Rising high school seniors from across the state and beyond spent three days on campus at Troy University learning the ins and outs of college life, the City of Troy and the necessary steps to becoming a college student during TROY Legacy Builders. 

Held from July 16-18, students from Eufaula, Enterprise, Prattville, Alabaster, Birmingham, the Florida Panhandle and even Texas spent three full days exploring the Troy Campus, Downtown Troy, Butter and Egg Adventures, City of Troy Recreation Center, the IDEA Bank, the Rosa Parks Museum and white-water rafting in Montgomery, Alabama. 

Additionally, the students also heard from Troy Mayor Jason Reeves and TROY faculty Dr. Wendy Broyles, Director Assessment and Compliance, Dr. Richard Ledet, Interim Chair of Political Science, Preston Pritchett, Lecturer and Program Coordinator in the Sorrell College of Business, and more.

“My counselor encouraged me to go, and I’m glad I came,” said Kiavani Palmer of Eufaula High school. “This was a great opportunity for future college students because they really taught us a lot and we got to meet a lot of new people. There’s so many programs for college students to help them out that I’d never heard of that I know about now.”

On the last day, students attended a series of sessions focusing on financial literacy, ACT prep, financial aid, scholarships, dual enrollment and the do’s and don’ts of applying for college.

“Legacy Builders gave me the opportunity to see what TROY would be like that tours can’t really give you—actually experiencing TROY, not just looking at it,” said Cheyenne Tremontana of Alabama Church School in Prattville, Alabama. “TROY is pretty awesome. I’m really excited about everything really, but getting to know more people, having new experiences and gaining more independence. A lot of my questions about ACT scores, scholarship and loan opportunities were answered, basically all of the things I need to actually get me here.”

Jahaziel Martinez, Director of Graduate and Specialized Enrollment and the camp’s organizer, said Legacy Builders was created to show support for first generation students, and any student preparing for college.

“First generation students can sometimes get left behind, so we wanted to show special support for them and help build that sense of community and culture before they even start thinking about college,” he said. “These are rising high school seniors, so being able to bring them here and show them what life can look like as a college student, especially at TROY, to show them they belong somewhere is the whole point.”

At the closing ceremony on Friday, TROY officials revealed one more surprise: each student who chooses to attend the University will receive a $1,000 scholarship, renewable for all four years.

Blake Cox of Enterprise High School said the gesture felt like the perfect personal touch to end a great experience.

“The scholarship offer to everyone at the end of the program really means a lot to me because it shows that TROY cares about students that are currently attending the college, but also students that are even still just considering attending,” he said. “They’re putting effort and time into people that haven’t even fully made up their minds yet, and that does mean a lot.”

Ultimately, Legacy Builders was intended to give students a sense of belonging—whether they attend TROY or choose elsewhere, Martinez said.

“I hope the students took away the sense that college is for them, that they do belong at a university, even if it doesn’t end up being TROY,” he said. “They all have big dreams and we talked about that a lot over the three days they were here, and most of those dreams require a college education. I hope they get excited for college and stay motivated to continue in their journey to achieving those dreams.”

Registration for Fall Semester and Term 1 is available until Aug. 18, and classes begin Aug. 13. To register, visit https://register.troy.edu.