Community Service at Saturday College

Bridges to a Brighter Future students exhibit a passion for community service that explains why "their potential outdistances their circumstances".

Photo Courtesy of Anabella Soto, Tobi Swartz and Miracle Hill Ministries

The Afternoon Activity portion of Saturday College is always highly awaited by its participants. According to Casey Crisp, Assistant Director of Bridges to a Brighter Future, " One of the best parts of planning Saturday College is picking what this activity will be. These can be anything from a Furman football game, a trip to the movies or community service. For many of our students, that trip to the movies is the first they’ve taken in their lives.”

During my visit to Saturday College, it was pleasantly surprising to see that even though the students love football games and movies like any other teenagers, they still consider community service their favorite afternoon activity.

This same day, when the lunch portion of Saturday College concluded, the students left Furman Hall and cheerfully headed to the parking area in spite of the cold, icy drizzle. Among chants of “Yay! Community Service!” they piled into vans driven by counselors and headed to Miracle Hill Thrift Shop near Traveler’s Rest, to spend an afternoon sorting through donations, cleaning and helping out in any way needed.

Sophomore Kelsey Roloson from Greer High School understands the importance of giving back. “We’re helping out a community that in turn helps us. Our lives may not be awesome all the time, but there are always people who are worse off, and we need to be aware of that.”

According to the students, “time went by too fast” and some even took advantage of the occasion to make a few purchases for upcoming school events.

In the words of Senior Desireé LaFreniere, “ Rearranging clothes might not seem like a great help to the community. But we know that Miracle Hill helps families that have problems just like our own, so if we can help even one person have a better day, then that makes it worth the effort.”

These students are truly inspiring in the way they put others before themselves, even if their lives have been affected by economic and emotional troubles. With positive attitudes like theirs, there is no doubt that they are on the right track to reaching the potential they were not aware they had.

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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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