GEAR UP at Marion Harding High School hosted its first college signing day as the high school recognized students for committing to their future plans. Prexie Signing Day recognized 116 seniors enrolled in either higher education or the military.
Organizers invited seniors on May 7 to celebrate their milestones by taking center stage on the gym floor. Students and staff applauded and complimented them for their achievements.
The seniors, similar to how student athletes commit to a college where they will play, signed certificates committing themselves to their future path. Harding Principal Kirk Koennecke named off 25 colleges and three branches of the military to which students were accepted.
“I think as we talk about the culture here, this is an opportunity for us to honor and recognize those students who are making commitments to their future selves,” GEAR UP site director Kelly Garrett said about the importance of Harding hosting Prexie Signing Day.
Leah Dickinson, state director for GEAR UP Ohio, spoke to students about opportunities that open up because they attend college. She encouraged them to recognize the importance of choosing a career path.
Marion City Schools Superintendent Gary Barber shared how attending Youngstown State University opened up doors in his life.
“I had a group of folks who believed in me,” he said.
Harding is one of hundreds of high schools that held college signing days throughout the nation. First Lady Michelle Obama, a proponent of college signing days, spoke at the University of Michigan during one of about 600 college signing days held nationally on May 1.
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, known as GEAR UP, is a federally funded initiative meant to support early college preparation and awareness. The initiative aims to increase the number of students who seek education beyond their high school diploma.
Marion’s GEAR UP program, housed at Harding, is a collaboration between the I CAN Center of Excellence, Marion City Schools and The Ohio State University. It is funded through GEAR UP Ohio, which will receive $3.5 million annually for seven years to reduce barriers to college access and completion.
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