Groove Phi Groove Social Fellowship, Inc. ~ Building a Better Tomorrow ~ One Young Man at a Time
Sumia Ruffin ~ Class of 2017 Student
String Theory Charter School
Student Reflection
The Groove Phi Groove bus tour was one of the best moments of my high school experience. Before the bus tour, I was apprehensive about attending college because I didn't think it would be for me. I was worried I would not fit in or get accepted. Thanks to the bus tour, my concerns started to melt away as the day progressed and I saw myself as one of my tour guides or college students I met.
When I’m in school the college counselors try to make everything look easy and stress-free, but my friends and I are often feel overwhelmed when reviewing colleges, filling out, and submitting applications. During those moments it is easy to think negative thoughts such as, I’ll never get accepted, my sat scores are too low, they’ll never even look at my application. Hoe er the bus tour alleviated a lot of my fears.
When we arrived at Morgan State University I was exposed to a new environment with unlimited opportunities. Our tour guide started to talk to us like we were adults, not high school students, but future college students at Morgan State University. The tour began in the business building where we were introduced to the stock exchange room where students get to practice purchasing stock. Next, we crossed a bridge to see the dorms where students live. I was impressed by the fact that all the dorms were all named after historical African American leaders.
The next stop on our tour was the students center, where we visited the school’s celebrated Civil Rights Exhibit. We saw tables and chairs from the restaurant where Reed’s Drug Store sit-in took place. The tour proceeded to the academic buildings where classes were in session. I visited the Physical Therapy and Sciences building and observe students in a class. At that moment I experienced a sense of calm. I saw students studying for their careers, and all my worries involving the application process and being accepted gradually disappeared.
After touring Morgan State University we went to Bowie University where we were greeted by three Groove Phi Groove Social Fellowship brothers, who took us on a tour. The tour began with a quick informational video highlighting students who started their own businesses through the university’s business incubator. The video and tour guide how student entrepreneurs developed, networked and grew their businesses.
Our tour guides answer all our questions, including questions about AP credits that were being brought with us to college, the majors the school had to offer, and how can we access the business incubator like the students that were in the video. Our tour guides then lead us through the campus, showing us the quickest way to get to our classes from the dorms to various academic buildings and the student center.
The hospitality shown to us by the brothers of Groove Phi Groove, Social Fellowship Inc., was outstanding. I felt like I was at home with my own family on an outing. Though there were many memorable moments, the most memorable moment was at Bowie when the Groove Phi Groove tour guides brought us to the theater and showed us some of their steps, strolls, and performed spoken word pieces. They even let us come on stage where we showed them some of our dance moves.
The hands-on experience provided to me by Groove Phi Groove’s college bus tour motivated me to put in more college applications. It also put at rest all thoughts racing through my mind, gave me a sense of independence, and solidified my desire to attend college. I no longer see college as this black abyss. I now see it as a viable opportunity and envision myself graduating from college. Moreover, the tour has cemented my desire to fulfill a dream of becoming a physical therapist with my own office, where I can help children heal; it is what I am meant to do. Following the tour, I put in more applications and got accepted to four universities several weeks after the tour.