Calvin's Entrada Program Returns

June 14, 2006 == MEDIA ADVISORY

From Friday, June 18 through Sunday July 14, 50-plus students from 10 states
and four countries will move onto the Calvin College campus to participate in
the 2006 edition of the Entrada Scholars Program.

Entrada, Spanish for "entrance" or "gateway," immerses high school junior and
senior students of color in a college experience whose core is academic
excellence. Each of the admitted scholars receives a $2,500 scholarship to
attend the program.

"From the application process until the moment they come on campus, we
communicate that this is a scholars program and that we expect excellence of
anyone who is admitted to it," says associate director of admissions Tasha
Paul, the interim Entrada director. "And time and time again, they meet and
exceed our expectations of them as scholars and as leaders in all areas of
their lives - not just academics, but socially and spiritually."

Entrada scholars (this year's crop hails from California, Colorado, Illinois,
Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas,
Canada, Guam, Guatemala and South Korea) are high-achieving students who enroll
in one of six Calvin summer classes, sharing the classroom with regular Calvin
students.

"They are not given any special accommodations," Paul says. "They are required
to do the coursework just like anyone else."

The program also models the college experience outside the classroom. Scholars
live in a Calvin dorm, eat in the residence halls, study in the library, work
in the computer labs and shoot hoops in the gym. They also attend area churches
and spend an occasional afternoon at the beach or Michigan Adventure.

The Entrada experience will end at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 14 with a
graduation ceremony.

Since it was founded in 1987 as part of Calvin's Comprehensive Plan for
Integrating North American Ethnic Minorities and Their Interests into Every
Facet of Institutional Life, Entrada has proven successful in encouraging
students of color to expand their academic careers beyond high school.
Ninety-six percent of Entrada scholars graduate from high school and go on to
college. Since 1991, 507 students have completed Entrada, and 207 of them have
enrolled at Calvin.

Contact Tasha Paul at 616-526-6888 or trp2@calvin.edu
For the full story see
http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2005_06/entrada.htm

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Received on Wed, 14 Jun 2006 09:41:26 -0400