Oceanside students get glimpse of college life

By: ALEXANDRA DELUCA - For the North County Times | Saturday, December 3, 2005 12:44 AM PST ∞

SAN MARCOS ---- In a classroom laboratory at Palomar College, Hillary Adkins rolled up her lab coat sleeves and pushed back her long brown hair as she adjusted her stereoscope.

"Cool," she said as she peered down at a petri dish full of radish sprouts.

Adkins isn't a college student ---- yet. The 8-year-old was one of 60 third-grade students from Reynolds Elementary School in Oceanside who took place in "My First College Class," a pilot program that exposes elementary students to college, particularly science.

The program was the brainchild of Palomar College microbiology adjunct professor Ana Doway, who said she was frustrated by the lack of minority and female students in her science classes.

"A lot of Hispanic and African-American students drop out of class," said Doway. "A lot of them have the belief that they aren't good enough for college. If we expose them to college since kindergarten, they grow up with the idea."

Doway, whose children both attended Reynolds Elementary School, approached Reynolds' principal, Lois Grazioli, about the idea of having students attend a science class at Palomar College. As a biology major and former science teacher, Grazioli was thrilled at the idea.

"Science is my first love, so this program is near and dear to my heart," said Grazioli. "We're very excited about this. It's a wonderful partnership. The college has been so accommodating."

Grazioli said the program is a perfect fit with the college-going culture that Oceanside Unified School District Superintendent Ken Noonan has developed throughout the district.

"The goal is really for them to see that this is something in their future," said Grazioli. "We want to really instill in them at a young age that (college) is within the realm of possibilities."

Eventually, each grade level at Reynolds Elementary School, kindergarten through fifth grade, will each attend a science class at the college that complements their curriculum. For example, second-graders will visit the college when they study electricity and magnets, and fifth-graders will visit the school's planetarium when they study astronomy.

Three third-grade classes took part in the pilot program Friday. The students toured the college campus and participated in a hands-on science lesson with Doway. They got to see a live paramecium, discussed DNA, and dissected flowers.

After Doway explained the difference between fruit and vegetables ---- anything with seeds is a fruit ---- students got a chance to examine some specimens up close. Dozens of students clad in tiny white lab coats sat at the long, black laboratory tables, with their feet dangling from the tall, black rolling chairs as they took turns looking through the stereoscopes set up on the tables.

"How about a strawberry?" Doway asked the students. "Is it a fruit or a vegetable?"

"A fruit," answered a chorus of voices.

"You guys are so smart," said Doway. "If you know all that, college for you will be easy."

After the class, Doway said she hoped the students, especially the girls, would get excited about science.

"A lot of girls think, it's yucky, it's boring, it's too hard for me," said Doway. "I hope that they see that it's fun."

Hillary Adkins seemed to have gotten the message. As she put her lab coat on the back of her chair before heading out to lunch, she said, "I like science."