Panther Push allows students to reach out

Panther Push, an outreach program put on by Student Admissions Ambassadors, gives University of Northern Iowa students the opportunity to visit their high schools and speak to students about university life.

The goal of Panther Push is to bring in more prospective freshmen in the years to come through current students sharing what college is like. It is a way for high school students to learn what the university has to offer from a college student's perspective.

"The program is now used by at least two other campuses around the nation, and we hope to spread the word about Panther Push so that students are able to promote UNI to others who may just be beginning their college search," said Bart Upah, Panther Push co-Chair. "2010 will be the 35th year for Panther Push. We have talked to over 5,000 high school students throughout the Midwest region."

There will be two training sessions for the participants March 8 and 9. During training, students will be shown a sample presentation including things to cover once they visit their high school.

After the training sessions, students will need to contact their high schools and schedule a meeting with the guidance counselor in order to discuss the program. It is up to the participant to call the school and receive permission to come and speak.

Once the participant and high school can decide on a time to have the student come present, the student must contact the leaders of Panther Push, who will then send a poster to the school notifying the high school students of the visit. After the visit, it is asked of the UNI presenter to fill out an evaluation form on their experience with Panther Push.

UNI students interested in participating can visit www.uni.edu/admissions to submit an application. There is also a direct link to the application in the Panther Push group on Facebook. Applications are accepted until 5 p.m. Feb. 25. in the Admissions Office, of Gilchrist 002. If any participant cannot commit to either of the March training sessions, they will need to contact Bart Upah at bupah@uni.edu or Nikola Todorovic at todoron3@uni.edu to set up an individual meeting.