The Students Who Achieve Greatness, or SWAG, program hosted a research conference at Saint Xavier University on April 1.
The conference allowed high school biology students who were tutored by the Tri-Beta Executive Board to present their research on topics ranging from breast cancer to asthma.
The students tutored were from Corliss High School, a CPS school located on 821 East 103rd Street in Chicago. Students participating in the program were tutored for two hours on a weekly basis that started in Fall 2013.
The program was first introduced by Senior Biology/Pre-Med major Jessica Munoz, who sought to create an opportunity where high school students could openly speak to college students on educational topics.
The goal of the program is to give these high school students an overview of the college experience and put them on track to continue their education at the collegiate level.
The decision to tutor students from Corliss High School came from Taneesha Rolland, director of the Student Success Program at Saint Xavier University. Rolland had recommended that Corliss High School be used for the program based on her familiarity with the school.
This choice set in motion a sequence of events that have allowed numerous students from Corliss High School to be tutored by some of the brightest minds at Saint Xavier University.
Munoz highlighted some of the clear changes she saw in students participating in the program when she
stated, “After weeks of working with them we discovered an impressive change in their attitudes. They were no longer fighting in class and they were very focused on their school material.”
This impressive turnaround by the students participating gives hope for Munoz that the program is having a profound impact on the students participating in the weekly tutoring program. As well, Munoz hopes the success of the program will continue even after she has graduated from Saint Xavier University.
The presentations shown at the conference were all done by the students who were tutored in the SWAG program.
Each presentation shows the meticulous work and dedication put in by the high school students of the SWAG program who have grown to better appreciate the biological sciences. The conference itself also served as a great opportunity for SWAG students to become better familiarized with Saint Xavier University.
The high school students who attended the event had the opportunity to speak with a Saint Xavier admission counselor and tour the Chicago campus.
As the academic year comes to a close, it does not mean the SWAG program will be going away anytime soon. New Tri-Beta President Maria Pittos plans to continue the tutoring program in the upcoming Fall 2014 semester in order to allow more high school students to take part.
The hope that Munoz has is that the SWAG program will become a staple of the Tri-Beta group and allow for scores of local high school students to gain inspiration towards their pursuit of higher learning at the collegiate level.
Jake Alleruzzo
News Correspondent
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