From DDI Summer Experience Programs to Research: A Busy Summer for Students | September 2024
The DDI Summer Experience Gives Students a Head Start
Fifty-three incoming first-year students earned college credits through the Division of Diversity and Inclusion Summer Experience program. It is a joint effort between RIT’s Multicultural Center for Academic Success (MCAS) and the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP).
The students are part of Rochester City Scholars, MCAS and HEOP and for four weeks they got a taste of what life is like at RIT both academically and socially. The DDI Summer Experience program offers students an opportunity to complete six college credits toward their degree requirements with courses in College Algebra, Foundations of Sociology, and Literature and Cultural Studies. This year RIT faculty members Ephraim Agyingi, Makini Beck, Emma Duncan, Gregory Lattanzio, Anthony Martellotta and David Yockel taught those courses. Dan Hickey and Suzanne McMillan led an online asynchronous course through the Academic Success Center.
Students experienced life in a dormitory as well, with support from resident and trained peer advisors. This was an opportunity for students to bond and build lasting friendships too, with off-site activities and trips to Lasertron, Camp Stella Maris and the Red Barn.
Maria Bilen, Subash Rai, and Nori Butler were selected by their peer advisors to share their experiences and observations during the closing banquet.
Butler said initially, he was reluctant to skip a “normal summer” in exchange for classes, but gained a new perspective thanks to being at RIT.
“As a result of my new attitude and time progressing, I came to understand the meaning of my dad’s words, when he says to me and my brother “give to a craft, and it will give to you”, an interpretation of the Bible, when it calls us to “reap what we sow”. I saw how when I gave my passion towards schooling and to my new structure, it began to return a love of the same. Through DDI SE, I found a scholarship opportunity with Alpha Phi Alpha, I gained independence organizing my own schedule, and most importantly I met lifelong friends everywhere I looked.”
Rai summed it up by saying his journey has just begun. “This was an experience that was as unpredictable as it was enlightening. A leap of faith to say the least. For many of us, it meant leaving behind friends, family, sports, and other commitments. Yet, as I stand here today, I realize that sacrifice, is a testament to our drive, commitment, and eagerness as students.”
It certainly takes a major commitment on the part of students but also on those who organize and plan the DDI Summer Experience. It can take a year to complete. MCAS and HEOP leaders and team members are already looking ahead to next year.
RIT Provides Plenty of Positive Influences for Upward Bound Students
“Independence, Maturity and Responsibility” was the theme of RIT’s Upward Bound Summer program, and Tiffany Terry says it was fitting. The assistant director, TriO Upward Bound says she saw how it helped to guide each of the 22 high school students who took part.
The two-week residential program started June 30th and ran through July 12th. A typical day for students included breakfast, Core courses taught by RIT professors, skill set workshops, “meet and greet “lunches, interactive activities with majors, weekly check in’s, dinner and community building activities in the evenings.
Terry says it was a team effort. Among those helping to administer the program and offering valuable advice along the way were faculty and staff from the Academic Success Center, Student Affairs, RIT Archives, Wallace Library, the College of Engineering and Technology, the Women Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, the Center for Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution, and Career Services & Co-Op. Terry says, “I really appreciated the time that was offered out of their busy days in the summer for just one hour a day. It positively influenced participants on many, many levels. I enjoyed hearing the feedback from the students.”
The high school students also took educational trips off-campus, visiting The American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The bugs and rocks exhibits were big hits. Another road trip included a tour of Kent State University- and- they came back “1st place winners” after taking part in Trio Game Day hosted by SUNY Brockport’s Talent Search program.
The Upward Bound Summer program offers opportunities to grow in so many different ways, including improving time management and study habits, learning how to overcome challengers, building community with new people, and learning through interacting with diverse individuals such as peers, professors and staff. Her overall message to students this summer? “Experiences are our best teachers, and this experience was provided to share that at this point, you will be responsible for yourself and guiding your future and successes.”
These RIT Students Prefer Summer Spent in Research Labs
Psychology, health sciences and micro-electronics are just a few of the different disciplines in which 20 McNair, LSAMP and CSTEP students spent their summer conducting research. It was 10 weeks of intense, hands-on research, working in different faculty labs across the RIT campus.
The summer research intensive also includes time for students to get together for a variety of programming including workshops on writing the technical sections of their required research papers and workshops on how best to compose and present that research, including a public speaking workshop led by the Dale Carnegie Group. Students then present their work at RIT’s Undergraduate Research Symposium. It was held at the beginning of August and all 20 students took part.
Kate Torrey, senior director of CSTEP, McNair Scholars, and LSAMP says, “Many students in the summer research intensive are planning to go on to graduate school. Having completed this research experience makes them strong candidates for graduate school and for fellowships. It also looks great on the resume of those students going directly into the workforce. Students who have taken part in research with faculty in the past have said the experience also helps them understand the concepts they are learning in class in a new way since they are getting the chance to apply the principles and theories they are learning.”
The students also took part in educational trips to the University of Rochester and University of Buffalo where they got an opportunity to meet with faculty and learn about Masters, PhD, and MD programs and they had educational team building trips to the Seneca Park Zoo and Powder Mills Park Fish Hatchery.