Over 350 Halifax County Public School (HCPS) students, from elementary to high school, visited Chowan University on Wednesday, June 22nd. Dr. Mitchell Henke coordinated the visit with Dr. Tyrana Battle, Assistant Superintendent of Halifax County Schools, and other HCPS officials.  Dr. Henke created mini-block scheduling for the students, allowing them to attend various activities. 

The students met with faculty and staff from a variety of areas on campus. Dr. Alan Scott, the University’s Director of Career Services and Title IX Coordinator, facilitated conversations on career pathways. The students experienced hands-on college-level activities such as using sterile swabs and Petri dishes to test their phones for the presence of microorganisms with Dr. Torrance Gill, Assistant Professor of Biology, to exploring a mock crime scene and conducting an investigation with Dr. Pamela Woodard, Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Dr. Phillip Entzminger, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice. Students made mini clay pots with Rob Buller, Associate Professor of Art, and experienced a graphic design class with Jason Fowler, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design. The groups also participated in activities with Dr. Samuel Miller, Associate Professor of Mass Communication, Dr. Jill Awuni, Assistant Professor of Religion and Business Administration, Dr. Hunter Taylor, Dean to the School of Business and Design, Dr. Jennifer Place, Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, Marion Foster, Secretary, Department of Music and Dean of School of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Tom Collins, Professor of Sport Management.  

In the Hawks Athletic Center, several stations were set up for students to experience a variety of college athletic components, Kiara Jackson, Women’s Assistant Basketball Coach, and Rob Burke, Men’s Head Basketball Coach, led basketball drills. Baseball Coach Taylor Furlough and Cross Country Coach Chris Harris created an obstacle course, while Graduate Assistant and former softball student-athlete Lindsey Stigler let students experience batting cages. In the “weight room,” Strength and Conditioning Coordinator James Fiorella conducted a rope drill. Students also visited the university’s Esports Room. All “athletes” for a day had the opportunity to partake in “Media Day,” a mock event set up by Deputy Athletics Director Meredith Long, who allowed students to try on jerseys and take pictures. 

Job Williamson, a recent Chowan graduate and Admissions Counselor, spoke with groups about college life and the processes that come with enrolling in a university.  Georgia Williams, University Librarian, shared the difference between grade school and college libraries and then played “Fact or Fiction,” having the students use their collective brain power to determine fact and fiction. Midday, the students were able to take a break and have lunch in the university dining hall before their final sessions. Dr. Ella Benson, Dean of Accessibility Services, assisted Dr. Henke and the groups as they navigated the campus and toured campus highlights such as the historic McDowell Columns Building and the Alumni Walk, which are bricks with graduate names inlaid around the campus gazebo. 

In a thank-you note from Dr. Eric Cunningham, Superintendent, and Dr. Tyrana Battle, Assistant Superintendent, expressed their gratitude for the visit stating that “the activities our scholars were able to experience and engage in will last a lifetime.”

To learn more about Chowan University, visit chowan.edu, or schedule a visit to our campus at chowan.edu/visit.