June 24, 2009

Area students take part in Homeschool College Experience

Promoting the family atmosphere at Cowley College, the school provided an opportunity for homeschool students and their families to visit its main campus in Arkansas City during Wednesday’s Homeschool College Experience.

The informative event included a presentation in the Earle N. Wright Community Room, an extensive tour of the campus, and lunch at the Tiger Deli.

The event, which targets freshmen through juniors in high school, was organized by admissions director/executive director of enrollment and outreach services, Ben Schears.

“When I first came to work in the Admissions Department (six years ago) we began to work on leveling the playing field for homeschool students to go to college,” Schears said. “Ever since then our homeschool enrollment has continued to grow.”

Cowley is one of the most homeschool friendly colleges in the state of Kansas as seen by the changes they have made over the last couple of years to its homeschool and admissions policies.

Students attending the Homeschool College Experience on Wednesday were from Arkansas City, Winfield, and Derby. The students were, James Walling, Paige Vanderpool, Kate Darby, Cory Johnson, Eli Baugher, and Andrew Scheidt.

Cowley employees that helped with the event were, Janice Stover, Rikki Hettenbach, Lory West, Shayla McDonald, and Terri Hutchinson.

Along with the Homeschool College Experience, Schears and Cowley College vice president of student affairs, Sue Saia, recently attended a homeschool conference at Wichita’s Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center.

At the homeschool conference, Schears and Saia conducted a workshop on “Avoiding temptations during your first year of college”.