Posted on Thursday, August 18 2005 - 12:05 AM - On Campus

“Whenever I get into a difficult situation, I think about what SEAD has taught me about having my own voice,” a SEAD participant commented during their reunion weekend. On Thursday November 11, 2004, fourteen SEAD III high school seniors reunited in Hanover for activities and updates on their lives.

The reunion weekend kicked off on Thursday as students met with their host families. Friday included early classes and discussion periods with past SEAD mentors. The rest of the weekend involved fun activities like movies and attending local sporting events. Discussions on Friday included updates on students’ college application progress. Many seniors were in the process of visiting schools, seeking recommendations, and working on their applications. One senior, Anthony Esteses from Philadelphia, applied to four colleges and wanted to major in Business and later go to law school. He said the best part of SEAD was meeting and getting to know new people.

Other students announced their own updates. Accomplishments so far included making honor roll, running for President of National Honor Society, writing a script for a school play, and taking courses at local colleges. But challenges also loomed ahead for these seniors. Many of them expressed concerns about filling out the FAFSA form for college financial aid, getting good SAT scores, and finding the motivation to push forward.

High school senior Mark Wilson applied to Dartmouth College. The SEAD summers at Dartmouth gave Mark exposure to the campus and its culture. He exclaimed, “Without the SEAD program, I would never have heard of Dartmouth.” But it was not until halfway through his junior year that he decided Dartmouth was for him and after the summer, he decided to apply for an early decision. But that decision brought another wave of problems. His parents had not attended college, so he turned to the SEAD mentors. He described his high school as lacking breadth, as well as lacking academic structure: “If I went with what the school has taught me, I would not be prepared for college.” But he had the determination to move forward and remain self-confident. “I want to be responsible for myself and I don’t want any one telling me what to do next. I’m confident I can do that.” Mark was accepted to Dartmouth and will be the first SEAD graduate to attend Dartmouth.

Advisor Jeff Coots exclaimed, “We look forward to watching him succeed in all his ventures, as well as mentor a SEAD student during his sophomore summer.” It is clear when listening to the students that SEAD has made an obvious impact in their lives. They tell stories of SEAD boosting their self-esteem and giving them the confidence
to move forward. SEAD Student Sabrina sums it up best: “SEAD has given us our moral support. It has given us what we need."

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