Del. Shaneka Henson, who represents the Annapolis area, led more than 30 middle school students on the fourth annual Elijah M. Wilson college tour Saturday.

“It was so great to see them, even at that young age, able to picture themselves on college campuses, living independently, studying different fields, participating in sports teams. It was really cool to hear them get excited about their future,” said Henson, who graduated from Coppin State University with a Bachelor of Science degree and the University of Baltimore with a law degree.

The tour is named after Elijah Mekhi Wilson, a 16-year-old who was shot and killed between Eastport Terrace and Harbor House in 2019, days before his birthday and early in Henson’s first term. Henson says she designed the tour to emphasize the importance of community support and education in preventing the violence that took his life.

“The role of being a delegate is not just focused on campaigning or looking at what’s next. It’s focused on making an impact,” said Henson. “For me, it’s about leaving a legacy of community service.”

The group toured, met with representatives and learned about the academic programs at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore and Salisbury University. In past years, Henson has taken students to the University of Maryland, College Park, Morgan State University, University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Bowie State University.

This year, middle school students were invited on the tour because Henson and her team noticed that students who don’t aspire to go to college usually reach that conclusion before getting to high school. If the tour can get middle school students to think about their future, they can enter high school aware of how to create a foundation for college applications, Henson said.

Candis Henson, who is not related to Del. Henson, is the middle school coordinator for Charting Careers, an Annapolis nonprofit that provides mentorship and career opportunities to young people, and brought several students involved in her program on the tour Saturday.

Many of them were excited to talk to college students, asking what it’s like being away from home, what they wish they knew before going to college and what living in a dorm is like, Candis Henson said. Visiting a dorm room and meeting college students that miss home but are still successful, helped the middle school students envision themselves in college.

“It is never too early to learn about college,” Candis Henson said. “The middle school students inquiring about that are looking to enhance their high school experience so they can have greater opportunities for college.”