University of Connecticut Center for Academic …...University of Connecticut Center for Academic...
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![Page 1: University of Connecticut Center for Academic …...University of Connecticut Center for Academic Programs ConnCAP Newsletter Volume VII Issue II Fall 2014 Please Submit to the Newsletter:](https://reader034.fdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042804/5f5462be8bc50319ec2b83ca/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
University of Connecticut
Center for Academic Programs
ConnCAP Newsletter Volume VII Issue II Fall 2014
Please Submit to the Newsletter:
Academic, Civic, and Ath-
letic Honors
Community Service News &
Activities
Original Writings
Original Artwork
School or Class News
Issues or Questions Information for the newsletter is drawn from the information you provide to your advisors during team meetings. We want to hear from you! Please submit to the newsletter! Contact your counselor about any interesting activities or events that you’d like to share!
Inside this issue:
Academic Days 1,3,4,5
Senior Trip 2
College Fair 5
Student Achievements 6 & 7
Letter from the Director
UConn Health Center Academic Day
The final academic day of the fall semester was held at the UConn Health Center in
Farmington for our eighth annual collaborative academic day with the Health Center outreach
initiative programs. Their staff, including Dr. Granville Wrensford, encouraged ConnCAP stu-
dents to learn more about careers in dental, medical, and other health care fields. The Health
Center developed several workshops that gave students hands-on access to the everyday work
of practitioners in that field. Because the events of the day
were led by medical students and dental professionals, stu-
dents had the opportunity to discuss the paths that current
dental and medical students had taken to get to where they are today. During lunch,
students had the opportunity receive advice and mentoring about careers in health
related fields from the Health Center staff and students present.
This academic day was highly successful and popular. Thank you to Dr.
Wrensford, and the other students and faculty of the Health Center for making the day
so engaging and informative!
Dear all,
As usual, this has been a very busy fall
semester! We started the year with a number of
fun and educational events, including three
academic days, a college trip for seniors, and a
visit to the Southern Connecticut College Fair.
We’ve also been seeing students regularly at
our team meetings with Christina.
In the spring, we are looking forward
to several more academic days and the annual
TRiO Day trip, which will give students the
chance to learn more about colleges and ca-
reers, meet other students in programs like
ours, and hear inspiring stories from students
who have overcome many different and diffi-
cult situations and achieved success.
Senior students are now finishing and
submitting their college applications. They
have been working diligently to ensure that
they are accepted to the college of their choice.
We are looking forward to celebrating accep-
tances with them in the coming months.
As the year winds down, we want to
thank everyone who has helped us to make
this year a success. Our outstanding summer
staff, tutors, and volunteers made the sum-
mer a great success, and the volunteers from
PRLACC, EcoHouse, La Unidad Latina, and
the Spring Valley Student Farm provided
great mentorship and support for our stu-
dents. We also want to thank the staff of the
high schools for helping us so much this fall!
We have finished with team meet-
ings and will resume during the last week
of January. We are looking forward to con-
tinuing to work with our students and assist-
ing with college selection and the financial
aid process.
Wishing everyone a peaceful and
joyful holiday season,
Susana M. Ulloa
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Page 2 CONNCAP NEWSLETTER Fall 2014
College Trip Gives ConnCAP Students a Different Perspective
This year’s
annual senior trip
gave ConnCAP
students the chance
to visit several in-
state colleges
throughout south-
ern Connecticut,
showing them how
diverse the options
across the state are.
On Friday,
students visited
Fairfield University and the University of Bridgeport,
taking tours and participating in information sessions. On
Saturday morning, students took a tour of Southern Con-
necticut State University. At each school, students
learned about the majors available, dorms, and other as-
pects of campus life.
At the University of Bridgeport, the tour guide
was a student in the Student Support Services Program
there. She was able to inform students about all of the
At Southern Con-
necticut State University,
students met with Anna
Rivera-Alfaro, the Assis-
tant Director in the Aca-
demic and Career Advising
Office as well as five stu-
dents from the Organiza-
tion of Latin American
Students (OLAS). The
ConnCAP and OLAS stu-
dents broke off into
smaller groups, giving the
OLAS students the opportunity to share their experiences as
first generation college students with our ConnCAP students.
The students participated in a Paint Night activity
where they were able to share some laughs and create
memories in their last formal activity together. The students
were provided step by step instructions by Bella, owner of
Art Plus Studio. They had the opportunity to paint a night
scene or a any design of their choice. The students had a
great time with each other.
(From left to right) O’Neil Lewis, Risher Pena-Gomez, Paola Hernandez, Stephanie Duran,
Jordan Baez, Dion Smith, Tiffany Serrano, Melinda Olszewski and Leandra Nolette
(front row) Tatiana Hernandez, Javante Danvers and Janckarin Mendez-Espinal
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CONNCAP NEWSLETTER Page 3 Fall 2014
Learning from M..E.T.A.S. Students about College Life
The second academic day of the year
brought ConnCAP students to the University of Connecti-
cut’s Puerto Rican Latin American Cultural Center
(PRLACC). At PRLACC, students were greeted with ex-
citement by Director Fany Hannon and Daisy Verduzco
Reyes, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Chicano-
Latino Studies, who both shared their inspirational stories
about overcoming adversity to gain admission to college
and achieving their dreams.
After hearing these stories, students were intro-
duced to mentors from the Mentoring, Educating, and
Training for Academic Success (METAS) Program, under-
graduate students who serve as peer mentors for first-year
and transfer students. These mentors work hard to ensure
that new students on campus find their home on campus
and feel welcome.
The mentors broke students up into five different
groups, and each group began a discussion about an impor-
tant topic for college life. Students gained personal insight
from the mentors’ experiences with the financial aid proc-
ess, balancing heavy academic course loads, finding aca-
demic support on campus, getting involved in clubs and
activities, and making new friends on campus. Students
moved from station to station, meeting and learning the
personal histories of each of the mentors who volunteered
their Saturdays for them.
In the afternoon, students played trivia games to
match the mentors with facts about their lives and got the
chance to hear about each mentor’s journey to UConn.
One in particular stood out to students, as he told the story
of his initial rejection from UConn. While he was disap-
pointed, he did not let that rejection defeat him. Instead,
he enrolled at Southern Connecticut State University and
worked hard to prove he could and would succeed in col-
lege. After a year, he reapplied to UConn as a transfer
student and was admitted. Alaychia Tyner noted that his
speech was the most memorable part of the day, and she
would remember to “keep trying even if you don’t get
selected by a college.” Lashawnda Phillips said that she
will remember that “anyone can get into college if they
try.” His powerful story reminded students that even
rejection shouldn’t keep you from achieving your
dreams.
Other useful information gained was about bal-
ancing school and social lives. Shakera James said that
she was glad to have the opportunity to think “about ex-
tracurricular activities and my social life” in addition to
the academics. Nadia Abdul agreed, saying that she was
glad to learn about “the benefits of getting involved, be-
cause it will help me prepare better” for college. Zaire
Diaz was glad to learn some ways to manage stress in
college from the mentors.
Students found the discussion about financial aid
particularly important, as it gave them ideas on the many
ways to finance a college education and information
about how the mentors had done so. Domingos Barbosa
was glad to learn “that there are lots of ways to help af-
ford college.” Jesus Alvarado felt “relieved” after learn-
ing about financial aid.
Overall, students were grateful to form personal
connections with students in college. Their first-hand
accounts of the application process, financial aid, and the
transition to being college students gave ConnCAP stu-
dents concrete ideas of how they can achieve their dream
and be successful college students in the coming years.
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Community Service Academic Day
CONNCAP NEWSLETTER
Page 4 Fall 2014
For our first academic day of the new
year, ConnCAP students visited the University of
Connecticut’s Spring Valley Student Farm along
with undergraduate students who live on the farm
and in the EcoHouse Learning Community.
Spring Valley Student Farm is far from the
main campus and feels like a remote and distant
world from UConn’s main campus. Twelve
UConn students live on the farm, paying part of
their housing stipend by gardening. Students from
EcoHouse visit every Friday afternoon, spending
two hours harvesting, mulching, weeding, and
building new projects, like an in-process per-
maculture field that utilizes ecologic and sustain-
able design standards to create a self-maintained
habitat modeled on natural ecosystems.
At the farm, students were able to hike to the Willi-
mantic River and see the pastures where cows graze. They also
had the opportunity to meet (and pet!) the farm’s chickens,
learn about the organic methods the farmers use to protect their
crops, and learn about greenhouses. Students also got the op-
portunity to taste some of the edible flowers grown on the
farm, which the students who live on the farm often add to their
salads. The flowers, students said, tasted peppery but good.
After the farm, students ate a meal using produce grown at the
farm at Whitney Dining Hall.
Students got an opportunity to talk to current
EcoHouse residents about how community service fit
into their lives as students, both in high school and in
college. Two of the EcoHouse students noted that they
wrote their college essays about service, and called
their experiences formative.
We look forward to going back to Spring Val-
ley Student Farm in the summer, when everything is in
bloom. Thank you to EcoHouse Coordinator Brigid
Belko, the students of Spring Valley Farm, and the resi-
dents of EcoHouse for making this morning exciting!
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CONNCAP NEWSLETTER Page 5 Fall 2014
In the afternoon of our first academic day, ConnCAP
students had the opportunity to take part in two workshops
designed to help them see the value of community service.
These seminars were run by hermanos from the fraternity La
Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc, in-
cluding Kevin Irizarry, a former tutor for the ConnCAP sum-
mer program.
La Unidad Latina is a national organization aimed at
providing educational opportunity for Latino students, devel-
oping leadership skills, and provide academic, social, and
cultural support to help students excel in institutions of
higher education. As a part of their
mission, the hermanos of the UConn
chapter of La Unidad Latina strongly
value community service and take
part in a number of activities outside
of the classroom to better themselves
and the community.
After brief introductions, the
hermanos broke the students up into
two groups to take part in different
hands-on workshops that led them to
experience different aspects of com-
munity service.
For an activity meant to show students about
working with limited resources, students were further di-
vided into teams tasked with coming up with a list of
words, each starting with their assigned letters. Groups
with more common letters found the activity much easier,
but those with less common letters worked creatively to
create as many words as they could, making the most of
their available resources.
Downstairs, students worked to create a defini-
tion of community service, using only drawings. Stu-
dents drew people holding hands, helping each other, and
other literal embodiments
of the sorts of kindness and
social responsibility that
the hermanos had aimed to
teach them.
Thank you to La
Unidad Latina for visiting
our program to share pow-
erful ideas about commu-
nity service with our stu-
dents!
Community Service Academic Day Continued
Southern Connecticut National
Hispanic College Fair On October 30, students from the ConnCAP Program had the op-
portunity to attend the annual Southern Connecticut National Hispanic Col-
lege Fair held at Western Connecticut State University.
At the fair, students met with representatives from a variety of uni-
versities and colleges. Students had the opportunity to meet with colleges
from around the region, with colleges from New England to as far away as
Illinois represented.
The ConnCAP students were excited about the practical things they
learned. Ashley Weaver was excited to find out how many colleges offered
the majors she is interested in and noted that the fair “helped me to keep
different colleges in mind.” Priscilla Shuan was glad to have “learned the
SAT score requirements for the different colleges I was interested in,”
which will help keep her on track as she prepares to take them in the com-
ing years.
A highlight of the day was our students getting a chance to meet the students from the Waterbury ConnCAP
Program, giving students a chance to discuss shared goals, struggles, and success.
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On Thursday, July 31st, students participating in
ConnCAP’s 2014 summer program gathered at the Univer-
sity of Connecticut’s Storrs campus to celebrate their com-
pletion of the intensive, six-week program. They were
joined by family and friends, ConnCAP’s summer faculty
and staff, and a number of distinguished guests, including
special guest speaker Jane A. Ciarleglio, Executive Direc-
tor of the Connecticut Office of Higher Education, and
keynote speaker Jermaine Brookshire, Jr., founder and
Chief Executive Officer of Great Expectations Movement
and a 2009 Upward Bound/ConnCAP alumnus. The clos-
ing ceremony capped off the final week of the program,
which included a student talent show, end-of-the-summer
dance, and a trip to Lake Compounce. There was a palpa-
ble excitement in the air as students arrived at the Student
Union Ballroom to greet their families and friends, and to
enjoy one last morning together before heading home.
The students worked incredibly hard throughout
the summer program. For six weeks, they attended classes
and labs in subjects such as English, Algebra, Biology,
Study Skills, and SAT Prep, aimed at preparing them for
the upcoming academic year. The seniors took a special
College Prep course that helped them begin their college
searches and to start working on college essays and appli-
cations.
Over the course of the summer, the students also
participated in a number of activities outside of the class-
room, including: the annual roller skating trip; college vis-
its to Wesleyan University and Central Connecticut State
University; Thursday Hall of Fames; and after class clubs,
such as football, basketball, dance, and art, to name a few.
Students returning to the program renewed friendships and
reconnected with tutor counselors and teachers; new
students were welcomed into the ConnCAP family and had
their first experience living on a college campus.
In addition to inspiring speeches from Mr. Brook-
shire and Ms. Ciarleglio, students also heard from one of
their peers. Student speaker Paola Hernandez, who is cur-
rently a senior at Hartford Public High School, Law and
Government Academy, spoke of her time in the program
with fondness, noting that it was hard for her to imagine
that she would not be back next summer because of how
much the program had shaped her and helped her over the
years. Javante Danvers, a senior at Great Path Academy,
was also honored at the ceremony. She was the recipient of
the Robin Walker Memorial Award, given to the student
who best exemplifies ConnCAP’s commitment to academic
achievement, leadership, and community service.
Besides Paola and Javante, a number of other stu-
dents were recognized at the ceremony for their achieve-
ment in English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, and
Spanish. As the ceremony came to a close, there were a few
tears, many smiles, and even more proud faces as students
met up with their families and friends, posed for pictures,
and had friends and summer faculty and staff sign their lit-
erary magazines. It was a wonderful way to conclude a
great summer and to celebrate the hard work and dedication
of the students.
Summer 2014 Graduation Memories
“Study Hall and tutoring during the sum-
mer helped me prepare in high school
and senior year.”
Leandra Nolette,
Windham High School
Fall 2014 Student Accomplishments
Page 6 CONNCAP NEWSLETTER Fall 2014
Windham High School students fundraised about $75.00 in one week
for the Windham Area Interfaith Ministry (WAIM) Walk for Warmth. The
fundraiser proceeds benefited the Willimantic Community through
WAIM’s Energy Assistance Program.
Hartford Public and Bulkeley High School students are
currently fundraising for My Sisters’ Place, an organization which
provides a safe environment for homeless women and children.
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Nadia Abdul
Jordan-Elijah Baez
Tea-Ani Baez
Domingos Barbosa
Danielle Begin
Khalil Bradley
Omari Brooks
Eric Bueno
Javante Danvers
Zaire Diaz
Javaughnie Edwards
Janckarin Espinal-Mendez
Jennifer Figueroa
Kokoe Folly
Jordan Freeman
Francelis Gonzalez
Jocelyn Gonzalez-Pagan
Paola Hernandez
Michael Hua
Shakera James
Maria Martinez
Tara Mishra
Alondra Morales
Melinda Olszewski
Risher Pena-Gomez
Ronald Pena-Gomez
LaShawnda Phillips
Zuleyma Reynoso
Desiree Rivera
Ashley Rodriguez
Priscilla Shuan
Dion Smith
Nayeliz Sosa
Jenarie Spruielle
Angelique Torres
Jean Vega
Chanell Watkins
Ashley Weaver
Congratulations to All Who Achieved Honor Roll:
Fall 2014 Student Accomplishments
Team Meeting Reminders
Spring Team Meetings will begin:
Windham High School: Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Hartford Public High School: Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Bulkeley High School: Thursday, January 29, 2015
*More Information Will Be Mailed Home During The Break*
Page 7 CONNCAP NEWSLETTER Fall 2014
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FRS 290902
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
CONNCAP
CENTER FOR ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
368 FAIRFIELD WAY, U-4170
Phone: 1-800-839-6869
860-486– 4040
Fax: 860-486-4024
Wishing You Joy and Peace this Holiday Season