UH Hilo Press Release
UHH Home > News and Events > UH Hilo Press Releases
Date: Friday, July 25, 2003
Contact: Yu Yok Pearring, (808) 974-7501
For Immediate Release
Gear Up Hawai‘i's “Taste of College” at UH Hilo
Gear Up Hawai‘i will hold its “Taste Of College” Saturday, August 2 at the University of Hawaii at Hilo . The free, all-day event is for the Class of 2006 in the Gear Up Hawai‘i Scholars program. The deadline has been extended for eligible students from Title I middle schools. Nearly 250 students have already signed up and space is limited to the first 350 respondents, according to Gear Up spokeswoman Gail Mejia.
“We’re really trying to get them to think about college early on,” Mejia said. ”Because traditionally, kids don’t start looking at college options until their junior year. By then, it might be too late, because their grade-point-average is too low.”
Students registering for the event, which will include a campus tour, and faculty and staff members as well as students from UH Hilo on hand, are required to bring a parent or guardian.
“That makes this event unique because we strongly believe that the kids need their parents’ support at this major milestone in their life,” Mejia explained. There is going to be a financial aid workshop for the parents so they understand what their resources are. And the students are going to have the opportunity to meet college students and to have their questions answered.”
Mejia said that the financial aid workshops are vital to clear up misinformation about colleges in general and the University of Hawai‘i system in particular.
“Some of their families don’t know what their financial responsibilities are and sometimes they overprice college,” she acknowledged. “For example, we have a survey that shows that parents have overestimated the cost of going to UH Manoa by six times and the community colleges they’ve overpriced by ten times. Some parents discourage their children from going to college because they think they can’t afford it or they think their child is not smart enough to get scholarships.”
Of the students who have signed up, over 80 percent are from Title I public schools in low-income areas of the Big Island. About 30 or so are coming to Hilo from Hana, Maui, and from Moloka‘i.
Billy Kenoi, executive assistant to Hawai‘i County Mayor Harry Kim, will deliver the keynote speech. Also addressing the students and their parents will be UH Hilo Chancellor Dr. Rose Tseng and Hawai‘i Community College Interim Chancellor Shirley Daniel. Other dignitaries on hand will include Kim and Councilman Bob Jacobson.
Registration is from 8-8:45 a.m. on the UH Hilo Library Lanai and the program will run to 3 p.m. Lunch will be served for participants.
For more information, call Gear Up Hawai‘i toll free at 1 (866) 808-GEAR or check the Gear Up Hawai‘i Web site at www.gearup.hawaii.edu.
Disclaimer: The University of Hawaii at Hilo is not responsible for the contents, links and/or materials presented in any web site listed above that is not of the "uhh.hawaii.edu" domain. All comments, complaints and grievances should be filed with the author, host and/or owner of said site.