AJC.com > Blogs > Get Schooled > Archives > 2006 > September > 15 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USLarry is in Amherst, and He’s Fine
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Back in May, I wrote about some Atlanta graduates going to “Little Ivy” New England colleges such as Amherst, Bowdoin and Middlebury. An exceptional guy and Middlebury alum named Graham Balch organized the program, and lots of people worked hard to make it happen for these students.
In my story, I quoted Conetrise Holt of Washington High, who is now at Middlebury, and Larry Thompson of South Atlanta High, now at Amherst.
I was happy to hear at a recent Atlanta school board meeting that all the students arrived safely. I wanted more details, so I cornered Jim Bostic, a state school board member. I heard he accompanied Larry and Larry’s mom to Amherst. Larry’s mom had never flown before. Bostic told me Larry is settling into the beautiful campus situated in the college town of the same name. (I went to neighboring UMass, so I’m very familiar.) Larry has tons of support, including Bostic, who went off to college at Clemson many years ago and remembers well the experience of feeling a bit out of one’s familiar element. In short, Larry is just fine. Amherst officials assured me in May that their school has a lot of experience working with students from public schools not known for sending their grads off to ivied campuses. Their graduation rate is something like 95 percent.
So why have I worried so much about Larry and the others? I guess it’s because I remember what it’s like to be an awkward freshman in an unfamiliar environment. It gets easier, but some students don’t stick around long enough to realize that.
Comments
By kaa-japan
September 15, 2006 05:46 PM | Link to this
Being from Atlanta, going to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor was a big change. Luckily for me I went for graduate school so I didn’t have deal with those huge undergrad classes. The biggest difference wasn’t cultural; it was the weather. It was one of the coldest winters of my life. I relied on the kindness of strangers - Ther former Georgia resident who helped me get the right winter gear from Eddie Bauer. My cooperating teacher answering the frantic call “Oh my god, how do get all the ice off my car?”
12 years later I am still in contact with my coorperating teacher and she still teases me about the coldest winter ever :) When you go to an unfamiliar place, if you are able to find some people who are not only willing to help you navigate your way, but really become your friends. Then everything should work out.