Exploring Your Own Backyard

By Michael Culbertson, R.J. Reynolds High School

Sometimes, you truly don't know what's available to you until you go out and explore. A lot of the kids at R.J. Reynolds high school are aware of UNC School of the Arts, but have never been to UNCSA campus or visited any college campus before, yet were interested in careers in the arts. This prompted the idea of a field trip for one of R.J. Reynold's Seminar in the Arts classes. We all got on a bus and gave a tour of the school and what they offer in their various programs. 

We have never seen eyes so wide before. Being introduced to the college culture was mind-blowing on its own, but seeing what the various artists do at the school introduced them into an entirely new world that was right in their backyard here in Winston-Salem. The kids who usually showed apathy or were quiet in class were the main ones asking questions. The students who actively wanted a career in the arts wanted to go everywhere we could let them.

Sometimes, simply being told that college is an option isn't enough, because what else do they have to go off other than feeling like it's an obligation or being nagged? This exposure field trip may have potentially opened the doors to many high need youth wondering what they'll do post-high school. Even if a career of the arts or attending UNCSA isn't on their agenda, the drive to be successful and make it to college was definitely heightened.