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WSC offers Summer Scholars Program

By Michelle Symington

MetroWest Reminder Assistant Editor



WESTFIELD Local high school students will have the chance to experience college life this summer through a new program at Westfield State College (WSC).

The Summer Scholars Program at Westfield State College (SSP@WSC) will give high school students between their junior and senior years an opportunity to live on campus, take college classes and participate in a variety of community events to get a taste of the college experience.

The new program is made possible by the college's I-3 fund, which stands for Innovate, Initiate and Inspire. The fund was created by WSC President Vicky Carwein last year.

Jon Conlogue, director of Residential Life at WSC and co-director of the new program, explained that, through the I-3 fund, people within the college are asked to submit proposals for an internal grant that will support new innovative programs.

Conlogue said that the new Summer Scholars Program was one of the handful of programs selected to receive the funding this year.

Conlogue had been involved in a similar program at a different institution and said the idea behind such programs is "to bring high school students to college to give them a taste of what college life is like."

He added that the experience may help reinforce for some students that they do want to go to college.

Robert Bristow, interim associate vice president of Academic Affairs and co-director of the Summer Scholars Program, said the program benefits both students and the college.

"The program expands our educational outreach to the Commonwealth by providing an opportunity to get started on a successful college career to students who may not have an opportunity to attend college," he said.

The new program, which will include about 20 participants for the first year, is offered at no cost to the students.

The students will live in a campus residence hall Sunday through Thursday for five weeks, returning home for the weekends.

"The residential program provides a total immersion into what a full-time college student might expect," Bristow said, adding that some of the anxiety of college life will be reduced because the college will not be as busy during the summer as it is in the fall.

Conlogue explained that the students will all live in one section of the residence hall, will take three classes and will receive meals and textbooks.

The classes will include a course in humanities, which has yet to be chosen, a lab science class (physical geology) and a first year experience seminar.

He said the seminar is an orientation to Westfield State College and college life in general.

The classes will be offered just to the students in the program. Conlogue said that 20 students is about the normal class size at the college.

As part of the classes, students will have the chance to be involved in the community. For example, Conlogue said the science course will include some field work during which the students leave campus.

He added that part of the first year experience course includes eight hours of community service, which will be set up for the students.

Students will also participate in some social and recreational activities such as visiting Six Flags New England or the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame so that they "get a break from the academic side," Conlogue said.

By taking the classes, the participants can earn up to eight college credits through the new program.

"Whether they choose Westfield or another college, it is a nice head start on a college career," Conlogue said.

In addition to the full-time commitment and earning eight college credits, Bristow said the total experience "is designed to prepare young individuals with the skills needed to succeed in higher education."

Conlogue said the program, including the application process, is set up to help local students prepare for the next year when they will actually be applying for college.

The application process for the program is similar to that of a college application.

When going over the applications, Conlogue said he will look at the reasons the students give as to why they are interested in the program.

The students should have a 3.0 GPA and if they have already taken any of the standardized tests, Conlogue said he will review those as well. The students also need a recommendation from their high school guidance counselor.

"We are preparing them for the next year," he said. "I hope they will be excited about learning. I hope they will be excited about what going away to college has to offer."

Conlogue said he has heard people talk about high school students getting "senioritis" and he is hoping that giving the students a taste of college will give them incentive to "have a great senior year, maximize the opportunity and choose a college that works for them."

"We hope they have a great experience at Westfield and that they tell their friends about it," he added.

Although the students in the program will be spending much of the five weeks together, they will have the opportunity to interact with current WSC students, who Conlogue said can give the program participants a different perspective about the college than the faculty and staff.

Some college students will help staff the program and other students will be living in the same residence hall.

"There are a lot of things we can tell the [high school] students," he said. "But, what the students here have to tell them about Westfield State College is different than what we tell them."

Bristow said the most exciting aspect of the program will be to see the changes that occur during the program.

"The students will enter as high school students and leave to enter their senior year of school with a solid introduction to college and hopefully with an appreciation to continue their education," he said.

Conlogue said that he and Bristow began to reach out to a few local high schools about the program but did not want to do a lot of recruiting because the program is only offered to 20 students.

He added that the college has already received a number of applications, which are due March 31.

For more information about the program, e-mail ssp@wsc.ma.edu or call 572-5402.