Alum Brings Kids Back to Campus

Four days ago, a select group of eighth graders from G. Gardner Shugart Middle School in Prince George’s County, Maryland, spent all night in a bus on their way up to Harvard.

The long bus ride up the East Coast—which was organized by their social studies teacher, Matthew T. Bosch ’07—was intended to expose the students to college and to enrich their study of American history.

“We want them to know what they need to do if they want to go to college,” said Bosch, who is a former vice-president of the Harvard College Democrats and is currently employed by Teach for America.

The students spent the following day touring the campus, and even had a chance to experience the life of a Harvard student by having lunch in Elliot House, Bosch’s former residence.

Sharon A. Smith, a 13-year-old who attended the trip, noted that her favorite part of the tour was the library.

“It’s nice,” she said, adding that she wants to be a lawyer or a doctor when she grows up.

But the students’ trip up to Boston was not just confined to the gates of Harvard Yard.

They also traveled to Salem, Mass. to celebrate Halloween and, on Saturday, the group walked the Freedom Trail, attended a college information session run by Harvard’s Undergraduate Minority Recruitment Programs, and went candle pin bowling.

On Sunday, the students concluded their trip with a visit to Lexington and Concord before heading back home.

All of the students interviewed said they enjoyed their trip to Harvard.

“It’s interesting,” said Deona M. Hall, a 13 year-old who was visiting. “I thought it was just going to be a big library. I liked the buildings and the history.”

“I would come here,” she added, “but I don’t like the weather. You always get sick. Also, I don’t know if you have talent scouts here—I want to be an actress and I’m very good at it. We don’t have school plays, but if there were to be one I would be the star.”

Some students added that it was nice to be at a campus that they had only seen in Hollywood movies.

“I’ve wanted to go to Harvard ever since I saw ‘Legally Blonde,’” said Briana D. Mcintosch, an aspiring lawyer who is also 13. “My mom wants me to go either to Harvard or to Hampton, but Hampton’s too close.”

Assistant principal Zory Z. Kennon, III, who also attended the trip and managed the eighth grade teachers, said that the trip was a success.

“It definitely has the old-book look,” he said. “It feels like a homebase for education.”