Wander with WIB – The Path from High School to College
Written by Michelle Monier
May 4, 2026
Choosing a college goes far beyond choosing a major; it's about finding a community where you envision your future. For many high school students, that vision begins to take shape through the WIB High School Partnership team.
This dedicated branch of WIB serves as the “front door” to OCOB and softens the transition from high school to college life. The team facilitates both on-campus events, such as Wander with WIB held earlier this month, and local outreach. They work towards a key goal: ensuring the next generation feels empowered to pursue higher education.
Behind the Outreach
The high school partnerships team operates as a collaborative unit between the VP and directors. The VP delegates and organizes tasks between the Outreach, Logistics, and Activities Directors.
Lauren Boersma, Vice President of High School Partnerships, emphasized this idea.
“We all work very closely together on the team and I love them and we have the best time.”
When the team goes out into communities on high school visits, they bring with them these values of community and connection.
“When we go to high school campuses, I hope they get a sense of how driven we are at Cal Poly. I hope they're inspired, not even to go to Cal Poly, but to pursue higher education in general. I want them to see we're passionate about something, especially as women,” Boersma said.
Wander with WIB: More than a Tour
Wander with WIB is everything that a typical, sterile campus tour is not. The event is a personal, and completely immersive experience for prospective students.
This year, tour students were met with a meet-and-greet breakfast with the mentors before they split off into groups of four prospective students and one mentor. By sitting in on the WIB general meeting and a student panel, as well as “wandering” through campus with their mentors, students got an unfiltered look into Cal Poly life. The impact of this hyper-personal experience can be seen through the copious ‘full-circle’ moments that Boersma witnesses.
“Mentors sign up for Wander with WIB because they did it when they were going into their freshman year and it had a big impact on them. Carelle, a speaker on our student life panel this year, is not even in WIB, but she attended Wander with WIB when she was touring and said it was one of the reasons she chose it,” Boersma shared.
Finding the Future
A key aspect of the high school partnerships team is their high school campus outreach. The team acts not only for young women, but as a resource for all students. By doing so, the team is helping normalize women in leadership roles before students enter the workforce. The team’s commitment to this message was highlighted this year when they awarded a scholarship to a high school boy who had attended their high school conference for two consecutive years.
“We are a resource for anyone pursuing business or higher education,” Boersma explains. “It's about building up high school students and exposing men to women in business, too. It's a good message we're putting out there.”
As these high school students prepare for the future, which is rarely a linear path, the team stands as a reminder that while the future is unknown, our community is here to help navigate it. And as Boersma says, “When one door closes, another one opens. Have a plan, but be OK if it takes you down another path.”