Special
day reaches underrepresented
By Joyce Kelly
On-line Forty-Niner
 Students
at Cal State Long Beach had the opportunity
to meet and talk to representatives from
colleges and professional schools from across
the country at the annual Graduate and Professional
Schools Day Monday.
The purpose of the event was to bring representatives
from different schools to present information
to CSULB students. Graduate and Professional
Schools Day was formed out of a need to
bring information to underrepresented students.
“It was a success and we were pleased with
the outcome,” said Clara Calderon-Muniz,
academic and career counselor, and coordinator
in the Student Support Services Program.
Students from CSULB attend graduate schools
from across the country, said Bobbie Rodgers,
EOP counselor and founder of the event.
“Columbia University in the city of New
York had four [CSULB] students attend its
graduate school, and the University of Michigan
gets plenty of our students,” Rodgers said.
Some representatives enjoy the CSULB trip.
“We enjoy coming to California because we
can combine our visit with my daughter who
lives here,” said Peter G. Meier, Ph.D.,
and professor of Environmental Health Services
Aquatic Ecologist/Toxicologist at the University
of Michigan.
The Graduate and Professional Schools Day
is more organized and accessible to students
and the representatives than other schools
that are visited.
“There are very similar set ups on the different
campuses on the circuit, but this one is
very nice because it is set up where a lot
of students pass,” Meier added.
Some students are looking schools in Southern
California because of personal obligations,
such as children. Denard McKinley, former
Black Student Union president, and black
studies and information systems major, said
he has a son and cannot leave him, so he
is looking at schools close to home.
“I was interested, at one time, to go out
of Southern California but I have a son,”
McKinley said. “So, I am looking at UCLA,
because they have a black studies program
there, USC for education and Long Beach
for interdisciplinary studies.”
Representatives from all of the schools
were eager to talk to students because of
their willingness to travel to other parts
of the country and explore.
“Students here are willing to move across
the country and explore new areas,” said
Rebecca Barron, assistant director and admissions
and student services at John Hopkins University
in Baltimore.
She said the colleges have seen a surge
of students because of the need of nurses
in the community.
Bunni Hoffman, college liaison officer at
The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
College, represented the only fashion school
at the event.
“Financial aid and scholarships are available.
We have a one year professional design program
for students of higher degrees,” she said.
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