Way2GoMD

Hundreds Benefit from Spring Way2GoMaryland Event

Adelphi, Md. (June 7, 2010) "I wish I had started earlier so that I would have been better prepared for college," Summer Norris told a crowd of nearly 600 students and parents who attended the University System of Maryland's (USM) spring Way2GoMaryland event. "I am so happy to see so many parents here with their middle-school children taking the initiative to start early, and get the information needed to take the right courses."

Norris, a junior in the University of Maryland, College Park's (UMCP) criminology program, was one of three panelists who offered advice and personal experiences to motivate more students to begin preparing for college early. That's the goal of Way2GoMaryland, a public information campaign created to help more students get on the right track to college as early as possible.

The other panelists at the event held at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) were Shahin Shahrivar, a junior business major at UMCP, and Matt Jones, senior admissions counselor at UMCP. Both Shahrivar and Norris attend classes at USG, one of USM's two regional higher education centers. Sharivar emphasized that college is affordable, encouraged parents to be advocates for their children, and urged students to work hard and take challenging classes as well as get involved in their schools and communities.

In addition, the May gathering included a college fair staffed by admissions and financial aid representatives from USM universities, Maryland Higher Education Commission's financial aid office, and College Savings Plans of Maryland. Lucky students also had a chance to take home door prizes-t-shirts, sweatshirts, baseball caps, athletic bags-donated by the universities.

At the conclusion of the event, many parents thanked USM staff for holding the event that opened their eyes about what they should be doing now to help their young children prepare for college.

Several representatives from the USM Offices of Communications, Academic Affairs, and Advancement volunteered their time to staff the event.

ATK, a premier aerospace and defense company, is the lead sponsor of Way2GoMaryland. The company committed three years of funding for the campaign, which was launched in fall 2008. Way2Go will receive future support from "A Matter of Degrees: USM Leading the Way in College Completion," a new USM initiative announced in May and funded by private donations. To learn more about "A Matter of Degrees," click here.

To view photos from the May 8, 2010 Way2GoMaryland event, click here:

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