HHC College Outreach Program helps attract students to IU, HHC

The Hutton Connection Campus Day, part of the Hutton Honors College Outreach Program (Hutton Connection), took place on Oct. 27. Geared toward high-ability high school students coming from underrepresented backgrounds, the program assists in getting young students to think about what steps to take in order to prepare for college. Students from Lawrence North High School participated. "Showing students at an early age that they can reach their highest potential by attending college, while also participating in honors, leads to reduced apprehension and, in turn, increased enrollment in college," said Richelle Brown, former HHC diversity outreach coordinator and advisor. (Rebecca Porter now directs this program.)

Goals of the Hutton Connection are to bring pre-college students to campus to highlight IU and the HHC, allow them to see themselves as college students, and encourage them to prepare now for college and to continue their challenging curriculum throughout high school. The program also allows for interaction with current HHC students.

"Our second Hutton Connection Campus Day was a success," Brown said. "We had a great team of current HHC students who gave pep talks to the high school students on subjects such as what is college and why go, what to do now in high school to prepare for college, and what college classes and dorm life are really like."

During the question-and-answer session, the high school students were able to pose questions to HHC students to get a better understanding of what college life is like.

"This portion of the day is one of the most popular because it provides the students with the personal perspective of current college students," Brown said. "We are looking forward to expanding the program to more students in the future and bringing in a more diverse, talented group of HHC scholars."

For more information about the Hutton Connection, please email Rebecca Porter, or call 812-855-3555.