Frontier hosts EWU for college information presentations

MOSES LAKE — Representatives from Eastern Washington University (EWU) paid a visit to Frontier Middle School to talk to middle school students of migrant families across the Moses Lake School District Wednesday about being prepared for college.

Outreach specialists from EWU provided two presentations: one specifically for migrant middle school students in the district, and another for all eighth-grade students at Frontier. The school invited migrant students from Endeavor Middle School and Chief Moses Middle School to learn about college, how to pay for college and how to be ready for higher education.

First, EWU outreach specialist Noe Valdovinos and several EWU students spoke to Moses Lake’s middle school students of migrant families about the university’s CAMP program. CAMP, or College Assistance Migrant Program, is a federally funded program that helps migrant students pay for college and provides a network of assistance for these students while they are undergraduates.

The CAMP program takes different shapes at different universities. Valdovinos gave the Moses Lake students a glimpse at what CAMP at Eastern Washington looks like and what services and opportunities it provides. For instance, CAMP students at EWU are assigned a mentor to help them adjust to college life. They also have opportunities to take part in activities and experiences both on and off campus.

One of the big take-home points from the presentation was that there is money available for every migrant student to help them pay for higher education. Valdovinos told the students that if their parents had not earned college degrees, they would be considered first-generation college students and would therefore qualify for certain scholarships and financial assistance. He talked about other forms of financial aid, scholarships, and opportunities available that can lessen the financial burden of college.

Valdovinos also encouraged students to keep their grades up because their efforts now are laying the foundation for high school, which is the building block for further success in college and beyond.

Frontier counselor Stephen Himple said the EWU CAMP presentation was very beneficial for the young students of migrant families, especially because the presenters were first-generation college students and former students of migrant families from Moses Lake.

“I think what the kids saw was, ‘they are like me and they are talking to me.’ So I’m hoping the kids were thinking they could relate,” Himple said. “I thought it was a really good engagement piece and a way to partner with outside colleges to come in and let kids know that there are programs out there for them and that they can attend a college.”

The goal of the endeavor, Himple said, was to give students information about college to start thinking about so they can explore their options for higher education.

“Our goal is for these kids to be exposed to college information and be able to go home and take the information home and talk with their parent or guardian about what they learned today,” he said. “And whether they stay in Moses Lake or they are able to move, that there are colleges all over Washington state where they can use this information and apply for the CAMP programs at those various universities.”

Himple said he and the counselors of the other Moses Lake middle schools have already talked about expanding the program in the future to include more middle schools in the area and more colleges in the region, like WSU and CWU.

“The neatest thing is being able to partner with outside universities and find ways to have them come to Moses Lake because it’s so expensive to bus kids an hour and a half away,” he said. “The fact that we can do this … is just a win-win, not only for their university but for us and expanding that partnership. I think it’s great for everyone in the district.”

Representatives from EWU also delivered a presentation to all Frontier’s eighth-grade students later in the afternoon. The event was part of Frontier’s effort to expose students to information about college this year. Throughout the year, the school hosted outreach specialists from University of Washington, Central Washington University, Washington State University, and now EWU.