Blackman Academy Juniors Encounter Variety in MTSU Visit

 Blackman High School juniors received a firsthand look at the MTSU textile merchandising and interior design program, biology, chemistry and careers in agriculture, geosciences and more during the Blackman Collegiate Academy Day April 5 on campus.

The 60 students spent the entire day on campus — from learning about the admissions process to spending time in the James E. Walker Library.

The MTSU-Blackman partnership is one of several arranged each semester during the academic year. It gives Blackman students opportunities to spend time on the college campus. They meet MTSU students, faculty and administrators and learn about many of the university’s 240-plus undergraduate and graduate programs.

Mayte Saenphansiri said it was “great to be able to see most of campus and go into science rooms (and laboratories) I maybe will be taking classes in (some day).”

Saenphansiri added MTSU is his first choice for a college after he graduates.

Breanna Bushman also joined Saenphansiri and others in the biology and chemistry class sessions. Bushman was particularly intrigued by biology chair Lynn Boyd’s “students doing research with worms.”

“It’s nice we got to see things we potentially go in and it be our major,” Bushman said. Still undecided on her college choice, she added MTSU is “the one I would choose (in Tennessee) if I wasn’t going to go out of state because of class sizes and quality of education.”

Bushman left impressed with the library.

“I’ve been there before, but I realize how vast the information and research materials can be,” she said.

Catching Saenphansiri’s curiosity was chemistry professor Piotr Kasaynski, who showed the students polarizing filters and teaching them about liquid crystals.

Twenty MTSU faculty — in sports and tourism management, social work, education, nutrition and food science, child and family studiesand more — took time to share their expertise with the Blackman students.