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175 Fourth Graders Tour UST, Look To a Brighter Future
5/7/2010
Photo: Goodman ElementaryFor the last eight years Dr. Emiliano Gonzalez, assistant professor of education has helped Goodman Elementary School students and parents focus on their scholastic future.

In 2002, Dr. Gonzalez began giving presentations about financing college education at Goodman. Gonzalez’s presentation encouraged students to begin thinking about college from the tender age of six. This began as a favor to two of Gonzalez’s University of St. Thomas graduate students who were teachers at the elementary school.

“The idea is to get students interested in college from an early age rather than have them wait until middle or high school to do so,” Gonzalez said. “Most of the students come from low-income households who may do well in school but may also not believe that a college education is a possibility for them.”

The first year Gonzalez spoke to 20 students and five parents and gave them a tour of the UST campus. Since that first visit, the numbers of students and parents attending the presentations and campus tours have grown considerably.

As of April 30 more than 175 Goodman fourth graders toured the campus. Six student leaders from the School of Education volunteered to assist with three bus loads of students. The tour included classrooms, the Chapel of St. Basil’s, the Doherty Library, Jerabeck Gym, the cafeteria and bookstore.

“Everyone should have an opportunity to achieve,” Gonzalez said. “We don’t care where they go to college, as long as they make choices that result in them being productive members of society.”

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