On October 27^th, Young Men and Women of Excellence went on a field trip to Seminole State College. This field trip was set up and facilitated by the TRIO Connections program, along with the Seminole County Public Schools Young Men and Women of Excellence initiative.

This field trip included very useful and meaningful mentoring/teaching from speakers from very different points of view in life. There were four panelists who got up and talked about their lifestyles, values, perspectives, and one woman even shared her story on how life knocked her down, and she still managed to be successful. Each one of the speakers work in different fields: music, banking, commercial real estate, and education.

There was one speaker who touched the hearts of most students, when she began to tell her story. LaShea Reaves expressed to the audience, that after the loss of her mother and father and having to be on Section Eight housing after completely blowing over $2.1-million, she managed to be more than successful and wealthy in the banking industry. This story brought emotion and inspiration to many of the students in the room.

After hearing a few panelists, students got to take a break, and then later got to take a tour around Seminole State College. This tour gave students the opportunity to sit in an actual college classroom. This trip also proposed the opportunity for students to fellowship with the other students from Young Men and Women of Excellence programs around the county. Seminole High School, Lake Mary High School, and Lake Howell High School were also in attendance and a part of the fellowship.

Once the students took a tour around the school, they were taken back into the conference room where the workers from TRIO Connections had Chick-Fil-a catered to them. After eating, students got the chance to walk, talk and explore with other students.

This field trip was overall an amazing opportunity for Young Men and Women of Excellence to get just a small glimpse of the college life. The purpose was to expose students to the educational opportunities that are out there beyond high school and let them know that all students have a chance, no matter the background. Each speaker expressed what they felt it takes to get to the college life; focus, hard work, drive, and dedication.