The Wayne State College Navigators have started connecting high school students to WSC through personal or group tours and emphasizing Wayne’s strong value of community.  

“Within the first five minutes of the tour, I use the time to get to know the student, seeing who they are and what they do,” navigator Charlotte Kimsey said when describing how she personalizes each tour for each student. 

The tours the navigators give are the bridge between students and their potential future college life at WSC. Having college students interact during those tours works wonders for the mind of a high school student.  

“College looks scary,” navigator Azania Kumalo said. “Getting people to come say hi to my group or interact with us makes it seem less scary and more authentic.”  

 “Being a close-knit community is Wayne’s strongest point,” navigator Cayla Mentor said, which she emphasizes by making sure each student knows that there is a space for everyone at WSC. 

Not only do these navigators do an important job, but they love what they do.  

 “I ended up loving interacting with high school students and getting to know them because they are all so different from each other,” Kimsey said. “I love seeing them fall in love with the college by the end of the tour.”  

Being a navigator is also a very rewarding job. 

“There is no better feeling than when you see a student you gave a tour to at WSC and thriving. I am so excited that I got to help be part of their decision to come here,” Mentor said.   

The WSC Navigator team has approximately 30 team members. Nearly half of those team members are still in training, both Kimsey and Mentor said.  

“They have new blood and energy,” Mentor said. “It reminds me of how I felt when I started. They are exactly what this team needs.”