Wayne State University's Warrior Days made a return to Detroit high schools recently, with a visit to Western International High School for an hour-long resource fair for the school’s upperclassmen.

The Warrior Day event introduced as many as 400 seniors to the academic programs, financial aid and campus life offered at Wayne State.

LaJoyce Brown, Ed.D., Wayne State senior associate director of undergraduate admissions, said Western International High School has the second-largest enrollment of seniors within the Detroit Public Schools Community District, second only to Cass Tech.  Brown, who leads the Detroit Recruitment Team within the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, explained that the event marked one of several WSU Warrior Days her team has planned for this year.

“I saw a need to increase awareness about WSU’s admissions, scholarships, academic programs and student support services to students at Western International to help with their college selection process,” she said.

During the event, members of the senior class visited several booths and spoke with academic and student services representatives to learn more about the 13 schools and colleges at WSU.

They also received information about the Heart of Detroit Tuition Pledge, which offers free tuition to graduates of Detroit high schools who are admitted to WSU and who have completed their FAFSA. Eligible students would enroll full-time as first-year students in the fall semester and receive up to four years of full-time study with zero out-of-pocket expenses for tuition and standard fees.

Vanessa Reynolds, an admissions counselor at Wayne State and a Western alumna, said before the event that she was looking forward to meeting with the prospective and admitted seniors.

“I am thrilled that our Detroit Recruitment Team will host a Warrior Day for the first time at my alma mater,” she said.

The event was the first in-pers0n Warrior Day at a high school since the pandemic shutdown.

“We are extremely excited about this event, since it is the first time; we can meet the entire senior class in person,” Brown said. “This event will provide students the opportunity to make meaningful connections and to gain more insight about WSU.”

“Our goal is that more students will choose WSU as their college choice after attending this event,” she added.