SPRINGFIELD, Mo., October 6, 2021 — Since 2016, Drury University has helped migrant workers and their family members access a college education through the federally funded program known as CAMP. Now the U.S. Department of Education has renewed the grant, allowing Drury to continue transforming lives for another five years. The total value of the grant is $2.375 million.
CAMP stands for College Assistance Migrant Program. The purpose of the grant is to “provide academic and financial support to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their immediate family members complete their first year of college and to continue on in postsecondary education,” according to the Department of Education.
The funding was used for three full-time and three part-time staff members dedicated to identifying, recruiting and supporting students for the program in the area. It also pays for tuition, books, classroom technology, such as laptops, and living expenses, such as child care. Mentoring and leadership training are also key aspects of the program, with partnership support from the Monett Chamber of Commerce. This new round of funding also allows Drury to expand CAMP services into Arkansas.
“We’re thrilled to be able to continue CAMP and to open the door to a college education for those who might not otherwise have this opportunity,” says Rhonda Schilly, site director for the Drury GO campus in Monett, where most CAMP students are located. “We’re pleased the Department of Education sees the positive impact the program has had in our region, and we truly appreciate their confidence in us.”
Changing Lives
The program helped students like Helly Tial achieve her goal of earning a college degree. Tial’s family left Myanmar in the mid-2000s and immigrated to the United States, eventually settling in Springfield. After graduating from Central High School, she discovered CAMP and enrolled at Drury’s main campus in Springfield. After earning a bachelor’s degree in business, she now works in the local banking industry and is set to begin a Master of Business Administration program through Walden University this fall.
“I feel like this is a dream come true,” Tial says. “I think this is the best thing I’ve done in my entire life.”
CAMP has had the largest impact on Drury’s growing Monett campus, which serves a number of Hispanic students in the area.
Stephanie Soto was a CAMP student in Monett who used the program to earn the college credits she needed to enter the competitive two-year nursing program at Ozarks Technical Community College. With her associate degree in hand, she works as a nurse at an area hospital and now has her sights set on a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Soto says Drury “helped me achieve my dream and complete it.”
To learn more about CAMP, including eligibility criteria, visit drury.edu/camp or call at (417) 873-7879.
