The Premier Scholars Program has been around North Central College for 21 years in different forms. Now, it is a 13-day pre-orientation program for minority students and first-generation students, explains Dorothy Pleas, director of multicultural affairs and the Premier Scholars Program.
The program may keep changing its format throughout the years, but its goal remains the same: “I really expect Premier to be the opportunity to form a family and have a support system,” said Pleas. “I hope that students have these fellow people in Premier that you can rely on during your time in college, especially your mentors.”
Providing new students with student mentors is an integral part of the Premier format.
Marie Butnariu, Premier 2015 coordinator and resident assistant at Rall, was a Premier Scholar herself in 2012. The following two years, she served as a mentor, or as they are referred to, a Premier team leader.
“Premier made such a big difference for me as far as my college transition and being comfortable was concerned,” said Butnariu. “My Premier family was always there for me and Premier has given me a step up in getting involved on campus. I wanted to give back to the program in some way.”
Butnariu herself is a first-generation student with a diverse background.
“Growing up I was the only Caucasian and I was always worried that a lot of colleges in the U.S. are heavily Caucasian, especially the private schools.” Butnariu says, “I knew North Central could be a kind of cultural shock, but I got this pamphlet about the program and I thought it was the perfect opportunity for me.”
The Premier Program provides such students the tools they need to deal with financial challenges, family pressure, balancing work, studies and involvement on campus. Students get to know of resources on campus and how to utilize them best.
“One of the biggest challenges faced by first generation students and minority students is finding that close knit community where they can fit in,” said Pleas.
Mariana Franco, a first generation and minority student, said, “Premier allowed me to get comfortable on a college campus before I actually had to take classes.”
“I think I would have had such a big shock if I had just been thrown into college life,” she said. Her sentiments were echoed by two other Premier Scholars: Natalia Flores and Erin Negrette.
The first international student to join Premier two years ago was a girl from Pakistan. “Having an international student just added so much to Premier,” said Pleas.
This year, there were five students from Pakistan in the Premier program. “A whole new world is opened up for students in the States who haven’t experienced somebody from Pakistan before,” said Pleas.
She said that one big part of Premier is different people learning about different cultures and different backgrounds. Pleas believes that having international students join in adds to the richness of the Premier Scholars Program.
Even now, halfway into the term, many of the Premier Scholars can be seen doing homework together, or having a session with their student mentor.
“We will just say hi, even if we didn’t talk much during Premier, we will still see a familiar face and speak to them,” Flores said.
Negrette finds it very comforting to see all those familiar faces on campus.
As Butnariu emphasizes, “the biggest point of the program is for people to know that they have that support and that family to count on each other.”
