DEARBORN — 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. on Thursday at the campus’s Fairlane Center North Building, 19000 Hubbard Drive.
Alumna Beverly Alexander, a division manager with the Detroit Recreation Department, will speak at the event along with recent UM-D graduate Kathie Norfleet, who participated in the campus’s Student Outreach and Academic Resources program.
Alexander has the distinction of being 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 devoted nearly 25 years working with high-risk girls and young women, inspiring them to overcome personal adversities.
Norfleet is a 2011 graduate with a degree in general studies with concentrations in sociology, psychology, and women’s and gender studies and a current graduate student in the master of public administration program. She will speak about the challenges and rewards of returning to school as a non-traditional learner.
“‘On the Move’ offers encouragement and practical advice for non-traditional prospective students seeking a pathway to begin or complete their college education,” said Ellen Judge-Gonzalez, coordinator of the event and director of UM-D’s SOAR program. “For 15 years, this outreach effort has brought together area universities, community colleges and human service organizations with one common goal — to improve the lives of those in our metropolitan area who need it most through access to education.”
Interested individuals may register either online at www.casl.umd.umich.edu/om_participant or by calling the SOAR office at 313-593-3960.