Exploring the matriculation process from high school to college or university can be extremely challenging for any young person, let alone when the most opportunities are hundreds of miles away.

However, Bermudian young people now have the opportunity to have experienced mentors guide them and their parents through the process, with the thanks to Passports to College of Bermuda.

The group, which first launched in Bermuda a little more than six months ago, is the brainchild of Robin O'Neil, a nurse and clinical educator at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, who founded the group, Passports to College, Inc., nearly three years ago in Capitol Heights, Maryland.

She is partnered in Bermuda by fellow nurse, Lisa Hayward.

"Our goal is to lead, develop and advocate for students while we help create opportunities for exposure and enlightenment," said Mrs. O'Neil. "We help students discover, learn and explore and help them, with their families."

The main launch to Passports to College in Bermuda was the development of an eight-day/seven-night tour of 11 different colleges and universities in the Southeastern United States for of 27 students from CedarBridge Academy and their adult chaperones.

The students had the opportunity to travel to several Southeastern United States colleges and universities, including Premier Ewart Brown's alma mater, Howard University.

Tours of CNN and Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia, were also arranged, whereby students could learn about how internship programmes work.

Open tours, such as the one Passports to College is preparing for during the February school break, also include meetings with admissions counsellors, student ambassador tours, cultural activities, shadow experiences and team building exercises.

In addition to the tours, Mrs. O'Neil also plans on hosting several college readiness workshops on SAT preparation, essay writing and the application process.

Parenting workshops are also in the works, to help parents understand the college application process.

"We're going to show and explain to parents what their role should be," Mrs. O'Neil said.

For more information on Passports to College, visit their website, www.passportstocollege.org, or email Robin O'Neil at reoneil[AT]passportstocollege.org.