, she said, noting that the students are receptive and participate in evaluations at the end of the presentation.
gwin@vindy.com