Alabama A&M University and Drake State Community & Technical College are hosting 100 local high school students for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Seeking, Observing, and Achieving Results (SOAR) HBCU Scholars Program.

The week-long residential program, running from July 7 to July 12, offers high-achieving high school juniors an opportunity to immerse themselves in the academic and cultural heritage of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Historically Black Community Colleges (HBCCs).

Alabama A&M University President Dr. Daniel K. Wims and Drake State Community and Technical College President Dr. Patricia Sims officially welcomed the students at an opening reception held at the Knight Center.

Throughout the program, SOAR scholars engaged in seminars, presentations, networking opportunities, and workshops on college admissions. They also had the chance to interact with HBCU and HBCC students and alumni. The program, which is free of charge, covers all expenses, including housing, meals, materials, and activities.

Fifteen Alabama A&M students served as mentors to the high school participants, guiding them through their time on both campuses.

“They’re learning so many different things about the campus and why they should come to an HBCU,” said Kennedi Pugh, a SOAR mentor and English major from Southbridge, Georgia. “It allows us to share the history of A&M and what we stand for as an institution.”

The SOAR program is designed to help students learn about HBCUs and HBCCs, college admissions, financial aid, and scholarship resources. It also offers them a chance to explore academic majors and career pathways. Students met with faculty to learn about various majors, participated in professional and leadership development activities, and built a peer network with other rising seniors from around the state.

“The SOAR mentors are helping to ensure students have an enriching learning environment,” said Eric Brannon, a junior biology major from Long Beach, California. “It’s important that students not only attend college but that they consider HBCUs like Alabama A&M University.”

“The importance of this program is to show more love to HBCUs,” said SOAR mentor Zachary Cooper, a political science major from Hoover, Alabama. “It’s important to highlight what A&M and Drake State have to offer.”

The program also included seminars on financial literacy. “We encouraged students to complete the FAFSA and begin applying for college and scholarships,” said Dr. Vernessa M. Edwards, professor of physics in the AAMU Department of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. “They’re learning how to navigate all the resources available on a college campus.”

Dr. Nicole Bell, Dean of Students at Drake State Community and Technical College, emphasized the program’s broader goals. “We want them to become familiar with the processes of college life, including financial literacy and effective communication,” she said. “They will be able to take this experience and soar, and that’s what we want them to do.”