HBCU Tour Inspires Local Students to Dream Big

The roughly five hour bus ride from Washington, D.C. to Poughkeepsie gave students time to reflect on the four-day odyssey they would soon complete.

Many discussed with each other how they had been inspired: to keep their grades up, to apply for scholarships, to think more seriously about their post-graduation goals, to take ownership of their future.

From March 31 to April 3, a group of roughly 30 Poughkeepsie High School juniors and sophomores took part in a trip touring four Washington-based Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, and capital monuments and museums.

The idea was not only to expose students to HBCUs but different levels of college life and experiences in general.

Leilani Thompson, a junior, said the trip “gave me a whole new perspective.

“I think more young African Americans should have opportunities like this,” she said, “and the school should definitely offer this trip again in the future.”

The trip, made possible through funding from the Poughkeepsie City School District and the Marist Liberty Partnerships Program, was led by College Readiness and Workforce Education Counselor Kelly Semexant, Marist Liberty Partnerships Program Director Crystal Parkhurst, high school English teacher Nashon Anderson and Marist Liberty Partnerships Program coordinator at the high school Rachel Cullen, who all chaperoned. Roughly half the students on the trip are in the Liberty Partnership Program.

The inaugural trip was the latest initiative launched under the district’s focus on college and career preparation and exposure. Semexant called the experience “powerful and unforgettable,” noting for some students it was their first time visiting a campus outside of New York, traveling without family or taking part in a multi-day academic trip.

The tour included Morgan State and Bowie State universities in Maryland, and Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C. They entered buildings, were able to watch some classes and learn more about each campus.

“I now know I definitely want to attend an HBCU,” Thompson said. “In society, African Americans are often the minority. But, at an HBCU, we’re the majority and that’s empowering.”

Semexant said Morgan State was a favorite. Not only was it the first campus the group toured, they visited on a sun-splashed day in which students were gathered on the lawn, fraternity members strolled across the quad and music played in the background. Autumn Bland and Trinity Majors, two 2024 Poughkeepsie graduates attending Morgan, met with the group and shared their experiences transitioning to college life, getting involved in multiple student organizations, and adjusting to a new sense of independence.

“Many students said they could truly picture themselves there,” Semexant said.
When the students visited Howard, they likewise met with 2022 Poughkeepsie graduate Alexia Miller, now a junior majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry.

“Alexia spoke to our students about her journey, her plans to apply to Ivy League medical schools, and how her time at Howard has shaped her confidence and career goals,” Semexant said. “Her presence reminded our students that someone from their own hometown can go on to achieve something incredible.”

Semexant said the different campuses provided students a range of lifestyles for students to sample. Compared to Morgan State and Howard, Bowie State’s campus was quieter and had a slower pace, and, like the University of the District of Columbia, is a commuter school. Though, she noted, as UDC is in the middle of the nation’s capital and surrounded by embassies, it’s not unusual to see children of diplomats or royalty walking across campus.

“The tour helped students understand that a school doesn’t have to be large or flashy to offer meaningful opportunities and a strong education,” she said.

In addition to the schools, the students visited the Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which was “emotional and deeply moving,” Semexant said. She also noted many of the experiences connected to what students were learning in their U.S. History classes, “adding depth and real-world relevance to their upcoming Regents and AP exams.”

Thompson said the museum visit was one of the highlights for her.

“Getting to experience that was powerful,” she said. “I think every kid should go there at least once. It’s something you’ll never forget.”

Semexant hopes the same could be said of the trip as a whole.

“This was more than a college tour,” she said. It was a transformational experience that helped our students see the world and themselves in a new way.”