Select students in AVID and the AIG program spent three days during the first week of December touring colleges across the state.

AVID teacher Alfie Wheeler coordinated the field trip, and other chaperons included college counselor Seth Rose, media coordinator Lindsay Daniels and teacher Mary Berry.

“When planning, I first talked with the AVID students to see what they might be interested in,” Wheeler said. “After talking [to them] I had to get started right away. I contacted each school and set up tours for our students. That was probably the hardest part because the tour times are often limited.”

As the school’s college counselor, Rose was excited to be a part of this field trip.

“Mr. Wheeler invited me to participate as a chaperon, and I couldn’t think of a better way to help students with their college search than to attend a trip to seven colleges with them,” Rose said. “It was a great time. I could tell a lot of students were really excited to apply to several of the colleges we visited, some of which they would not have considered before.”

This trip provided students with the opportunity to see the differences between public and private schools, and the schools the students visited also varied in size.

“The students got to see big and small private schools and public school,” Wheeler said. “It is important for students to tour big and small campuses so they can get a feel of both.  It allows them to see what atmosphere and environment might be best for them during their college experience.”

College campus visits included the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Elon University, Greensboro College, Guilford College, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Wake Forest University, and North Carolina Wesleyan College.

“I definitely looked forward to this trip because I got to see some schools I haven’t seen before and experience new colleges,” junior AIG student Stephen Wheless said.

Students began the college trip early on the morning of Dec. 3.  On this day they visited UNC-Chapel Hill and Elon. The following day started with a visit to UNC-Greensboro and Greensboro College, followed by Guilford College and WFU. On the way back home, students stopped to tour and eat at NC Wesleyan.

“Of all of the colleges we visited, I liked the Wake Forest campus the most,” junior David Weaver said.

In addition to taking a tour of the Wake Forest campus, students had the opportunity to attend a college basketball game and see the Demon Deacons take on Arkansas.

“It was awesome to be at a college basketball game,” junior John Marroquin said. “It was cool going to a college basketball game because it is different [from our games]. Everyone was standing and yelling, and it just got my adrenaline pumping. The game was close and Arkansas had a chance to tie it up at the end but the shot didn’t go in and Wake Forest won.”

This marked the second year that select AVID and AIG students have had the opportunity to tour campuses through a school field trip.

“It is important for the school to help students explore and visit colleges so that students can decide the right fit for them,” principal John Luciano said. “Many students think they want to go to one place, but once they see the campus they change their mind.”

The trip was made possible by a generous donation from the Dare Education Foundation in addition to local business and parent sponsorships.

“It is great that the community helps to support this trip because it so important for students to see college campuses in person,” Wheeler said. “ It makes me feel proud to live in a community that helps support its young students.”