Booth Scholars summer program returns

HUNTINGTON -- More than 100 Wayne County High School students will descend on Marshall University beginning Sunday, July 13, as the university brings back its annual Booth Scholars Summer Program.

The program is centered around students with academic potential from specific parts of Appalachia, in order to help them get ready for college and succeed in higher education.

"The goal of the program is to open the students' eyes to the rest of the world, to expose them to different cultures and ideas and to make them hungry to learn more," said program director Brenda Napier in a written statement.

The theme for the program is "Living the Dream," and all 115 students will take a four-day trip to Boston as part of the two-week event.

"We have students here interested in MIT and Harvard, and we will be touring both of those schools," Napier said.

Napier said the program has continued to make progress over the years and each year more students become involved.