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Jenita McCuiston |
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Perry Mason |
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Piajha White |
Until a few years ago, it
had been so long since Chicago’s renowned Providence-St. Mel High School
sent any of its graduates to Monmouth College that MC’s admission office
can’t pinpoint the exact date. But that has changed, thanks in part to
the influence of assistant professor of modern foreign languages Heather
Brady and the persistence of one of the college’s Chicago-area admission
representatives, Peter Pitts.
During the 2002-03 academic year, Brady
taught French and Spanish at Providence-St. Mel. She joined Monmouth’s
faculty in 2005 and, a short time later, returned to the high school on
a recruiting trip with Pitts.
“I heard from one of their guidance counselors, Dean Sullivan, that that
one visit really made an impression,” said Brady. “Now, the pipeline has
been started, and that’s how kids are being influenced.”
“I realized a long time ago what a
wonderful high school this is,” said Pitts. “I have made it a point to
attend college fairs, do individual lunchroom visits and offer to
conduct a bus trip to campus for 45 of their students. I think the bus
trip was key in making Monmouth a popular school for their students to
at least consider.”
“Monmouth does a great job
of doing the fall visits, and Peter is very proactive about getting
students to campus,” said Sullivan. “The response from our bus trip was
100 percent positive. The students had a wonderful time, and the faculty
had glowing reports. We visit five or six schools a year. Some schools
just go through the motions, but our students felt very welcomed at
Monmouth.”
Senior
Jenita McCuiston, who was one of Brady’s French students in high school,
is one of three Providence-St. Mel graduates at Monmouth. The others are
junior Perry Mason and freshman Piajha White.
“I first learned about
Monmouth College through Peter Pitts at our college fair,” said White.
After additional communication with Pitts, she wound up visiting three
times.
“What
attracted me is how beautiful the campus is, how small the classes are,
that they had my major (accounting) and that the college is known for
that department,” said White, who was accepted at 15 schools but
received the best financial aid package from Monmouth. “What I like
about Monmouth over Chicago is that we are able to walk to the downtown
area. Everything is within walking distance of the campus.”
“In the past, Monmouth College had seemed
too rural compared to what these students are used to in Chicago,” said
Brady. “But now that they’re starting to come here, they’re really
enjoying it and are getting involved in campus activities and
organizations.”
White is certainly a good example, as she is involved in the Fighting
Scots Marching Band, the Association for Student Activity Programming
and the Accounting Society.
Sullivan said he has noticed a change in
Mason, as well.
“Here, he was a good student, polite and respectful,” said Sullivan.
“He’s really blossomed at Monmouth. He’s so outgoing now and he’s come
out of his shell. He doesn’t even seem like the same kid. You have to
give credit to the college for that.”
Years ago, Providence-St. Mel was an all-white school, but it’s now an
African-American prep school that Brady called “an interesting place.”
“The kids who go there have parents who
are very motivated and have a lot of drive in terms of going after
what’s best for the children,” said Brady. “Families see the school as a
symbol of hope for their kids’ success.”
Brady said the students don’t experience
some of the problems they would at some of Chicago’s inner-city public
schools, in large part because of Providence-St. Mel’s focus on
discipline.
“They really stick to a strict discipline policy,” she said. “It’s what
helps the kids survive.”
Brady said the school is not far from the
image that has been seen in several popular movies of teenagers rising
above their surroundings to achieve academic success. In fact, the
heralded 1975 movie “Cooley High” was filmed there.
Shortly after that, the Archdiocese of
Chicago tried to close down the school by withdrawing its support. Led
by principal Paul J. Adams III, the parents and students of
Providence-St. Mel fought back, and “The School That Wouldn’t Die”
became a national story. It remains in the spotlight today, as 100
percent of its seniors have been accepted to four-year colleges and
universities over the last 30 years. Financial support has streamed in
from several sources, including Oprah Winfrey and her partner, Steadman
Graham.
“Their
graduates are so sought after,” Brady said.
Monmouth is now one of the colleges on the radar of Providence-St. Mel
seniors, and their numbers on campus could continue to grow. Several
members of the school’s Class of 2009 are strongly considering
matriculating at MC.
“Initially, I had some concerns about how
small Monmouth is,” said Sullivan. “On their visits to small schools,
our students can sometimes count the number of African-American students
they see on one hand. But at Monmouth, they felt welcome enough that it
wasn’t an issue. I’m really excited we’ve developed this relationship
with Monmouth College.”
“Even students who did not matriculate
here have told their friends about Monmouth,” said Pitts. “I have a
feeling this will be another very good year for us at Providence-St.
Mel.”
