(Ruidoso, NM) — On February 27, 2019, high school sophomores from throughout Lincoln County and Mescalero gathered at ENMU-Ruidoso to become better acquainted with the college. The purpose of Sophomore Day was to “plant an ENMU-Ruidoso seed” in the minds of local students and encourage them to explore the possibilities of higher education and dual credit programs. The event was an opportunity for the college to introduce students—many of whom are not seriously considering dual credit or higher education—to the campus and its faculty. The event engaged sophomore high school students to the idea that “college is for me.” Faculty and Staff engaged students in interactive demonstrations of their profession, leaving students inspired to realize their academic and professional goals with ENMU-Ruidoso.
While some high school students in the county have had exposure to the benefits of dual credit, many are not utilizing the college. For many students, this event was their first contact with higher education. ENMU-Ruidoso hopes to provide an inspiring, engaging and approachable environment for students across its service area. The college aims to instill the message “college is for me” in every student; and, whether their goals are academic or vocational, higher education is a possibility for everyone.
In anticipation of 243 high school sophomores, the faculty and staff created and then demonstrated ten stations throughout the campus ranging from first responder equipment, to a psychological memory test, to identifying human organs. The sophomores visited each station in teams lead by ENMU-Ruidoso students. “Watching students from different schools talk and get to know each other was awesome, it was great to see the walls come down,” said Elliot Corn, ENMU-Ruidoso student and Team Leader for Sophomore Day. “Honestly, it made me realize I could be a teacher as I consider my future career.” ENMU-Ruidoso will be hosting a similar event for high school seniors later this spring.
