Wildwood Seniors Learn to ‘Aim’ High

WILDWOOD – Two Wildwood High School seniors learned aiming high may be hard work but it definitely has its benefits. The two are now more certain their futures include higher education in the areas of science, math and technology after the pair attended the Aim High Science and Technology Program.
This past summer found Benjamin Erickson and Rick Amado in a month-long program at Rowan University that exposed students to the rigors of college life and the high expectations that would be placed on them as science, math or technology students. Both young men not only rose to the occasion but are more convinced that their futures lie in the fields of the sciences, mathematics and technology.
Admission to the highly-selective program included an interest in science, math, technology or engineering, said Amado. “We also had to have the grades. You had to be a good student.”
Erickson said the admission process began in February. “Over 200 people apply, but only 40 are accepted.”
According to Amado, the focus of this year’s Aim High program was biology. “It was very interesting.”
During their month-long stay on campus, in addition to other college-level classes, both Amado and Erickson took a human anatomy course that resulted in both of them having three college credits under their belts. “The credits are transferable to any college,” noted Erickson.
Both students learned a similar lesson about college life – tests are hard. “Only 64 percent of students passed the anatomy class test,” said Amado. “We were part of that 64 percent.”
For Erickson, the best part of the program was meeting 40 new people. “I liked being independent, I liked how the teachers said ‘Just do it.’”
Amado said part of what he learned was time management. “When we got back to our dorms, we could spend our time hanging out with our friends or doing our homework. I chose the homework life.”
“With these 40 people, we did everything together. We became close very fast. We spent a lot of time with these people, you make a lot of friends,” Erickson said.
The Aim High program is a comprehensive developmental summer program designed to assist high school students who are pursuing STEM majors, stated Rowan University’s College of Education. The goals of the program include promoting college and career readiness; expose transitioning students to a college setting academically, personally and socially; to expose students to career fields and course work in science and technology and to allow students to interact with new friends, undergraduate students, graduate counselors-in-training and college faculty.
As high school seniors, college is on the horizon for Amado and Erickson. Both young men are looking forward to it.
Amado said his experience at Rowan helped him decide to apply to the school for admission next year. Erickson’s future major, Forestry, is not offered at Rowan.
“It was a great program,” said Amado. “It really helped me realize I could do much more. We did a lot of fun stuff, too. It made it worthwhile.”