The Summer Success Program
The Summer Success Program (SSP) was a head start program for incoming freshmen who were planning to attend SIUE in Fall of 2022. When I first heard about this program, I did it solely to get the extra credit from the classes we took. Little did I know, there was so much more I would gain from this experience. My experience from the SSP helped me tremendously with my transition from high school to college. I was placed in public speaking and I also took a college financial class. Public speaking helped me with getting used to college style writing and also aided me in improving my public speaking skills. In this class, the professor, Dr. DeGroot Brown, was amazing and gave us valuable advice and criticism with our speeches. It was satisfying to be able to take that class in a small setting and the Dr. DeGroot also helped our class to bond with her attendance discussion questions. The college financial class was also a beneficial course in which I learned tips and tricks on how to be smart and safe with my money while going into college. Along with these classes, we also were required to attend study tables for 2 hours in the library which helped to get us used to setting time aside for homework and studying.
While the classes were important, the SSP also helped me to make meaningful connections with my fellow peers. As someone who was very anti-social in high school, making friends and connections in college was always my biggest worry. I knew I wouldn’t have the social skills to do so. But when you are placed in a hall with 36 other people for a month, you’re bound to interact and connect with someone! The SSP required us to go to workshops and events throughout the week. The workshops were hour long presentation that gave valuable information about certain topics such as Campus Housing, Health Services, note taking strategies, etc. The events were socials that helped us to get to know one another and build connections with each other. These events led to bonds that I still have till this day. The first day of college was not intimidating at all for us because we were already comfortable within the environment and had already gotten a feel of what classes would be like. I believe these bonds were the most important thing I gained from the SSP because the friends I made have help to make my college experience the complete opposite of what I thought it would be. I thought I would struggle with just making one friend, but I have been blessed to have 14 wonderful friends who never fail to make me smile everyday.
SIUE Early Childcare Center
My teachers from high school always told me the importance of the connections you make in college and how they can get you far and they were right. During the SSP, I was able to meet one of the classroom teachers of the SIUE Early Childcare Center (ECC) who helped me to get a job there! I started working in the beginning of the fall semester and still work there till this day.
Working at the ECC has been a very rewarding experience. This is my first official job which is why it is very important to me. I was scared that my first job would be one that I would loathe, but instead I was able to obtain one that I have lots of experience in and am very passionate about! Not only do I love the fact that I get to work with kids, the staff at my job are also very kind and truly care for their staff. I truly am happy that my first job was one in which the environment is healthy and its doing something I love.
NBASLH
During my time at SIUE, I joined the National Black Association of Speech Language and Hearing. This is an organization made to bring awareness to need of minorities in the field of Speech Language Pathology. I joined this organization to build connections with fellow minorities and to help build diversity within the field. Due to COVID-19, the organization was inactive for a while, but the current president, Olivia Walker, helped to reactivate it this year.
I was very excited to join this organization, as one of my goals for the future involve becoming the president of NBASLH at SIUE. I am already one step at achieving that goal because I am currently the treasurer for NBASLH!
Above is a document of the email I sent that got me accepted as the Treasurer of NBASLH. I am really excited and grateful for this position.
NBASLH is a great organization that can reflect back to CODES because I am able to take my learnings from the classroom and implement into the work we do as an organization.
Spring Semester
I was excited entering my Spring semester. I was ready for a fresh set of classes and to get more involved with clubs! However, I ended up working a lot more hours at work than I expected but it was good for me as I needed the money. I was not able to join a bunch of new clubs like I thought I was going to do. Despite this, I was given the honor in joining an honor’s soiety called Phi Eta Sigma.
Phi Eta Sigma
I joined Phi Eta Sigma alongside a close friend. Phi Eta Sigma is a National Honor Society dedicated to helping students develop their mind, health, and character. It is the Nations oldest honor society recognzing first-year college students. Joining this orginization was impactful for me. My family helped me by all contributing to give me the money I needed to join. Shortly after joining, I applied to be the First Year Representative of the club, to which I got the position! I really excited to have an officer position in two orginizations that I am passionate about.
First Year Summary
As my first year of college is coming to an end much faster than I expected, It has given me time to reflect on the journey it has been. For starters, college is nothing like high-school. I learned that the hard way during Fall. It takes a lot of self-discipline and motivation to get through. There were many nights where I wondered if I could actually achieve all the dreams I am aiming for and I’m sure there are a lot of first generation students who suffered the same thoughts. However, I would always remind myself that I have to achieve the dreams I am aiming for, missing is not an option. If I miss, If I give up, I have nothing else.
Although the workload was tough, I always had a group of friends who made my college life a little less stressful. I was really happy to make those friends because I thought I wouldn’t make any and not have much of a social life in college. My friends helped me to be more outgoing and social which is something I always wanted to improved about myself. So I’m thankful for my friends, college would not be the same without them.
Overall, college may not have been what I thought it was in the beginning, evenso, I continued to strive for the goals I have set for myself. I know my sophmore year of college wont be as difficult thanks to all the knowledge, resources, and support I gained during my first year.