College of Education’s SCOPE sees its first second-generation student

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The College of Education’s Summer College Opportunity Program in Education (S.C.O.P.E.) has been around since 2002, but it reached a new milestone with the 2026 cohort. For the first time, S.C.O.P.E. included a second-generation participant — Dyani Scott, of Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, and a junior at Pocono Mountain East High School.

S.C.O.P.E. is a four-week rigorous academic enrichment and orientation program offering the opportunity to experience college life during the summer session at Penn State’s University Park campus.

To be eligible, students must be from a background traditionally underrepresented in the field of education, be entering the 11th grade in the upcoming school year, be interested in an education career, have a high school cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or better and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Scott’s mother Debbie Lyking, a special education teacher for the New York City Department of Education, participated in S.C.O.P.E. in 2006. When the possibility of attending the same program at Penn State her mother did 20 years ago, Scott had the advantage of hearing about her mom’s firsthand account.

“She was able to experience living in a college dorm, so far away by herself,” Scott explained. “And then this school year, she was like, ‘You should apply, applications are finally open.’ But I think what really sold me on it was when she was telling me about how she was in the dorm with her friends, and she met so many new people, and it was just that sense of independence.”

Lyking said she has seen a shift in her daughter since beginning S.C.O.P.E., as the impending reality of graduating high school and heading off to college draws closer. She hopes that her daughter’s time in S.C.O.P.E. will make the eventual transition to college easier when the time comes.

“I hope she's seeing the full picture of what this experience is really going to do for her,” Lyking said. “Even now, she's like, ‘It's a summer, I'm getting credit, I'm doing research,’ but it doesn't hit you until you're really in college, when you're adjusting to certain things, and you're like ‘This is nothing, because I experienced these type of things before — just certain shock factors that a lot of other new students in college will go through when they start versus having prior college experience.”

As for what field of study she may pursue, Scott said she would like to become a mental health counselor. She said becoming a counselor appeals both to her desire to help others and her interest in human psychology.

“I think I've always been really interested in how the mind works,” Scott said. “Ever since I was little, I've been always trying to understand people and why they think the way they think. So, I feel like being a mental health counselor, especially for high school students who, a lot of the time, don't have people they can talk to. That’s very appealing to me because there have been times where I'm like, ‘Who should I talk to?’ But I feel like if you're a mental health counselor and a good representation of how to navigate your emotions, you can help a lot of people and it's really just helping people that I like.”

S.C.O.P.E. aligns with the College of Education’s mission by seeking to increase access to the education field for more people from more backgrounds. Additionally, this approach aims to improve outcomes for all students by allowing more students to not only see themselves represented among educational professionals, but among those involved in the decision-making process at the local, state and federal levels as well.

The students, affectionately called “SCOPErs,” begin the four-week session by selecting a contemporary issue in education. The initial project is to write a research proposal on their selected issue, then explore positions and solutions surrounding their issue through Pattee and Paterno Library.

SCOPErs compile a list of these sources using the American Psychological Association (APA) as a form of documentation. Finally, the students complete their project by developing a solution or by further clarifying their understanding of the problem.

Scott said she's enjoyed her time getting to know her fellow SCOPErs and getting to dive into her chosen research subject, “The Hidden Stigma: Mental Health in Caribbean Immigrant Households,” which appeals to her as someone who grew up in such a home environment.

“I've been having a lot of fun,” she said. “I really like all the friends I'm making, all the people I'm meeting. I like everybody here. I wouldn't say there's anything in particular that I really dislike — even all the work. I wouldn't say it's hard, because for me to say it's hard, that would be like I can't do it, but I feel like there's enough support here for me to be able to work through it and feel accomplished once I'm done with it.

“I feel like growing up in a Caribbean household, I've really seen how that stigma of mental health can affect people and I feel like the way my parents — especially my mom, the way she navigated breaking that stigma, I feel like it was a good point to touch on because I feel like she did a really good job at making me feel open to talking to her about things," she added.

S.C.O.P.E. is possible thanks to the support from the Penn State College of Education; Nancy S. Arnold Fund; John and Maryann Gilmartin; Tom and Jackie Jenkins Endowment; Nolan-Landers Fund; Maria J. Schmidt Endowment; Julie Welker; John & Michael West Endowment; Clifton Edwards; the Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity; and Our Education and S.C.O.P.E. Alumni.

Any school or organization that would like more information about S.C.O.P.E. can email OESE-COE@psu.edu.