Beloit Memorial Rising Knights HBCU Tour 2017

Skylar Listenbee | HBCU Tour 2017 Attendee

6th Annual Beloit Memorial HBCU Tour

By Lakya Jackson, Beloit Memorial MEO student

“The first trip was a trial run, but after its success, we knew we had to keep it going,” says Regina Hendrix, director of the Beloit College Help Yourself Program and coach of the Beloit Memorial High School (BMHS) Knightingales cheer and step teams.

Referring to the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) tour, she explains, “Now, it is like a well-oiled machine. Because so many people have become aware of our efforts, we are gaining community and district support.”

Rick McGrath | School District of Beloit News

The Hendrix sisters have been taking students on tour since 2012, visiting many HBCUs to gain knowledge of the institutions, from history of each and the significance of such schools to admissions requirements and financial aid possibilities to career and further degree preparation.

For the sixth year in a row, 22 students from BMHS will be flying to Houston, Texas to visit Prairie View A&M University and Texas Southern University. Students will also be traveling to Mississippi and Tennessee where they will visit six more HBCUs including Dillard University, Grambling State University, Xavier University of Louisiana and Alcorn State University.

Xavier University. Among the eight HBCU campuses students will be visiting.

Eligibility

Any student was allowed to fill out an application for the trip electronically as long as they met the established requirements. Students had to have an interest in education for after high school, in historically black education at such institutions and provide leadership abilities along with references. Students were also required to pay $600 unless they were fortunate enough to receive donations through fundraising to cover all types of travel expenses including airfare, lodging, entertainment, attractions, and breakfast. A limited number of students are allowed to participate in an effort to maintain affordability.

Students attending the 2016 HBCU Tour at Tuskegee University, Tuskegee AL

Students Raising Funds

Students have been provided with two fundraising opportunities to date including a Krispy Kreme doughnut sale and a soul food luncheon at Beloit Memorial High School, which were both huge successes. The Rising Knights HBCU is also co-sponsored by BMHS Knightingales, Beloit College Help Yourself Programs and The Minority Excellence organization to help educate and promote prosperity in youth.

Students attending the 2014 HBCU Tour at Tennessee State University, Nashville TN

Twenty-Two Students | HBCU Tour 2017

Skylar Listenbee, a sophomore at Beloit Memorial High School, will be another one of the 22 students attending the tour, which begins March 27th. Listenbee says she wants to go into the medical field at an HBCU and has thought about becoming a radiologist, kinesiologist or a pediatric nurse. Recently, Listenbee completed a radiology job shadow at Mercy hospital in Janesville, Wisconsin, along with a few other BMHS students. When asked why she wanted to go on the trip, she stated, “I just think it’s an excellent opportunity because it teaches us about college and what we should expect once we get to that level.” Listenbee went on to explain, “I expect to get a new understanding and to be able to set new goals for college on what I should expect.”

The History and Importance of the HBCU Experience

Elwood Robinson | TEDx Augusta

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