By Jonathan Resendez/south news editor

Many of the 300 parents and kindergarten to high school children on South Campus March 28 stepped onto a college campus for the first time.

The iDream, iLearn, iWin summit targeted families with children who may become first-generation college students. Age-specific workshops were designed for the summit to help students and their parents prepare for college.

Dr. Natalie Johnson, associate professor of mathematics, said the event is good for young children simply because of the exposure. The more they hear the word “college” the more it becomes a part of their world, she said.

“Most kids from the ‘hood,’ as they call it, have never been on a college campus,” she said. “By being a part of this, they will remember. Physically coming to the campus helps ingrain the idea and they start believing it.”

Xochitl Villalpando, a Texas Wesleyan Office of Admissions representative, said the event is more effective on high school-aged students. Some of the discussion panels were over the young children’s heads, she said.

Danna Diaz, adjunct education instructor and director of student engagement for the Fort Worth Independent School District, said the event aimed to create a college and career-oriented culture.

Created in April 2007, the summit resulted from planning between local committees, social service agencies and local universities.

Tiffany Wang, intern coordinator for the TCU Youth Program, said the fun programs were designed to dispel the myth that college is boring. The different resources available, she said, helped parents learn that college is an option for their children.

“It’s not important what college they go to, but that they go,” she said.

First-year TCU student Colton Blake was the keynote speaker. An intern with the TCU Youth Group, Blake also spoke at his graduation from O.D. Wyatt High School.

“You can be a transformer,” he said. “There is always more than meets the eye. Stay focused on your goals and dreams. Don’t let anything bring you down.”