Eddie A. Perez

Mayor

 

MAYOR PEREZ WANTS HARTFORD STUDENTS TO

 PREPARE TODAY FOR COLLEGE TOMORROW

 

---MEDIA RELEASE---

 

(May 3, 2006)--- Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez, NBA and former UCONN standout Kevin Ollie, Hartford Public Schools, the Foundation for Excellent Schools (FES), and hundreds of “Goodwill Ambassadors” from the community took part in the third annual Early College Awareness Day in the Capital City.  The goal is to increase the number of Hartford students who graduate from a 4-year college program, in order to better compete in our global economy.  This year’s theme is “Preparing Today for College Tomorrow.”

 

Mayor Perez says, “You could feel the excitement in every school and see the inspiration in every child’s face.  I always enjoy hearing kids say that they know what they want to be when they grow up and they know they need to graduate from college in order to make that dream come true.  It is never too early to start planning for college.  Early College Awareness Day reinforces our educational vision for the City.”

 

Rick Dalton, President of FES adds that school spirit plays a vital role in inspiring students.  College songs being played in the hallways and teachers dressed in alma mater t-shirts and mascot costumes made the day fun and informative.  He says, “We collaborated with 10 Connecticut-based alumni clubs from colleges across the country and networked with several other organizations to ensure that the 24,000 students enrolled in Hartford Public Schools could hear the college message.”

 

Kevin Ollie says, “My mother always tells me that her proudest moment of me is not scoring points on the basketball court but it was when I walked across the stage and accepted my diploma.”

 

All 35 Hartford Public Schools participated in the event, complete with pep rallies, assemblies, classroom discussions, interactive games and events, and essay contest winners.  New to the FES roster this year is Bulkeley High School, thanks to the generous contribution of BL Companies, which is a top design firm, and Mayo Crowe, a law firm specializing in business and commercial law.

 

Besides Bulkeley, Mayor Perez talked about how education opens the door to opportunity at Kinsella, Moylan, Betances, Wish, Twain, and Fisher Schools, as well as the Learning Corridor.