This past June, eighth grade students of the Washington Jesuit Academy visited different colleges in the Pennsylvania area. Eighth grader Keoni McKeever shared his excitement for the trip where he and his classmates prepared their minds for what awaits them 5 years from now:
Hello my name is Keoni Mckeever and I am writing this blog about my experience on the High School/College tour that WJA 8th graders go on every year. The schools we saw included Phelps, Milton Hershey, Mercersburg and The Hill School, and also Villanova.
June 12, 2013… My 8th grade peers and I got on a bus and drove all the way to Pennsylvania to look at Villanova University. When we arrived I was amazed. The school campus was gigantic and the place looked really beautiful. We then went into the main hall where we got our tour guides and walked around the school. My tour guide told us all about college life at Villanova: the classes, after school activities and even the requirements to get into Villanova. Personally it was an overall great experience that now has me thinking about what kind of college I want to attend (in 5 years!). After our tour, Mr. Gaffney, who is our 8th grade Language Arts teacher and the man who is in charge of helping us get into a good high school next year, told us that The Phelps School was next.
After we went to get our lunch we headed towards Phelps. When we arrived I had a different point of view. Usually I’m used to city life in DC, but when I got there I got a rural feeling. We went to go meet the principal who told us about what he looks for in a future student. When he finished talk about requirements he showed us the classes, dorms, and even the cafeteria. After we left I was thinking about going to that school. It seemed like a good place, but I want to look up it up more to make sure it’s a good place for me.
We then got back on the bus and headed to the hotel. When we reached the Days Inn, they gave us our rooms. There was a pool outside and a dining room. When I opened the door of the room it looked gorgeous. It had a big TV, a huge bed and a futon. In my room I was bunking with my friends Derek, Chase, and Knowledge. Later after we got settled we went to the pool, it was fun. We played a game called Sharks where people run away from someone who is trying to catch them. Then after I was done with the pool I went and took a shower and then came downstairs to eat some pizza. It was a very fun experience for the first day. Even as we were falling asleep I just couldn’t wait for the next day.
To find out more of Keoni’s eye-opening experience, check out more here.