CONWAY, Ark. — Going to college can be nerve-wracking for incoming freshmen— the start of college means a new place, new people, and new experiences.
But an Arkansas college has been helping take some of that pressure off students interested in higher education in a unique way.
At Hendrix College, 52 high school students from across the nation have been part of the Life Launch program.
The students are walking onto a college campus, many for the first time. Their stay is meant to let high schoolers dip their toes into the college atmosphere.
“We wanted to give high school students a chance to be on the Hendrix campus to experience college life to start thinking about their future,” said Leigh Lassiter-Counts, Life Launch Co-Director.
That's the goal behind Life Launch. The program lasts a week and high school juniors and seniors get a tour of college, career, and self-exploration.
“Not just college choices, but career paths that might interest them, what majors or classes they might like to have when they come to college,” Lassiter-Counts described. “Learning more about themselves a little bit about what their aim and purpose might be.”
Learning about the possibilities in college is what initially interested Charlotte Livingston about the Life Launch program.
“I really wanted to come here so that I could learn about what it's like to be on the campus and I could have the perspective of both students and professors,” said Livingston, a participant in the program.
The students come from states all across the country to live in the Hendrix campus dorms, take classes, and create relationships with both professors and students.
This social aspect is especially crucial according to Lassiter-Counts, especially after the pandemic
“Think about the social skills, the networking skills, the friendship-building skills, that’s what all these students have missed,” Lassiter-Counts explained. “We’re asking how we can help high school students who have a lot of these questions.”
Livingston came into Life Launch with loads of questions but has received answers that have flicked a light bulb in her.
“The program has reinforced my decision on wanting to major in psychology,” Livingston said. “I've met the teacher, figured out parts of the course and where the classroom is. So, I'm excited to start that course because now I know what it offers, which is awesome.”
Charlotte’s revelation is simply one of the program’s success stories.
“Ten of our students who came last year will be freshmen at Hendrix in the Fall of 2023, and they're from all over,” Lassiter-Counts said. “For many of them, neither Hendrix nor Arkansas was not on their radar, but they came, and they loved it.”
Livingston encouraged her peers to take part in Life Launch too.
“This is going to be a really good opportunity to figure out how you want your college experience to go,” Livingston explained. “This process gives you the insight of this is what you need to be looking for and this is how you look for it.”
Life Launch applications open in the Fall and will be open to high school juniors and seniors.
Click here to learn more about the Hendrix College Life Launch program.