Program encourages furthering education

She's just recently a teenager, but Gabby Fields has had her future figured out for several years.
"I am going to be a doctor or a lawyer," Fields, of Kansas City, said. "Maybe both."
But while she says her mind is made up, a recent trip to Pittsburg State University as a member of the Kauffman Scholars program may end up changing her future course.
"I actually might come down here and be a construction worker," she said Wednesday after taking part in construction-type exercises at the Kansas Technology Center at PSU.
The Kauffman Scholars program is a division of the Kauffman Foundation, which gives more than 1,300 students from the urban core of Kansas City a chance to experience college courses. The goal of the program is to motivate the students to graduate from high school and then pursue a college education.
For the past three years, PSU has partnered with the foundation and has hosted several educational activities for the Kauffman eighth-grade students. Last month, the students participated in arts, science, businesses and education courses.
This week, the program has focused exclusively on the university's College of Technology. Students have participated in construction and plastics courses, as well as other programs offered at the KTC. They've learned to mold plastics, build houses and assemble robots.
"Very few of these students has ever had chemistry or any of these types of lessons," said Rebecca Book, PSU plastics instructor. "All of this is relatively new to them."
For Fields, who said using an injection molding machine to make miniature Frisbees was one of her favorite activities, this week's activities has opened her eyes to a whole new world of technology.
"Most of us have never seen machines like this," she said. "Once you learn about them and learn how to use them, it's a lot of fun. I think we all learned something."
Liz Hicks, math and science academic coach for Kauffman, said the students gain valuable lessons from visiting the local university.
"We keep coming to PSU because of the professors and what they provide," Hicks said. "This is so interesting to the kids. They are so actively engaged, I don't even know if they realize they're learning."
Omar Fuentez, a Kauffman scholar, said he's enjoyed his time at PSU and added that he'll keep the university in mind when he makes his future educational decisions.
"It's a cool campus," he said, "and this has been a lot of fun. I like it a lot. This is definitely not anything I'm used to."
Educating students is a primary goal for the program, but exposing those students to PSU is certainly another.
"Some of these students may end up coming to PSU," said Leslye Steptoe, PSU director of student diversity, "so it's a good educational experience for them and a good recruitment tool for us."
Becoming a Kauffman scholar isn't easy for the students, but it also offers a variety of benefits, chief among them is fact that Kauffman will cover the cost for any student that is accepted into college.
"It's a cool program," Fields said. "I enjoy being a part of it."