Saturday College: An Introduction

For many, Saturdays are just a chance to sleep late, but for students who participate in Bridges to a Brighter Future, Saturday College represents one more step in the road towards attaining a college education. 

Photo Courtesy of Tobi Swartz

For many teenagers in high school, Saturday mornings represent a chance to sleep late and relax after a busy week. However, at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina the first Saturday of every month marks another Saturday College session for the Bridges to a Brighter Future program.

Bridges to a Brighter Future started out as a four week program in the summer, but its administrators soon saw the need to add another element to keep students motivated during the school year. This is how Saturday College was born. Today, Bridges counselors and partners from the Greenville community come together on these Saturdays to provide academic assistance to over 100 Bridges participants.

“Each time they come to Saturday College, participants receive a $20 stipend to help them cover costs such as transportation or missed work”, explains Program Director Tobi Swartz.

The session lasts from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, followed by an optional afternoon activity.

Although Swartz claims "there is no typical day at Saturday College ", the schedule below is how the program is broken down.

8:00 - 9:00 AM: Students arrive and sign in at front desk by McEachern Lecture room in Furman Hall.

9:00 - 9:30 AM : Students have a joint session in which they exchange any important news or important achievements.

9:30 AM- 12:00 PM: Students receive tutoring in areas like Social Studies, Science and English. They also participate in workshops focusing on topics like filling in Financial Aid forms.

12:00- 1:00 PM: Lunch

1:00PM: Afternoon Activity (this can range from going to a Furman Football game to Community Service)

Sarah Burke Sigmon, a Furman Junior and Saturday College science tutor, thinks  “waking up at 7:30am is difficult, but doing something as simple as helping with their homework makes me realize that they are extremely grateful for the time I’ve dedicated to them.”

This sense of gratefulness is evident from the moment you set foot in any of the classrooms. While homework isn’t a high school student’s idea of fun, they tackle their assignments with a positive attitude, conscious that academic success will be one of the keys to college acceptance.

Attending Saturday College does not come without its sacrifices. “Sometimes, we forget that the kids are also very involved in extracurricular activities. A lot of our students are part of sports teams, and Friday nights usually mean games or meets, which are physically draining and don’t end until late at night”, commented Swartz.

Nevertheless, they always greet Swartz with smiling faces and contagious enthusiasm, making their Saturday a chance to not only learn, but also to reconnect with friends that they have not seen in a month. The balance between schoolwork and friendships help make Saturday College “perfect”, according to evaluations submitted by participants at the end of the year.

 The road to college is not an easy one for these students, but with the support system of Saturday College, they know that they are not alone on this journey.

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