Advertised as a program set up to boost Longwood University's recruitment, volunteering students were "asked to do one or more of the following: return to their high school during winter and/or spring break, sign postcards, participate in phonations, have lunch with a prospective student or host a prospective student overnight," as stated in Longwood's Weekly Email. The Student 2 Student Program took place this winter break.
Students interested in the Student 2 Student program were also advised to contact Assistant Director of Admissions for Out of State Tracy Debner, providing their "name, email address, major, year (e.g. freshman, sophomore, junior, senior), former high school and [preferred volunteer work]" over email. Some contacts were also made directly to the students from the office, asking for involvement with the program.
Collectively, Longwood University staff members Tracy Debner and Ashley Woodard, assistant director of admissions for transfer, provided an interesting back story as to how the program got started and how it has continued. The program, which began around 1998, has continuously had current members of the Longwood student body serve on "panels" as part of "large weekend programs, such as … Open House." Later, the program saw that larger audiences would be reached by having current Longwood students involved in "more creative" recruitment including "signing post cards" or high school visits. The program kept steam by having an admissions counselor in attendance at the fall semester involvement fair and an announcement in the Weekly Email. During the 2010-2011 school year, flyers were posted in residence halls announcing the ‘opportunity … to return to [a student's] high school to talk with prospective students."
Woodard then explained, "In some ways, our goal is also to educate high school students about the vast opportunities that await them at the collegiate level. Of course, we [admissions counselors and current students] are big pushers of the Longwood experience, but we also want high school students to realize that college is an option …"
Debner, an admissions staff member since 2008, said, "Our admissions counselors make visits to almost every high school we send current students back to. A current student's visit is a little different because at the high school, high school students are able to connect with someone who went to their high school and more recently has been in the same position they are in, preparing for college."
Debner explained that current students write notes and sign postcards that are later sent to "prospective students" as a "more personalized" way to make them feel welcome in the event of a visit. Phone-a-thons help high school students who are curious about Longwood to comfortably ask questions, and having lunch with a student or hosting them overnight gives the "real Longwood experience" before their graduation from high school.
Performed on a volunteer basis the Student 2 Student program is good way to gain community service experience while expressing your love for the university.
Two students, Courtnei Fleming and Jessica Prater, could testify as much about their time as volunteers. Prater, a freshman liberal studies major with a concentration in elementary and middle school education, is also involved in the Outdoors Club. As part of the program, she contacted students at Powhatan High School as a Longwood University representative and thought Student 2 Student was an "interesting way to allow students to revisit their old high school and be able to help Longwood possible recruit new students. As well, it allowed students to talk to students about their experiences attending college from a student's perspective." Prater says she would like to volunteer again before her graduation.
Fleming, a freshman music major and member of acapella group Pitch Perfect, also went back to Powhatan High School and sat with Jessica as they tabled during the school's lunch. Much like Prater, Fleming said she thought the experience was "very cool. It seems like the students responded better to people they already knew for information," and said she would love to work as a volunteer again.
This is a perfect example of how Longwood is once again branching out into the territories of recruitment and volunteer work. While giving a way to relive the past, Student 2 Student also gives a way to embrace and lead into the future. What Longwood needs is a good student body to replace what graduation sends away into a hopefully better life. The only way to get this is with the help of a few good, dedicated members.
