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Students from Across U.S., Puerto Rico Engage with College Faculty in Lectures on Politics, Literature and More
High school students from across the country and Puerto Rico visited Assumption College June 21-26, 2015, to explore the breadth of a liberal arts education in a college setting through the College’s Summer Foundations Program.
For five days, both on campus and through visits to culturally significant sites in Boston, the 28 students took part in college-level lectures on subjects ranging from philosophy to politics to literature to art history and theology—all taught by Assumption faculty. They also engaged in discussions facilitated by Assumption alumni, who acted as teaching assistants, about ancient Greece and Rome and how the two have influenced the development/evolution of United States and the modern world. These lessons were supplemented by visits to several sites of historical and cultural interest that helped provide real-life context to their lessons. To complete the “college immersion” experience, the students lived in the Assumption residence hall.
This 4th annual, selective pre-college opportunity allowed teens to bridge the gap between high school and college. Due to the generosity of an anonymous Assumption College donor, the program cost only $200.
“Assumption College believes that the liberal arts are essential to understanding the world we live in, and that understanding is the first step towards developing a better society,” said Professor Geoffrey Vaughan, director of the College’s Fortin & Gonthier Foundations of Western Civilization Program and the summer program’s organizer. “This pre-college experience is a unique opportunity for high school students to explore some of the different facets of a liberal arts education, and will help light the way for them throughout their academic careers.”
For San Jose, Calif., student Ellis Sutton, the week offered a fun and fascinating look at college life.
“Between the professors, the free time and the fun, it felt like a full college immersion,” said Sutton, “and this opportunity allowed me to meet others from different parts of the country—and the world.”
Assumption Theology Professor Marc LePain presented a lecture on Saint Augustine’s The City of God. He said that the program's benefits extend beyond classroom walls.
“Assumption’s Foundation Pre-College Program allows these high school students to develop a richer understanding of what a liberal arts education can offer them, in terms of their future careers and as they continue their formation as compassionate citizens,” said Professor LePain who will spend the next academic year teaching at Assumption’s campus in Rome, Italy.
When students weren’t in the classroom engaging in discussion with Assumption faculty, they were learning from guided excursions to sites like Boston’s Freedom Trail and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. They also received a taste of college life through socializing with one another, chatting about college life with resident advisors (RAs), taking advantage of the beautiful campus, and eating in Assumption’s Taylor Dining Hall.
Having the opportunity to take part in an authentic college experience, even for only one week, was the highlight for many of the students.
“I love this program because the classes were set up just like college,” said student Mira Maniaci of Grafton, Mass. “All of the professors made the material so interesting and easier to understand.”
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