Blind High School seniors interested in attending Florida State University (FSU) traveled to Tallahassee yesterday for a campus visit.
Students began their tour in the Visitor Center Auditorium, where they listened to a presentation from the school's Accessibility Services Director. While initially scheduled for 30 minutes, the students were full of great questions, and it lasted close to an hour.
After learning about key elements of the Admission process, the students went on a walking tour of campus. They ate lunch in the Seminole Cafe, one of FSU's main cafeterias. Students were able to practice their ECC and O&M skills while they walked the circle of 10 stations to make their lunch choices.
Following lunch, the group practiced using the internal campus bus service to head to the Oglesby Student Union. Using the bus service was a new experience for many of the students. It functions like a typical public bus service but is "free" for FSU students to use. The students practiced finding the bus stop and asking the bus driver for help to verify locations. Everyone on campus, from staff to students, was accommodating.
They toured the Student Union, at which point the students broke off into groups to make personal purchases in the bookstore, grab a drink at Starbucks, or hang out with friends and FSU students; among those students was a highlight for many of our seniors - meeting up with current FSU students and FSDB alumnae, Bailey Thomas and Madison Wardell, who were able to give them the "real" lay of the land, introduce Bailey's new guide dog Sirius, and catchup.
On the way home, students chose to eat dinner at Olive Garden in Lake City.
"We believe the day made an impact," said Leslie Costello, Senior Class Sponsor. "Several students commented how it cemented their desire to attend FSU or made them realize that they wanted to attend a much smaller school. Or they want to attend FSU at some point but prefer to transition slowly by going to a community college first."
These seniors gained tremendous insight and perspective into what life will be like after FSDB. "And for many, a healthy appreciation for what they have here at the school," stated Costello.