Members of the Cultural Awareness Club and their advisor, Mr. Shundell Broomfield, visited Western Illinois University in Macomb on Monday, October 9th.

Broomfield selected WIU because he felt like a lot of students had never been there before. Broomfield said, “I thought it would be a great opportunity for them to take a college tour and visit a campus.  They enjoyed themselves.”  Broomfield wanted to encourage participants to consider life after high school.  He hoped the students seeing people who look like them and interacting with college students would help them realize their opportunities.  The students felt like they learned a lot and that the experience opened their eyes.   Students toured the campus with a guide and also had the opportunity to explore the campus on their own. 

Junior Courtney Johnson felt like the visit gave her a new perspective on college and what to look forward to.  “There was a bunch of different cultures there and it was a good experience,” said Johnson.    Johnson said the trip showed her a real college experience and information about a potential college major.  She enjoyed the experience and will take what she learned on the trip with her in the future when she does attend college. 

Sierra May, also a junior, found the visit to be helpful and informative.  She feelt like the visit opened her eyes to a variety of cultures and helped her by seeing other people that look like her on a college campus.  May said,  “It’s (WIU) an affordable price range for people who do want to go to college in the area, and it’s very convenient for people who live in Illinois. I remember other people from other towns even states were at Western.” May would like to consider WIU for herself.  

Cultural Awareness is a club for students of all cultures to learn about their cultures experience their ethnicity and help them learn about their cultural backgrounds.