Bakersfield college hosted over 20 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in their annual HBCU caravan held at 9a.m. on Friday, Oct. 27.
Lines swelled with high school seniors and Bakersfield College transfers as the doors opened to a conference room of featured colleges such as Harris-Stowe State University, Morehouse College, and Fisk University. Students then could sign up for on-the-spot admissions, on-the-spot scholarships, and further info on the process of transferring to HBCUs.
One scholarship offered is the Hoffman Agency Scholarship, which is offered to communication students transferring to one of the 29 HBCUs partnered with the California Community College guarantee to historically black colleges and universities.
The caravan has also held a number of presentations which included lectures such as Selecting an HBCU For You, HBCU Scholarships and Cost to Attend, and an alumni panel held by Bakersfield College’s own English professor and advisor of the Umoja program, Dr.Paula Parks.
California Community College project director Dr. Arynn Auzout Settle stated that this caravan has been running since 2015 but that its partnering HBCUs tend to be too far for Californian students to visit. Many students may not even think these colleges are an option when picking a school to continue their education.
“We are hoping that by bringing the schools to them that they will take every opportunity they can to succeed. We hope that students understand the value of HBCUs and that for some students it may be a better fit than other universities,” stated Settle.
“[B]e flexible and embrace change,” Settle continued, “HBCUs offer whole new world of opportunities and can lead to bigger and better things some colleges in California can’t offer.”
Bakersfield College Transfer pathway director Ben Perlado explained, “HBCUs offer students a place to learn that offers a unique cultural experience that you just don’t get beyond California’s beaches.”
Perlado hopes that with the caravan students may also take these tips with them: “Explore campuses, meet with counselors, and ask questions. Asking questions paints the picture of what may be best for your future and just might lead to more than you thought,” he said.