Published: January 07, 2008 09:59 am      

From home school to higher education

Rose State College symposium offers workshops to smooth young students transition

A Rose State College symposium this Tuesday will help give home-schooled students and their parents an opportunity to learn about higher education and career options.

Connie Myrick, who is coordinating the symposium, said a variety of workshops, panel discussions, a personalized tour of the campus, lunch and a keynote speaker will await those who attend.

Creating a home school transcript will be the topic of one 30 minute workshop. Because home-schooled students are not overseen by a school, parents are responsible for the transcript, Myrick said. The workshop will provide examples of what should and should not be included.

Other workshops include test preparation, preparation for college, concurrent enrollment, financial aid and scholarships and how to create a newsletter. A representative from the Mid-Del Technology Center will head a workshop on what career technology centers and a military representative will head a workshop on military opportunities.

A free lunch will be held at 11:30 a.m., during which Lt. (Ret.) Steve Russell will give the keynote address.

This is the fourth symposium of its kind held at Rose State, Myrick said. Typically, high-school-age students and their parents attend but junior-high-age students have come in the past and should, Myrick said.

"The Rose State College Home School Symposium is a great learning and networking experience for the home schooler. Various speakers on a variety of topics will help the student enhance their home school experience," Myrick said.

Debbie Barton, a mother of eight in Del City, attended several past symposiums and said she enjoyed them. This year, two of her children — a high school senior and a high school sophomore -- will likely attend, she said.

"Well, I thought they were very informative. I thought that they were very welcoming. They caused the young people [attending] to be really interested in Rose State College," Barton said.

One of Barton's kids will graduate this year with a criminal justice degree from Rose State College. Her eldest child is attending Oral Roberts University. A third child attended Rose State while in the ROTC at the University of Oklahoma and is now working at the Air Force Acacemy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The Del City mother said her favorite workshops were the home school transcript and vo-tech workshops. She said her sophomore, who attended last year, made new friends there.

"He told me that the instructors are really friendly," she added.

Barton started home school education with her eldest child. She said that she had taught at Christian schools and felt she wanted to be involved in her child's education. She’s discovered over time that it’s helped make her family close-knit and allows children to relearn material when they teach each other.

"I really got started in it to build relationships with my own children but over the years, I've found there are all kinds of benefits to home-schooling," she said.

The symposium will be held at the Rose State College Communications Center, 6420 S.E. 15th St. Those who wish to attend must RSVP by calling 733-7372.



ALSO AT ROSE STATE

Rose State College conferred 50 nursing science degrees during a mid-term graduation and pinning ceremony held Dec. 18 in the Communications Center.

“The pinning is a traditional ceremony during which each student receives a signature pin that signifies their graduation from Rose State into the professional world,” Rebekah Ray, director of nursing science at Rose State College, said. “The ceremony was created as a means of recognizing the hard work and diligence of students who have successfully completed the rigorous demands of the Rose State nursing science program.”

Kristina Acree, Robert Anderson, Andrea Frederici, Laura George, Kathy Heldenbrand and Jean Vail of Midwest City all earned pins and nursing degrees at the event. Others included Jill Pantalia, Valarie Milton and Sonja Pound of Del City; Shannon Bryant and Kristi Russell of Choctaw; Jayne Branita of Harrah; and Pamela Storley of Newalla.