Incoming CTC students run around, have fun
Posted On: Wednesday, Jul. 21 2010 10:59 PM
By Jackie Stone
Killeen Daily HeraldCherisse Delgado hasn't started her freshman year at Central Texas College or registered for classes yet, but she spent the week getting comfortable with the campus and the paperwork she must complete before classes start this fall.
The Harker Heights High School graduate had been to the campus before on a class trip, but she was still nervous about college. That was why she signed up for the "Fast Track Finale," a CTC orientation program that had her racing carefully around the CTC pool Wednesday with several of her future classmates.
"It helps us get to know each other," she said. "You're not just thrown into the deep end of the pool."
The three-day program assigned Delgado to a group Tuesday with whom she participated in activities in the morning.
Wednesday started with an "Amazing Race" competition, with eight teams doing team-building exercises that ranged from racing around the college's pool while each team was tightly grouped carrying one short, foam pool-noodle to filling buckets with water from a leaking cup.
"The main thing is to try to create a sense of community and belonging," said Barbara Merlo, marketing and outreach director and an organizer of the Fast Track Finale.
The "Finale" is the end of a CTC program in Killeen and Copperas Cove schools that is designed to help students bridge the gap from high school to beginning classes at CTC. The high school Fast Track program aims to prepare students for college by helping them through the admissions process and ensuring that at graduation they have a letter of acceptance from CTC if they want to use it.
But at CTC, students have the option after they are accepted of when to start classes, Merlo said. As an organizer of the Fast Track Finale, Merlo said she wants the program to get students to actually make that step.
"Because we're open admissions, we never really know how many people will be here in the fall," she said. "Hopefully, this will give them that extra push."
Eighty-eight students attended the first day of the three-day orientation program Tuesday, Merlo said. Each day of the Fast Track Finale began with a team-building exercise and a speaker.
Wednesday's "Amazing Race" activity was to be followed by a campus tour disguised as a scavenger hunt today.
In addition, the finale participants also had optional help sorting out the counselor meetings and degree plans they need to do before they can register for classes.
"This is like the express lane for these guys," Merlo said.
Contact Jackie Stone at
jstone@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7548.