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January 11, 2008

A look at the UW's People Program

Anita Weier:

"It's ultimately not about what color you are. Everybody brings something to the university community."

Cydny Black was reflecting on her first semester at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, after starting out last fall with a scholarship from the Pre-college Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) program, which recruits, readies and funds tuition for minority and low-income students for the university.

One of three PEOPLE students from Madison high schools interviewed by The Capital Times at the start of the fall semester, the 18-year-old African-American said she has really enjoyed herself on a campus that is more than 80 percent white.

She is also succeeding in school. She achieved a 3.75 grade point during the semester, higher than her 3.3 average in high school.

"Anyone who says you can't do it if you didn't in high school is wrong," she said.
The PEOPLE program was established because UW-Madison has struggled for years to attract and retain minority students through graduation. But all three students interviewed last semester -- Black, Aaron Olson and Summer Becker -- are adapting well so far.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at January 11, 2008 12:05 PM
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