The second annual Shadow Day, a program to give minority high school students an opportunity to have a first-hand look into the lives of college students, will be held on Friday.

Gregg Randolph, precollege chairperson for the Iowa State chapter of the National Society for Black Engineers (NSBE), is in charge of recruiting volunteers to host the students. For Randolph, getting involved is a matter of giving something back, he said.

“It’s a chance to try to help someone else; I know I didn’t get here by myself, and I’m just trying to return the favor by helping someone else out,” he said.

Iowa State student volunteers for Shadow Day major in science or engineering fields. Randolph hopes to recruit about 20 volunteers for a one-to-one ratio.

“Trying to relate what it’s really like living the college experience, what it’s like going to classes, what engineering really is — that’s the goal. That’s what it’s all about,” he said.

Shadow Day is jointly organized by NSBE and Science Bound, an ISU outreach program of the Institute for Physical Research and Technology. The program pairs Iowa State students with minority students from Des Moines high schools to support their interests in science and engineering and give them a sense of what a typical day is like on campus.

The high school students will attend classes, eat in the residence halls and tour the campus with their hosts.

Last year, students were able to stay overnight with hosts on campus for a taste of ISU nightlife, Randolph said. Instead of an overnight trip, this year the meals and transportation costs will be paid by a grant from the American Legion of Iowa Foundation.

Several students who participated in last year’s Shadow Day are now students at Iowa State.

“I was involved in the Science Bound program, and I want to help other minorities, since I’m a minority,” said Somphith Khamvongsa, a freshman in preprofessional health programs.