With thousands of students roaming around the hallways and
walkways of UCLA, it’s hard not to feel like just another
number or statistic. This summer, some incoming freshmen are
gaining valuable experience in order to battle this overwhelming
feeling college might produce through the Freshmen Summer
Program.
The Freshmen Summer Program, which is associated with the
Academic Advancement Program, is a six-week session that targets
low-income, first-generation college students.
“FSP is designed to introduce students to the academic
rigor of UCLA and familiarize them with its resources,” said
Jeff Cooper, executive assistant to the director of AAP.
Any entering student can participate in the program. However,
during spring quarter AAP recruits students for the program by
visiting low-income areas. The minorities who usually predominate
these areas create a racially diverse atmosphere, Cooper said.
Students in the program take summer school classes amounting to
10 units, attend mandatory tutoring, participate in workshops, and
socialize.
The academic component of the program is writing intensive, and
every student is enrolled in a 10-hour, weekly composition class.
The tutoring is mandatory because students are expected to achieve
excellence in the courses they are taking, not just in their
problem areas, Cooper said.
“All the support we provide is meant to teach the students
how to take control of their own learning. “¦ That is the most
important thing they can learn,” said Donald Wasson, an
associate director of AAP.
The goal of FSP and of AAP is to inspire students to do well
academically and to continue with their education in the form of
medical, law or graduate school, Wasson said.
“They helped me with my class schedule for fall and what
types of programs I could participate in later on. … It was
really hands on,” said Tifhanie Angelene-Coleman, a
first-year psychobiology student who is currently enrolled in
FSP.
For the students in the program the social aspect is very
important. The organizers of the program carefully design the
summer schedules of the students so that they can follow each other
to their classes. In effect, students can create strong bonds.
“I loved (FSP) because I came in knowing nothing about
UCLA, and the program gave me the ability to make friends that, to
this day, I have,” said Sarpoma Sefa-Boakye, a UCLA
alumna.
Among the many workshops and events available for students to
attend was Science Night. Ready and waiting for the students were,
among others, Barbara Ige, a mentoring coordinator, and
Sefa-Boakye.
Sefa-Boakye began with her story, which included her experience
at UCLA and the many opportunities she took advantage of.
Sefa-Boakye’s time at UCLA led her to attend the Latin
American School of Medicine in Havana, Cuba, where she is currently
enrolled.
“The medical school in Cuba allows me to work with
minorities in poor and under-developed neighborhoods, giving me
valuable experience when I come back to the states to be a
practicing physician,” Sefa-Boakye said.
The goal of the evening was to teach students that there are
many opportunities and programs available for them to take
advantage of, and those opportunities can allow students to take
them where they want to go.
“You are only limited by your desire,” Ige said.
Many participants feel that the FSP is a diversified program and
provides many valuable resources and learning experiences.
“It opened up doors for me and helped me understand things
about my major. “¦ I’m so grateful,” said Rosalind
Lopez, a first-year biology student currently in FSP.