A Glimpse of Life on Hawk Hill

On Feb. 19, Saint Joseph’s University hosted its inaugural Project Pathway event to give local high school students who may not have otherwise had the opportunity exposure to life in college.

The day-long event paired underrepresented high schoolers with Hawks to attend classes, eat lunch in the dining hall and get a firsthand perspective on all aspects of student life. 

“Research shows that there’s an inequity of knowledge about college,” explains Aimee Terosky, EdD, associate dean of the School of Education and Human Development. “What we want to do is help students who don’t have resources or just pathways generationally for their families or their community get an idea of what college is like and see St. Joe’s as a school within their reach.” 

The event was a collaboration between three student organizations: the Magis Education Scholars (a group of education majors dedicated to community engagement), the Black Student Union and the Student Senate. Organizers invited a total of 25 students from the Science Leadership Academy at Beeber, the Lower Merion School District and the NoMo Foundation to learn more about the college experience. 

For Sydney Jackson, BS ’27, an organizer and the treasurer of the Black Student Union, Project Pathway is a chance for the University to take tangible steps toward its goal of inclusion. 

“A large part of bringing underrepresented students into the SJU community is offering them an invite,” Jackson says. “Saying that SJU is an inclusive space and strives for diversity is one thing, but when the University, as a community, takes the active steps to invite diversity, it speaks volumes about their initiative.”

The high schoolers were paired with Hawks throughout the day and saw all different corners of campus. Maisey Hartman, BA ’27, an early childhood and special education major and a Magis Education Scholar, took students to her biology class.

“I hope this event will continue to happen every year,” Hartman says. “I think students find it very important for their future and what they do and do not want for their future education in college.”

Terosky hopes the experience also helped Hawks develop their leadership skills and form deep connections to the surrounding community. 

“I always love when I see St. Joe’s students truly connected to the local community,” she says. “We have so much to gain from learning from them. “Being able to show students what it's like to be a college student provides a sense of leadership for our own students. Yes, they're volunteering and doing something really nice for others, but they're also learning how to be a leader themselves. They're learning how to articulate what college means to them. They're able to develop their own skills in mentoring, which I think is helpful to them, too.”

Terosky is grateful for the effort across campus, including contributions from the dining hall, the bookstore, athletics and the Office of Admission to make the day run smoothly. Organizers hope that they can extend the opportunity to more students in the future. 

“No matter how much research one does, first-hand experiences will always provide a better picture for prospective students,” Jackson says. “I hope this event continues and becomes an annual thing for the participating schools, and I hope the event eventually includes even more schools and groups.”