At the end of February, some Riverbank Unified School District (RUSD) staff members along with Cardozo Middle School (CMS) staff took sixth graders from Cardozo on a field trip to California State University, Stanislaus and University of California, Merced. AVID District Director Nancy Garcia explained that in an effort to increase college awareness in the community, RUSD has committed to providing each of the sixth graders a college experience with the field trip.
“The students are very excited when they arrive and by the end of the day are making plans about which college they want to attend,” added Garcia. “It is well received by students and staff.”
The entire sixth grade class was given a tour at each campus and delighted in a school lunch. They visited the bookstore and were able to explore other areas of the campus. There were 200 students that participated in both days.
When asked about a standout moment during the field trip Garcia added, “I would have to say seeing the students walk across campus and high fiving the (Stanislaus State) Warrior was pretty cool.”
Although both campuses are busy and it can be a challenge to schedule a tour, in February they were able to make it happen.
Garcia expressed that the students really enjoyed touring the campus and seeing that the colleges were well attended.
“They were very interested in stopping students and wanting to ask them questions,” she said. “The one thing they all wanted to do was visit the bookstore and buy coffee and snacks.”
For the past four years RUSD has participated in College Awareness month but this was the first time students have visited Stan State and UC Merced.
“At the end of the day they were comparing schools and deciding which school they wanted to attend,” stated Garcia. “Some felt more comfortable with Stanislaus because of how small it felt. It seemed more reachable. While others were impressed by the dorms and the new buildings at UC Merced and what they could accomplish there. It was really nice to hear them say, ‘I can see myself going here’ or ‘I prefer this one over the other one because this one has a better cafeteria.’ At UC Merced one of the students said, that ‘the students here look more relaxed, so I think this is a better school’.”
