Students from Mercer County high schools visit Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Danielle Sandler
·2 min read
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PRINCETON, WV (WVNS) — High school students from three different high schools in Mercer County got to experience a wonderful opportunity.

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From February 29, 2024 to March 1, 2024, 39 high school students visited the United States Department of Education and two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the Washington D.C. and Baltimore area.

When the students arrived in Washington D.C., they went to the United States Department of Education where they met with Deputy Assistant Secretary, Dr. Bernadine Futrell where she discussed the importance of education and making a positive impact. She also encouraged students to take part in internships and also invited some of her other colleagues to speak to the students. One of her colleagues included Alexis Holmes, who is a West Virginia University graduate and now the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans.

There first college tour was at Howard University in Washington D.C. and a leader in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields. The college is also well known for social work, business, and communication majors. Students got information about programs from the University and also got a tour of the campus and bookstore.

After that tour, the students got to enjoy the Smithsonian Museum of American History, the Lincoln Memorial, the reflecting pool, and the Washington Monument.

The following day, the students got to visit Coppin State University in Baltimore, Maryland. The University was originally founded as an HBCU teacher’s college, but now it offers a wide variety of programs including criminal justice, business, technology, nursing, STEM, fine and performing arts and much more.

After that tour, the President of Coppin State University, Dr. Anthony Jenkins met with students to discuss their futures. The meeting was made possible by a Bluefield native and former West Virginia Board of Education member and CEO of the National Diversity Collaborative, Inc. located in Washington D.C. At the end of the visit, Dr. Jenkins successfully recruited two students to scholarships, and nine students filled out applications to the University.

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Their last stop was a visit to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington D.C., then returned home to West Virginia.

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