Hamilton Hosts Summer Starter Program This Week

Forty-three multicultural students from high schools around the nation are currently visiting the Hamilton College campus in upstate New York for a week (June 23-30) of exposure to liberal arts education in a program called Summer Starter.

These rising juniors and seniors will sit in on lectures by full-time Hamilton faculty members (sample lectures: "Is the Death Penalty a Just Punishment?,"  "A Welcome to the World of Socrates, Cleopatra and the Caesars,"  "Thinking Outside the Box: Two Case Studies," and "The Neuroscience of Vision").

The students will also receive tips about how to apply and look for the college of their choice by participating in seminars that focus on interviewing skills, filling out college applications and standardized tests.  They will stay in a college residence hall for the week.  In addition to the courses and seminars, the students will participate in a number of social outings and trips to local attractions.

"Diversity is important to Hamilton," says Andrea DuVall, associate dean of admissions and director of multicultural recruitment at Hamilton. "But," she points out, "this program also is designed to expose these students to life at a small liberal arts college.  The idea is to get them thinking about pursuing a liberal arts education," she says.

Hamilton is a highly selective, residential liberal arts college in Clinton, New York, between Syracuse and Albany.  In addition to the 11 Hamilton professors involved with the program, three administrators will serve as mentors to the students and six current Hamilton students will participate as resident advisors.

This is the second year of the program. Last year, Duvall said she hoped for 30 students and 26 enrolled. This year, she wanted 30 students and has 43 expected to arrive on Saturday. 

"We were overwhelmed, in a positive way, by the applicant pool this year," she said.  Word spread about the success of the first year, she said.
 
Students are coming from California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York.  All expenses, including travel to and from campus, are paid.  In addition, each student receives a $100 stipend to replace any potential lost earnings from summer jobs.

"For some of these students," DuVall explained, "working is a necessity for their family, and we didn't want any students to miss the program because they had to earn money."

This is the second year the program has been funded by the Vasey Foundation, a private foundation in Greenwich, Connecticut founded by Roger and Sandy Vasey.  The Vasey Foundation sponsors many youth enrichment programs and provides a number of scholarships at various universities and private primary and secondary schools.

Additional information about the program can be obtained by contacting Andrea DuVall at 315-859-4421 or Sharon Rippey at 315-859-4680.