The Elevation Scholars program does more than prepare students for college — we help them build relationships and confidence to succeed in their future careers as well. One way we do that is through Horizon Events. For these events, prominent local businesses offer up their time to host Scholars for the day, sharing their experience and answering students’ questions about their fields of expertise.
“Horizon Events are important because our students often dream about different careers, but don’t know the steps to get there,” said Gaslande Fleurimont, manager of college admissions for Elevation Scholars. “This is an opportunity for them to meet with someone who has completed that journey and is now making an impact in the community. That invaluable exposure plays a role in Scholars realizing their dreams.”
Over the summer, our Scholars toured nearly ten different organizations across a variety of fields, including medicine, real estate, coding, and non-profit work. They even had a chance to visit the State Attorney’s office. A typical Horizon Event includes a tour of the location and then a presentation before a Q&A session. Some events include special activities, such as our recent visit to Grace Medical Home.
At Grace, our Scholars were invited to participate in a hands-on activity where they were posed a real-world challenge. The challenge involved brainstorming solutions to a couple of healthcare-related marketing and communications issues. The Scholars presented their thoughts on how to reach specific audiences through messaging and recruitment strategies.
Horizon Events leave a positive impact on the community and its professional leaders as well.
“What excites me about the Elevation Scholars program is getting bright, creative future leaders in our community exposed to the needs of their neighbors,” shared Dr. Marvin Hardy, mission director and pediatric medical director at Grace. “They’re the next generation and the ones who will find the solutions. There should be no barriers to allow students to dream and explore, and Elevation allows them to do that.”
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