Transcription
Center for Academic Programs50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Spring 2018
Center for Academic Programs50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Spring 2018Table of ContentsCAP Celebrates 50 Years at UConn with Gala.2Stamford Visits Indeed.com. 4A Celebration of 50 Years of Amazing Staff.5Becoming a Global Leader in Salamanca.6CAP Alumna Recognized for Helping Hartford Students Succeed.6McNair Scholars Guest Lecturers in Chemistry Prep Class.7CAP Alumnus Francisco L. Borges Delivers Keynote at 50th Anniversary Gala.7CAP Recognized at Annual Conference.8Programs Partner for Amazing STEM Conference.8Dr. Bidya Ranjeet Honored for Commitment to Education Abroad.9First Star Academy Graduate Continues Her Journey.9ConnCAP Students Participate in STEM Lab Experience.10Special Thanks.10Regional and National TRIO Colleagues Attend CAP Gala. 11Avery Point Networks with State Representative. 11McNair Scholars Attend National Role Models Conference. 12McNair Scholars Program Awarded for Five More Years. 12CAP Alumni Make Gala a Celebration. 13McNair/SSS Alumna Discusses Mentorship with Queen of Sweden. 13SSS Alum Builds Community Abroad. 14Alum Rachael Gavin Inspires Students at SSS Leadership Conference. 14Student Awarded Gilman Scholarship for Summer Education Abroad. 15Czech it Out! SSS Summer in Prague. 16SSS Nursing Students Receive Dose of Inspiration from Alumna. 17Incoming Freshmen Tour Labs. 17Hartford Alum Excels in Accelerated Pharmacy Program. 18CAP Receives Citation from Connecticut General Assembly. 19SSS Junior Selected for Leadership Legacy Experience. 19Student Highlights.20CAP Mission and Staff. 21CAP’s Students are its Future. Back Cover
Center for Academic Programs50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Spring 2018A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTORIt is with great excitement and pride that I welcome you to our50th Anniversary Special Edition Newsletter. Since 1967, the Centerfor Academic Programs have changed the lives of thousands ofstudents and their families.Fifty years ago, the University of Connecticut launched its firstUpward Bound program. Back then, it was called the ConnecticutPre-collegiate Enrichment Program (CONNPEP). Under theexcellent leadership of insurance Professor David Ivry, 30 studentsfrom disadvantaged backgrounds were invited to participate in asummer residential program specifically designed to prepare themfor access to and success in higher education. Also in 1967, aninitiative for college students called Summer Program was launched.The goal was to prepare incoming low-income and/or underrepresented freshmen from the state’s urban centers for the rigors ofUniversity academics and acclimate them to campus life. CONNPEP and Summer Program were whatwe came to know as Upward Bound and Student Support Services. These two programs served as thefoundation of the many initiatives we have today to address specific academic, economic and personalbarriers facing low income, first generation to college and underrepresented students in Connecticut.Since 1967, TRIO has played a critical role in the history of access and educational opportunity at theUniversity of Connecticut. UConn has hosted Upward Bound, GEAR UP, Educational Talent Search,and in 2012, we received funding for our first McNair Scholars program. Throughout the years, we haveexperienced many name changes - CONNPEP, Summer Program, Special Academic and EnrichmentPrograms, Health Science Cluster, Committee for the Education of Minority Students (CEMS), CAP, SSS,ConnCAP, ConnCAS and most recently, the UConn College Access and Preparation Program (UCAP).Regardless of the name the goal has remained the same — to prepare low income and first generationstudents for access to and success in higher education.This year, the Center for Academic Programs at the University of Connecticut celebrated fifty years witha gala held on Saturday, October 28th 2017. Over 250 people were in attendance. Alumni reconnectedwith old friends and mentors, current and former staff celebrated student accomplishments, and prestigious speakers offered remarks in recognition of the Program’s achievements. We were grateful to spendthe evening with so many program alumni and friends and we are pleased to share the details of theevent with our readers.For fifty years UConn’s TRIO programs have benefited from having individuals that are committed to theTRIO philosophy. We look forward to continuing our ongoing commitment to access and educationalopportunity for low income, first generation, and underrepresented populations. On behalf of our staffand students I want to thank you for your extraordinary support.We hope to see you at our programs or at our offices in the Rowe building!Maria D. Martinez, Assistant Vice ProvostInstitute for Student SuccessDirector, Center for Academic Programswww.cap.uconn.edu1
Center for Academic Programs50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Spring 2018CAP CELEBRATES 50 YEARSat UConn with GalaCONNPEP Alums Frances Malenfant Stankiewicz, Sue Ann Malenfant Carver, and Enid Rey with Robert L. Brown, former CAP staffUConn’s Center for Academic Programscommemorated 50 years of providingeducational access and opportunitywith a celebratory gala held on October28, 2017 in the Rome Ballroom on theStorrs campus. The evening highlightedthe incredible role that CAP has had inimpacting the lives of its students. Over250 guests were in attendance, including CAP alumni, current and former CAPstaff, visiting dignitaries, and universityfaculty, staff, and community partners.The keynote address by FranciscoBorges, a CAP alumnus and the currentChairman of Landmark Partners, markeda high point in the evening.Welcoming remarks by Dr. Maria D.Martinez, Assistant Vice Provost ofthe Institute for Student Success andCAP Director, provided an overview ofUConn’s first educational opportunityprograms for underserved students,CONNPEP (Connecticut Pre-CollegiateEnrichment Program) and SummerProgram, which both launched in 1967.Her comments offered a context for theentire celebration, showcasing CAP’sorigins and its growth over time. Dr.John Volin, Vice Provost for AcademicAffairs, reaffirmed UConn’s commitmentto CAP and its mission.CAP’s achievements were alsoacknowledged by nationally recognizedguests. U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, viavideo address, congratulated CAP onits long-standing success, and stressedthe importance of political activism inpreserving and expanding programslike those that CAP oversees. His praisewas echoed by Maureen Hoyler, thePresident of the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) based inWashington, D.C., who acknowledgedthe important partnerships, bothinstitutionally and externally, that havemade UConn’s CAP program one ofthe longest running and most successful providers of TRIO and EducationalOpportunity Programs in the U.S.The evening concluded with dancingand well wishes. Gala attendees left witha sense of CAP’s illustrious past as wellas the incredible potential of its next50 years at UConn.For more information about CAP’shistory, please visit https://cap.uconn.edu/cap-history/.Francisco L. Borges2www.cap.uconn.edu
Center for Academic Programswww.cap.uconn.edu50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Spring 20183
Center for Academic Programs50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Spring 2018Stamford Visits Indeed.comA group of SSS Stamford students traveled to Indeed.com’s Stamford office on November 10, 2017 for the firstin a series of meet-and-greet sessions. The students were able to network with current Indeed.com employeeswhile getting a firsthand experience of company culture. The visit consisted of an office tour, a presentation on thecompany, tips on interviewing and preparing for a career fair, and a Q & A session. Indeed’s University Recruiter,Danielle Mende, hosted the event and provided snacks and swag for the students.This was the second time in a few months that SSS Stamford students connected with Indeed.com employees. Aspart of an Alumni Success Panel during the 2017 SSS Summer Program, SSS alumnus Jason “Jay” Blake shared withthe incoming freshmen his experience working in the sales department at the popular company. Several freshmenthat participated in the November visit were excited to see Jay again when he surprised them with greetings andencouraging words.The opportunity for students to visit Indeed.com came out of a long-standing partnership between SSS and UConn’sCenter for Career Development. Career Counselor Eran Petersen, the CCD liaison for SSS, suggested the opportunityand worked closely with Danielle to make it happen. Danielle will continue working with SSS Stamford to host moreevents designed to help prepare students for successful job searches and careers.4www.cap.uconn.edu
Center for Academic Programs50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Spring 2018A Celebration of 50 Years of Amazing StaffCONNPEP Founder DavidIvry, first CONNPEP Director,Dr. John C. Norman, andCAP Director Iris Kinnardwith UConn administrators,faculty, counselors and staterepresentative in 1967UConn Emeritus Professor Dr. Ronald Taylorand wife (former staff Bernice Taylor)UConn Emeritus Professor Dr. Roger BuckleyIn his keynote address at the CAP50th Anniversary Gala, CAP alumnusFrancisco Borges identified the importance of staff in the success of thevarious CAP programs that supportfirst-generation, low-income, andunderrepresented students.“Bob” Brown in his own intellectualdevelopment and success. In discussing his participation in the CONNPEPsummer program, Mr. Borges describedhow each participant benefited “fromthe commitment and the support, andyes, love” of each staff person.Mr. Borges noted the foresight andvision of Dr. David Ivry and thecommitment of former CAP DirectorIris Kinnard in steering CAP in itsbeginnings. He mentioned the vitalmentorship of Dr. John C. Norman, thefirst official CONNPEP (ConnecticutPre-Collegiate Enrichment Program)director, and CONNPEP advisor RobertIt is only fitting, then, that so manycurrent and former CAP and Universitystaff were on hand to celebrate theselegacies. Dr. Norman, Dr. Taylor, RobertBrown, Alma Maldonado-Cordner,Bernice Taylor, Toni Moran, BeverlySims, and Dr. Roger Buckley, to name afew, were some of the former CAP staffin attendance.www.cap.uconn.eduThe event also welcomed manycurrent and former University personnelthat support CAP’s mission, includingrepresentatives from the Departmentof Educational Leadership, EnrollmentPlanning and Management, the Collegeof Agriculture, Health, and NaturalResources, Student Services, theNeag School of Education, First YearPrograms, Enrichment Programs andthe Honors Program, and TheAfrican American Cultural Center,among others.5
Center for Academic Programs50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Spring 2018STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES STORRSBecoming a Global Leaderin SalamancaSSS student Rene Gaspar participatedin a month-long study abroad experience in Salamanca, Spain as part of theCouncil for Opportunity in Education’scompetitive Keith Sherin Global Leaders Program. The program, which tookplace in June 2017, brings togetherTRIO college students from institutionsall over the United States to immersethemselves in Spanish language,academics, and culture.Rene enrolled in three courses at theUniversity of Salamanca while abroad:Spanish Culture, Spanish Language andComposition, and Latin American/Spanish Cinema. All were taught in Spanish,giving him an immersive learning experience. He also participated in severalopportunities for cultural education.He learned how to make Spanish-styletapas, received instruction in flamencodancing, and even learned about bullfighting from a professional matador!Outside of class, the different cities andlandscapes of Spain became Rene’steachers. He had the opportunity togo on excursions to places in Spainsuch as Avila, Segovia, Arribes delDuero, Coimbra, Madrid, and to Lisbon,Portugal. Rene, a Human Developmentand Family Studies major, feels that histime abroad has already changed howhe views his education. It helped himunderstand the interconnections of awider global community and taughthim the value of “different ideas.”This experience will have significantlife-long impact for Rene. He explains,“This experience taught me to beRene in Salamancaaccepting of being outside of mycomfort zone. It has also motivated meto make the impossible an actuality. Inaddition, by being exposed to such aninternational population, I have seengrowth in my cross cultural communication skills, which will help me bemore confident when interacting withindividuals of all cultural backgrounds.”CAP Alumna Recognized For Helping Hartford Students Succeedwho had recently arrived to the United States from Pakistan.She was just learning English and adjusting to a new cultureand a new life in a very different country.”After Aneela received her Bachelor’s degree in Molecular& Cell Biology from UConn in 2007, she went on to earna Master’s degree in Public Health from IndependenceUniversity. Aneela currently works at Classical MagnetSchool as a School Counselor, after receiving a secondMaster’s degree in Education with a concentration in SchoolCounseling from Cambridge College. She finds her workboth challenging and rewarding, a perfect combinationthat tells her she is making a difference.L to R: Susana Ulloa, High School Initiatives Director, Aneela Shah,CAEOP Alumni Achiever, Kimberly Gorman, CAEOP PresidentCAP alumna Aneela Shah was selected as the 2017 recipientof the Connecticut Association of Educational OpportunityPrograms (CAEOP) Alumni Achiever Award. Aneela acceptedthe award at the 31st annual CAEOP Conference held onOctober 13, 2017 at Goodwin College in East Hartford.Aneela attended Bulkeley High School when she applied toUConn’s ConnCAP Program in 1999. Susana Ulloa, ProgramDirector, remembers meeting a “very shy young woman,6In addition, Aneela has been an outspoken supporter ofthe Center for Academic Programs High School Initiativesprograms such as ConnCAP and has become an ambassadorof TRIO Programs in general. She will also be attending theCouncil for Opportunity in Education (COE) Policy Seminarin Washington, DC to further advocate for federal fundingof TRIO Programs.The CAEOP Alumni Achiever Award is not the first timeAneela has been recognized for her contributions to hercommunity. In recognition of her work with students,Aneela received a Centennial Award in 2015 from KiwanisInternational.www.cap.uconn.edu
Center for Academic ProgramsMcNair Scholars GuestLecturers in ChemistryPrep ClassSeven McNair Scholars participatingin the 2017 Summer ResearchProgram at the Storrs Campus hadthe unique opportunity to serveas guest lecturers in a five-weekchemistry preparation class attendedby UConn ConnCAP students. CyrusBrown, Ekwok Dadzie Jr., AlexaFriedman, Giovanni Ninivaggi,Michael Reid Jr, Martial Sawasawa,and Courtney Wallace teamed upto design and deliver a lecture toeducate the high school studentsabout atomic structure.The lecture on protons, neutrons,and electrons sparked great questions from the ConnCAP students,who were excited to have theScholars visit their classroom.It also allowed the Scholars topractice teach, and to see themselvesas not only the next generation ofresearchers, but of educators. Thefollowing week the Scholars returnedto the classroom to review and discussthe accompanying homework assignment with the students.The Summer Research componentof the McNair Scholars Program is anine-week experience that enablesparticipants, during the summerprior to senior year, to conductresearch in their field of study underthe guidance of a faculty mentor.This experience often culminatesin opportunities to present and/orpublish their research.www.cap.uconn.edu50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Spring 2018CAP Alumnus Francisco L. BorgesDelivers Keynote at50th Anniversary GalaMr. Francisco Borges, alumnus ofUConn’s Connecticut Pre-CollegiateEnrichment Program (CONNPEP), theuniversity’s first educational opportunity program for underserved students,was the keynote speaker at the CAP50th Anniversary Gala. Following hisparticipation in CONNPEP while in highschool, Mr. Borges went on to earn aBachelor of Arts degree from TrinityCollege in Hartford, Connecticut, and aJ.D. from the University of Connecticut,School of Law. He has had a distinguished career in law, business, andpublic service.During his keynote address, Mr. Borgesdiscussed the incredible difference thateducational opportunity can make in ayoung person’s life. This was illustratedwhen he shared a personal story of thetime he visited a Connecticut prisonwhile serving as State Treasurer. Duringthe visit, he came across a formerclassmate who was incarcerated. Atthat moment, Mr. Borges realized thateducational opportunity had been theshaping force that had allowed him towalk in freedom on one side of the barseven while his classmate, rememberedby Borges as “brighter” with greater“intellectual acuity,” was imprisoned.Mr. Borges’s accomplishments demonstrate that the opportunity to attainhigher education, combined withself-motivation and advocacy, canlead to incredible personal and professional accomplishment. In his addresshe explained, “whatever modicum ofsuccess I or others have had, it wouldnot have happened but for thosepeople [CAP staff and counselors] andthe TRIO program. I
made UConn’s CAP program one of the longest running and most success-ful providers of TRIO and Educational Opportunity Programs in the U.S. The evening concluded with dancing and well wishes. Gala attendees left with a sense of CAP’s illustrious past as well as the incredible
