Alliance for Catholic Education
As they walked down St. Mary’s Road in the late February cold, the group of 15 ninth- and 10th-graders from Tucson, Arizona, took in the sight of the Grotto for the first time.
Almost 2,000 miles from home, it was the start of what one of the ninth-graders would call "an amazing experience that became one of my core memories."
The Grotto visit was part of PATH’s inaugural scholar immersion trip – five days on Notre Dame’s campus that began with an early-morning flight from Tucson to Chicago and included classes, a tour of the football facilities with team chaplain and ACE professor Fr. Nate Wills, CSC, ice skating, and for all, their first taste of Notre Dame.
PATH, which stands for Pursuing Achievement Through Higher Education, started five years ago in Tucson as ACE began working with students from Santa Cruz and St. John the Evangelist Catholic schools to help guide them on their path to and through college and high school.
PATH includes a weekly persistence class for middle school students to prepare them to excel in high school, three summers of PATH Rising Summer, an intensive summer enrichment experience, and continuing support through high school to prepare them for the transition to be successful in college.
One of the keystones of the PATH experience is the scholar immersion trip to Notre Dame. Delayed for two years because of the pandemic, the 15 PATHfinders got a taste of college life. They started their mornings with a run around the lakes, followed by breakfast and full days—and nights—of activities.
“Research shows the importance of college exposure, and what better or deeper exposure is there than to experience it?” said Alec Torigian, PATH’s national coordinator. “You can view a pair of shoes online and make a decision about purchasing, but if you get a chance to try it on, then you truly know what you like and don't like.”
PATHfinders took a couple of classes tailored to them—College Writing 101, Heart’s Desire and Social Change—and also visited a couple of undergraduate courses, including a session of Moreau First Year Experience, a class taken by all first-year students at Notre Dame. At night, they watched the Notre Dame women beat Clemson 77-56 in basketball, celebrated a Milkshake Mass, and saw a theater production of Cyrano.
“With all classes they took and observed, we wanted them to experience a taste of the variety of subject matter and learning experiences that college can offer,” Torigian said, “and we wanted them to see firsthand the effects of selecting a college with a mission to be ‘a force for good.’”
After visiting a couple of classes, PATHfinder Alex said that “it takes a lot of focus to pay attention to everything.”
Other PATHfinders said highlights of the trip included the basketball game and ice skating in Howard Park. One of the students, Matthias, said that “actually getting to see snow was so cool.”
“We want to ensure that our scholars understand that choosing a college means choosing a city you'll live in for a time, so we made sure to incorporate activities in South Bend,” Torigian said.
Another student, Carlos, was in awe of the beauty of churches on campus. “The Basilica was beautiful,” Carlos said. “We got to take a tour, and we had Mass in the Log Chapel. I’m really looking forward to Mass in the Basilica on Sunday.”
As part of the trip, the PATHfinders also did a first-generation speed-dating activity. Each of them spent a few minutes talking individually to Notre Dame students who are themselves the first members of their family to attend college.
“It may sound simple, but so much of learning and growth comes from encounter, and this was a hyper-concentrated experience of encounter,” Torigian said. “The opportunity to meet actual Notre Dame undergrads was a beautiful combination of windows into different backgrounds and experiences, as well as mirrors to see how folks who may share some experiences in common have navigated the college search, selection, and persistence process.”
Students also went to an activity and resource fair, where they met representatives from groups such as Multicultural Student Programs and Services (MSPS), Bengal Bouts and Baraka Bouts, and Residential Life.
For the college students staffing the tables, it was a special experience to participate in the trip and connect to ACE. Theresa Salazar, a Notre Dame junior from Corpus Cristi, Texas, represented MSPS, and she had her own special experience with ACE. She knew Michael Derocher, who taught at Bishop Garriga Middle Preparatory School as a member of ACE 15. It was through Mr. Derocher that Theresa knew about Notre Dame.
“He impacted everybody at the school,” she said. “Having a really great teacher like Mr. Derocher had a huge impact on all of the students he met. He inspired students to go further.”
That type of impact - pushing students to go further - could be felt during the trip. As one ninth grader told her mother over the phone, “Mom, I want to come to Notre Dame for college! I can't wait for you to visit me when I'm a student here."