Promoting Access Through Leadership At Millersville

Millersville University is helping students at McCaskey High School through the college admissions process with the Promoting Access through Leadership at Millersville (PALM) program.

The PALM program is based in the admissions office at Millersville. Current undergraduate students volunteer to serve as mentors to juniors and seniors at McCaskey, providing support and information while bridging the gap for first generation, low-income and underrepresented students of color interested in attending college.

PALM volunteers can register for a three-credit structured training course focused on college admissions and financial aid, which will expose them to issues present in the lives of McCaskey students. They also participate in development workshops and meetings to assist in the growth of high school students. Topics include diversity in higher education, race/class and college admissions, mentoring, leadership and more. Student volunteers who complete 300 volunteer hours in a calendar year will receive an educational award of $1,100.

The PALM program provides high school students a “community-in-waiting,” for students who choose to attend Millersville University. This community-in-waiting aids the retention efforts at the University and helps in making connections, understanding processes and systems on campus, increasing involvement and creating a nurturing community.

“We had our first cohort of PALM students complete the program and graduate; they are all attending a college or university,” said Christina Pantoja, assistant director of admissions. “Some of the universities they will be attending in the fall are Millersville University, Lincoln University, Elizabethtown College and Shippensburg University.”

For more information about PALM, contact Christina Pantoja at cpantoja@millersville.edu or by calling 717-871-5706.