Two Albany State University students explored out-of-state graduate school opportunities as a result of a partnership between Albany State University and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.  

LaDiamond Lett, a junior, and Stephanie Dixon, a senior, both speech and theatre majors, attended the Penn Minority Serving Institutions Graduate School Weekend in April. Students from each of the partnering institutions were invited to sit in on mock graduate school courses, attend graduate school workshops and tour the UPenn campus.

“I’ve always been nervous about going to grad school and whether I would be able to go and pay for it,” Lett said. “Going there and receiving information and having other minority groups and leaders explain the process helped me to realize it’s something that I would be able to do. It’s not just about UPenn. They want a good fit for every student. That’s what they’re most concerned about.”

The all-inclusive trip was funded by UPenn’s Graduate School of Education and the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions.

“It was amazing, and it was a wakeup call. I didn’t know enough about graduate school. The most beneficial part was finding out about the financial aid and fellowship opportunities available,” Dixon said. “There’s always something out there. It’s just a matter of searching.”

The Center serves as a source for research, data, best practices, emerging innovations and ideas on and within minority serving institutions. The Center and supporters also promote strengths and address challenges facing specific institutions. Florence Lyons, ASU associate professor of Speech and coordinator of the Speech and Theatre division, read about the weekend experience and realized it would be a great opportunity for ASU students. The partnership allows Lyons to recommend two students for the Graduate School Weekend each year.  

“It’s a phenomenal program because it allows our students to travel to UPenn and engage in graduate activities. It ignites more of an interest in graduate school.”

Albany State University President Art Dunning will participate in a president’s workshop, hosted by the Center and the Council on International Educational Exchange, in October. The workshop aims to increase the number of students at minority institutions who study abroad.