More than 25 years ago, Marshall University established the Annual Intercultural Student Weekend to familiarize high school students with college opportnities and the rich social, cultural and academic experiences offered by Marshall.

Associate vice president for Marshall’s office of intercultural affairs, Maurice Cooley said he anticipates that more than 300 students and family members will be in attendance for the Weekend.

Of that number, about 125 will be high school students who have been specificially invited to the event due to meeting certain leadership and academic criteria and will be looking to see if Marshall University is the right fit for them beyond high school graduation, Cooley said.

“This group of over 125 of the most intelligent and gifted high school students in our state and region will soon join the ranks of so many others that have attended and graduated from Marshall University,” Cooley said. “Marshall University is extremely proud to recognize this impressive group of young, gifted and diverse scholars.”

Many of those students, Cooley said, will be minority junior and senior students.

“We are introducing chiefly minority youth to the importance of having strong high school grades along the pathway of learning about the importance of attending college,” Cooley said. “Hopefully they will be more inspired to attend a 4-year college, and perhaps Marshall as their choice.”

The high school students and their chaperones will meet Friday, Oct. 27 in the Memorial Student Center Lobby at 12:30 p.m.

After meeting, the visitors will participate in a number of activities, such as a welcome luncheon, visits with the deans of the various colleges, a “Real Talk” panel discussion between current Marshall students and visiting high school students, a parent information session, campus tours, a First Year Residence reception, a team challenge event and a fun night at the Marshall Recreation Center. 

On Saturday, Oct. 28, students and parents will attend an annual awards ceremony, where a keynote speech will be delivered by Marshall engineering school graduate, Charles Meyers.

Meyers first learned about Marshall University through attending an Annual Intercultural Student Weekend event when he was a student at Huntington High School.

Pamela Young can be contacted at [email protected].