Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated

The men of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity understand the importance of education and how to use it to help communities that do not have the ability to help themselves.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated was founded by seven men on Dec. 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. In 1922 the group established the "Go to High School, Go to College" program. The program was and is intended to afford Alpha men with the opportunity to serve as role models for high school aged children and younger.

Seven years ago, Damien Myers of the Xi Gamma chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha brought a program to Southeast Missouri State University called, "Go to High School, Go to College." The mission of the program is to develop leaders, promote brotherhood and academic excellence and provide service and advocacy for the black community. The Alphas enroll members from predominately black high schools within the St. Louis area to instill in them the importance of completing secondary and collegiate education as a road to advancement and success.

"We have this program the day of homecoming every academic year," Derrick Smith, president of the Xi Gamma chapter said. "This year our chapter will be bringing down 125 juniors and seniors from the Riverview School District to participate."

"Last year was my first year actually helping out with the program we do every homecoming and I really enjoyed it," Alpha Fredrick Burns said. "Their excitement of being on a college campus, for many of them their first time, is truly inspiring."

These students will be exposed to "college life" during their day on campus. Beginning at 8 a.m., they will receive breakfast, followed by presentations from different organizations, including Career Linkages, Admissions and TRiO. TRiO programs are educational opportunity outreach programs designed to motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Initially, there were three such federally-funded grant programs born out of the Higher Education Act of 1965, hence the name "TRiO." The Alphas will end the presentations by sharing their college experiences and hosting a question and answer period. The students will also get to apply to the university free of charge, tour the campus, go to the homecoming football game and the NPHC Step Show, an annual performance and competition between all the fraternities and sororities within Black Greek Letter Organizations, and enjoy dinner before their departure to St. Louis. All of the events will be totally free to the students.

"We really just want the students to know that there is life after high school and how important it actually is," Smith said.

"Our 'Go to High School, Go to College' program is a wonderful experience for the high school students," former chapter president Ryan Williams said. "The students get to do something that many children can only dream about, and that's being a college student for one day without the actual stress of being a college student! What a life changing experience."