The University of Michigan-Dearborn is gearing up to host its annual “On the Move: College is an Option!” event, a free one-day outreach program dedicated to introducing individuals experiencing socioeconomic challenges to post-secondary education.
“On the Move” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. March 17 at the campus’s Fairlane Center North Building on Hubbard Drive.
Alumna Beverly Alexander, a division manager with the Detroit Recreation Department, will speak at the event along with recent UM-D graduate Monica Alvarado, who participated in the campus’s Student Outreach and Academic Resources Program.
Alexander is the first graduate of UM-D’s SOAR program, formerly known as “Women on the Move: College is an Option.” She also is a licensed and ordained minister who has spent almost 25 years working with high-risk girls and young women, inspiring them to overcome personal adversities.
Alvarado, a 2010 UM-D graduate with a degree in criminal justice, will speak about the challenges and rewards of returning to school as a non-traditional learner.
Accompanied by volunteer mentors, participants attend a college course; hear a panel discussion of returning students who share their own college experiences; and receive information on how to apply for college, register for classes, and apply for financial aid and scholarships. Representatives from local colleges, universities, and community service organizations will staff informational tables.
People wishing to mentor at the event may register online at www.casl.umd.umich.edu/om_mentor. The deadline to register as a participant or a mentor is March 11.
The event is sponsored by UM-D’s Office of the Provost; UM-D’s Commission for Women; and the American Association of University Women, Dearborn branch.
Registration is available either online at www.casl.umd.umich.edu/om_participant or by calling the SOAR office at (313) 593-3960.