Published June 20, 2024
CAPTION: Students from Monroe City and Ouachita Parish schools participated in the first Centennial Scholars Summit on June 11 and 12.
MONROE, LA – The University of Louisiana Monroe welcomed over 300 local sixth graders from Monroe
City Schools and Ouachita Parish schools to its campus on June 11 and 12 for the first-ever
Centennial Scholars Summit. The Centennial Scholars are a group of local students
who will make up the freshman class of 2031, ULM’s 100th year. The students were able to learn about fields of study and careers that align
with their talents and interests.
“We know that at this stage of their development, these students should be exploring
ideas, and we are planting seeds for them,” said Dr. Amy Weems, Assistant Professor
of Education and organizer of the Centennial Scholars Summit.
In his welcome to the students, ULM President Ron Berry said, “At ULM we prepare you
to fly higher than you’ve ever imagined. I need each one of you to realize that you
can do anything you want to do and be anything you want to be. We’re going to help
you take flight.”
Prior to arriving for the Summit, each student took a survey which helped event organizers
determine how to group them into one of six groups based on their strengths and interests.
ULM programs that provided activities for the students included Art, Allied Health,
Pharmacy, Computer Science, Physical Therapy, Communications, Biology, and more.
After a morning of breakout sessions, the students reconvened to enjoy lunch together
and make short presentations about what they had learned. Each day of the Summit concluded
with drawings in which several lucky students won iPads, which had been generously
donated by AT&T.
“We want to thank all of our volunteers, ULM faculty and staff, and local school systems
for making this event a success,” said Weems. “We hope that each of our Centennial
Scholars who participated learned more about themselves and where they can go in the
future.”
All students who participated in the Summit are Centennial Scholars, a group of local
students who will make up the freshman class of 2031, ULM’s 100th year. The University began engaging with this group of students in 2022 by gifting
them a copy of the book There’s a Bridge On the Bayou, which also included a $500 scholarship to go towards their first semester at ULM
in 2031. The book, written by ULM Development Officer Cindy Foust and illustrated
by ULM Executive Creative Director Srdjan Marjanovic, tells the story of President
Berry and how education can create opportunities and change lives.
ULM has continued to engage this group of students as they grow and will continue
to follow them through middle and high school as they prepare for college. Weems says
it is ULM’s goal to provide at least one educational opportunity and one student-life-related
opportunity for the Centennial Scholars each year.
To learn more about the ULM Centennial Scholars program and purchase your own copy
of There’s a Bridge On the Bayou, visit www.ulm.edu/100.
Read more about AT&T's investment in the Centennial Scholars program here.
