We all know that the product isn’t always like the brochure advertises. That’s true for everything, including higher education. When it comes time to choose a university, high school students are often overwhelmed; there is a lot to consider, from cost to majors offered to campus culture.

Raheem Martin remembers the anxiety choosing a college brought on acutely. Now a sophomore at Washington D.C.’s Howard University, Martin wanted to make things easier for students about to matriculate.

To give high school seniors a taste of what college is really like, Martin created a program for students in his hometown of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania called Harrisburg to Howard.

Students accepted into the program are paired with a Howard student mentor. The mentor then acts as a guide, taking their high-schooler along with them to classes, giving them tours of the Washington area and even allowing their charges to stay with them in their dorm rooms.

Martin hopes that whether or not the high school seniors end up selecting Howard, they’ll come away from the experience with an understanding of what to expect when they start college in the fall.

In this, the first year of the program, Martin plans to bring 25 high-schoolers to Howard, and has arranged for the Harrisburg Public Schools Foundation to cover their transportation and food costs. Interested students can apply here.

Raheem Martin

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