spring 2015 newsletter with ub logo
TRANSCRIPT
help you in your academics, at work, and when collaborating with others. We are very excited to announce that SSS is returning to Boston this spring. If you’ve applied to attend, please know that you will be hearing from us shortly. In addition to this trip, we will be attending another play at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven. Students always enjoy going to the theatre and exploring the quaint city. If you haven't had a chance to join us yet, consider doing so! Lastly, we have a few changes in our tutor department, as well as some updates to our policies. Check inside for more details. We’re glad to have you back and wish you the best of luck this semester! Sincerely, Aamna Qureshi, Director
Dear Students, Welcome back! We hope you enjoyed your time off, got plenty of rest, and maybe even made some cash from seasonal work to pay for books this semester! It’s hard to believe that the Student Support Services program is in its fifth year now! This is a very exciting and yet challenging time for our program. As some of you may know, SSS is a federally funded program and we are up for renewal this year. Should the program be renewed, you’ll see us here for another five years. If the program does not get refunded, we will not be here next year. To us, it is of the utmost importance to keep our students informed about our renewal status and we are doing everything we can to make sure we get refunded. Please see page seven for a few more details on this matter. Despite the uncertainty of future funding, we are looking forward to another successful
spring semester. During this time, we especially encourage you to start thinking about summer jobs and internships in your field of study. Summer break is long, and thus ideal to gain experience related to your major. For this reason, we offer workshops focused on your professional development. Topics include the job/internship search, resumes, and interview prep. We will also be partnering with Career Services this semester to offer you career assessments. This assessment helps you learn about your interests and how to pair them with a major. Our students who tried it had such positive feedback, we decided to offer it to all students. It’s especially helpful for those who are undecided or unsure about their current major. In addition to the career assessment, we are offering students the Strengths Finder assessment. This assessment will shed some light on your personal strengths, and having a better awareness of them can
First Day of Classes January 20th
Last day to elect pass/fail January 30th
Last day to add courses January 30th
Last day to drop a class without a “W” February 6th
President’s Day– No Classes February 16th
Mid-semester Exam Week March 9th-13th
Last day to apply for May graduation March 15th
Spring Break March 15th-22nd
Registration for Fall 2015 semester begins March 30th
Last day to drop a class with “W” grade April 3rd
Last day of classes May 1st Final Exam Week May 4th-8th
Graduation May 11th
A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
Fall 14 Mentor/
Mentee Events
2
SSS to Explore
Boston
3
Spring 15 Events 3
SSS Student Repre-
sents UB in Rome
4
SSS Students to
Attend ASB
5
Dean’s & President’s
List
5
Tutoring: Familiar
Faces
6
Tutoring Updates 6
Future of SSS 7
Strengths Quest 7
Fall 14 Trip 8
SSS Contact Info 8
Important Spring Dates
Student Support Services Spring
2015 Newsletter S P R I N G 2 0 1 5
SSS students
commit to:
Attend a minimum
of 3 advising
meetings
Attend a minimum
of 2 SSS workshops
These commitments
are on a semester
basis.
P A G E 2
Mentee/Mentor Events: Fall Review Student Support services
has a solid mentoring
program in place, in which
our upperclassmen assist
our new students in their
transition to university life.
The primary purpose of the
ExCEL Peer Mentor
Program is to help students
establish a strong foundation
for a successful academic
journey.
While Student Support
Services is first and
foremost an academic
program, we recognize that
positive relationships among
peers can greatly contribute
to students’ success.
As such, this past fall we
decided to offer enrichment
activities for our mentors
and mentees to connect
in less formal settings.
The first mentor/mentee
event of the semester was a
trip to Lyman Orchards.
Here, our mentors and
mentees received a tour of
the Orchard’s processing
plant and grounds. The
orchards span over 1000
acres, and it was amazing to
learn that all of Lyman’s
apples are hand picked and
washed before packaging for
distribution.
After we received a tour
of Lyman Orchards’
facilities, participants had
the opportunity to pick
their own apples in a private
area for SSS students. Our
mentees and mentors
thoroughly enjoyed this
experience, as it was the
first time many of our
students went apple picking.
The program hosted a
pumpkin painting activity for
the second event of the
semester. Mentees and
mentors painted mini
pumpkins and enjoyed a
sweet treat. This event was
made possible by gift card
donations, received from
local Stop & Shop grocery
stores, and used to
purchase pumpkins and
candy for our students.
It was great to see the
mentees and mentors
interact in a creative and
stress free setting. Check
out page 3 for this
semester’s ExCEL activities!
S T U D E N T S U P P O R T S E R V I C E S S P R I N G
2015-2016 Mentors Wanted!
Student Support Services is looking for mentors who are……
Motivated to help others
Academically driven
Knowledgeable of UB’s resources
Positive role models
Willing to commit time to their assigned mentees
Looking to gain communication, administrative and peo-
ple skills
ExCEL Peer Mentors are service minded students who play a key role in assisting SSS
first year students become acclimated to the campus and the
demands of the collegiate life. ExCEL Peer Mentors assist new students through one-
on-one and/or group meetings with their mentees as well as mentee/mentor events.
SSS to Explore Boston Again!
Revolutionary War battlegrounds
of Lexington and Concord.
For some of our students this
was their first time staying
overnight in a hotel and visiting the
h i s to r i c c i t y o f Bo s to n ,
Massachusetts. SSS was happy to
p ro v i de t h i s e du c a t i o n a l
experience to its students.
SSS is excited to announce that
we will be returning to Boston and
Salem this spring from April 10-12.
Students who did not have the
opportunity to attend last year will
be given priority consideration. If
there are still open slots, returners
will have the chance to apply.
As many of you are aware,
Student Support Services had the
amazing opportunity to bring about
50 individuals on a trip to Boston
last spring. This was the first time
SSS, at the University of
Br idgeport , b rought the ir
participants on a two day overnight
trip.
Participants explored the city of
Boston, learned about the
Freedom Trail while walking a part
of it, and visited some of the city’s
more popular tourist attractions.
Additionally, participants visited
Salem to learn about the Salem
Witch Trials as well as the
We are hoping to take about
35 new participants in addition to
3-6 returners to serve as group
leaders before and during the trip.
Prior to our trip to Boston,
groups will meet to create a
project on one aspect of the trip.
This could be the Salem Witch
Trials, the battle of Lexington and
Concord or general history about
the city of Boston. Groups will
present their findings to the entire
group of attendees as a way to
educate all participants about what
we are going to experience prior
to the trip.
P A G E 3
Upcoming Spring 2015 Activities
Brownsville Song (B-side for Tray)
Mentor/Mentee Spring Events
“Set in the Brownsv i l le
neighborhood of Brooklyn,
Brownsville Song (B-side for Tray)
is a powerful tale of resilience in
the face of tragedy. Moving fluidly
between past and present, this
bold new play tells the story of
Tray, a spirited African-American
18-year-old and his family, who
must hold on to hope when
Tray's life is cut short.”
Join SSS on Thursday, April 16th
from 5-11pm to experience this
new play at the Long Wharf
Theatre in New Haven, CT.
Space is limited! Sign-up in the SSS
office if you are interested.
Friday, February 13th
Norwalk Aquarium & IMAX
Tuesday, March 24th
Great American Bake Sale
April 2015 Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention
Walk
P A G E 4
SSS Student Represents UB in Rome!
Our very own Student
Support Services Simon Arias just
recently came back from a
National Model United Nations
(NMUN) Conference in Rome,
Italy. The UB team—composed of
two International Political
Economy and Diplomacy (IPED)
students, Simon Arias and
Khrystian Pereira, and their
Faculty Advisor, Dr. Chunjuan
Nancy We i— r epresen ted
Uruguay in the General Assembly
(GA). While at the NMUN the
UB team received two awards:
the Outstanding Position Paper
Award and Honorable Mention
Delegation Award. During Thanksgiving Week,
(November 23 r d – 29 t h )
S i m o n p a r t i c i p a t e d i n
collaborative dialogue and
worked with a multitude of other
delegates to present the GA with
a working paper resolution. Designed to simulate UN
sessions and debates, the NMUN
conference is held annually to
educate student participants
about pressing world issues
through simulating multilateral
diplomacy. Students are required
to fully understand their
country’s perspective on the
issues at hand, in addition to
discovering ways to work with
other delegates who represent
other countries. Students serve
as dip lomats , with their
engagement ranging from agenda
setting to negotiating multilateral
agreements. In Rome, the General
Assembly tackled the challenge
related to Prohibition of Small
Arms and Light Weapons in the
Americas. Through the sessions
and the unparalleled “Roma”
location, the National Model
U n i t e d N a t i on s E u r o pe
Conference promoted education
and cultural awareness. Simon shared with us that “The
organizers did an exceptional job
of facilitating a cultural immersion
into the c ity ’s in famous
Colosseum, the Pantheon, and
the Roman Forum, along with
visits to Saint Peters Basilica in
Vatican City.” Simon Arias, an
IPED/Social Sciences student,
took full advantage of all aspects
of the NMUN conference. As head delegate, Simon said,
“Opportunities like this rarely
happen as a university student. I
am thankful for the faculty and
administrators who made this
trip possible. It was truly an
astonishing and unforgettable
experience.” The high-caliber performance
of the UB Model United Nations
team earned the respect of the
judges, as well as their fellow
participants. Dr. Wei, chair and
associate professor of the IPED
program, coached the two-
delegate team, praising them for
their work, “Words cannot
describe how much I am proud of
them as a Faculty Advisor. Highly
motivated and self-disciplined,
they were well liked by their
fellow student-delegates as great
team players. Their performance
enhanced the visibility of the
University of Bridgeport in this
‘Eternal City’”. While abroad at the National
M o d e l U n i t e d N a t i o n s Conference , S imon took
advantage of his time in Europe
and was able to explore Zurich,
Paris and Brussels. Simon shared that, “Being able
to start my European adventure
by landing in Zurich was truly
breathtaking. Just imagine being in
a plane and you look out the
window to see a sea of clouds all
around and along the horizon you
see the goliath shapes of the
Alpine region of Switzerland”.
Simon was able to peruse Zurich,
Switzerland’s largest city and
sn i f f ed out some Swis s
Chocolates! After Zur ich , S imon ’s
expedition took him to Paris,
where he stayed in a hostel for
the first time. While in Paris,
Simon visited the Eiffel Tower,
the Arch de Triumph, Sacre
Coeur, the Luxemburg Gardens,
and much more. Though Simon
visited many of Paris’s beautiful
sites he shared that his most
memorable experience from Paris
was the cuisine! From Paris, Simon hopped on
a plane and headed for Brussels,
Belgium where he spent his six
hour layover exploring what he
could of the city. Although his
time was limited, Simon said the
highlight was Belgian chocolate,
the best chocolate he has ever
had. Whi le at the NMUN
conference in Rome, Simon
explored some of the city that he
has studied since middle school.
Simon went on a walking tour
where he was able to see several
of the ancient monuments and
the Vatican City. Simon shared
that, “My favorite has got to be
the Castle of Saint Angelo, Castel
Sant’Angelo, which was originally
the Mausoleum of the Roman
Emperor Hadrian until it was
converted to a fortress. It was
truly breath taking”. Simon thoroughly enjoyed his
time exploring the cities of
Zurich, Paris, Brussels, and Rome,
as well as his time representing
the University of Bridgeport at
the National Model United
Nations Conference. He is deeply
appreciative to the University for
the incredible opportunity.
S T U D E N T S U P P O R T S E R V I C E S S P R I N G
P A G E 5
Leslie-Ann Heslop
Zachary Hodoba
Bayan Hourani
Se Eun Hwang
Jaelin Hyndz
Rajia Johnson
Brittany Livingston
Alan Lounsbury
Santigie Mansaray
Kattya Marc
Kevin Matos Acevedo
Victor Mercado
Gino Montero
Melissa Morgan
Julia Navarro
Neely Neverson
Emily Ngaopraseutsack
Mckenzie Parent
Lomari Payne
Estefania Pulgarin-Duques
Caitlin Rodriguez
Jesus Rodriguez
Nicole Salati
Mamadou Seck
Shanasia Shelton
Tiffany Sime
Capreece Taylor
Serne Thompson
Joshua Urban
Radames Vargas
Tia Walker
Capri Wright
Sangwon Yi
Saul Almazan
Kristyn Andrade
Marcela Barreto
Raquel Bejar
Latisha Billups
Shannon Blackwood
Ashley Cabrera
Ryan Carmone
Ronald Castaneda
Monika Czytowska
Marian Dantzler
Caitlynn Dufort
Brianna Falconer
Dantazia Frazier
Kiara Galindo
Quatasia Hedges
Iris Hernandez
SSS Dean’s List & President’s List
Dean’s List and President’s List are prestigious academic honors. Dean’s List applies to those students who are of
full-time status and received a grade point average of 3.2 or higher. President’s List applies to those
students who are of full-time status and received a grade point average of 3.7 or higher.
Student Support Services would like to congratulate our students who made Dean’s List and President’s List for
the Fall 2014 semester. Through hard work and commitment, these students did exceptionally well.
Congratulations and keep up the good work!
Elliott Abbotts
Simon Arias
Alberta Asiedu
Jade Blair
Jasmine Cates
Christina Cuevas
Katlyn Dempsey
Karissa Espada
Jane Filus
Diamond Golson
Antionique Harris
Anthony Huynh
Kristine Johnson
Boglarka Jordan
Stelle Joseph
Jessica Magdaleno
Ashlica Malcolm
Ricardo Martinez
Emily Montes
Erik Morales
Nicole Morales
Jessica Nieves
Julisa Nunez
Sylvester Ofori-Amanfo
Dominick Pereira
Claire Pizarro
Phylicia Prince
Angel Riera
Martika Santiago
Genesis Tapia
Danielle Wedderburn
Nashia Winston
Kajin Yousif
SSS Students Accepted to Attend ASB
Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is
a nationally known program that
provides college students with the
opportunity to travel and do service
work during their spring break. Every year, the University of
Bridgeport informs the student
population of this wonderful
opportunity. In addition to the
information the university puts out,
Student Support Services provides
its participants with an informational
session on ASB. At this year’s info session, a total
of 20 SSS students were in
attendance and consisted of first
year students through seniors.
Attendees heard from Jennifer
Turner, the Civic Engagement
Coordinator, about the ASB
experience as well as the ASB
application process. This year the ASB application
process was very competitive as
many students expressed an
interest in applying as more
students become aware of this
opportunity. Student Support
Services is happy to announce that
five of its participants will gain the
ASB experience! The group this
year will be doing their service
work on the island of Puerto Rico. Student Support Services would
like to congratulate Simon Arias
( Jun ior) , Yarne l le Bauz i l ,
(Freshman) Nicole Mora les
(Sophomore), Dominick Pereira
(Junior) and Capri Wright (Junior)
for being chosen to participate in
the upcoming ASB trip. SSS hopes
you have a wonderful experience
and looks forward to hearing
stories about your Alternative
Spring Break adventure when you
return!
P A G E 6
S T U D E N T S U P P O R T S E R V I C E S S P R I N G
Tutoring: Familiar Faces Student Support Services is
fortunate to have a talented
and committed group of peer
and professional tutors. While
some have been around longer
than others, they all have
contributed to student success
and the growth of the
program. SSS is excited to announce
that two of our finest former
tutors will be returning for
the spring 2015 semester! Professional tutor Joseph
Dimenno tutored Biology in
our office during the 2013-
2014 academic year, and will
continue to do so this spring.
Joseph has over 25 years
experience in teaching high
school sciences in Stratford,
CT. When Joseph isn't with us,
he enjoys volunteering at the
Stratford Historical Society,
and serves on the Board of
Directors there as well. Our second returner is
peer tutor Ruben Gimenez
Linarez. For the 2013-2014
academic year Ruben was one
of our math tutors, however
this semester he will also be
tutoring students in computer
science, a subject for which
many students have requested
tutoring. Ruben is a star student and
athlete, with a spot on the
University’s swim team. More
recently, Ruben landed an
envied internship with
Goldman Sachs. Student Support Services
would like to welcome Joseph
and Ruben back to the
tutoring staff and look forward
to working with them during
the spring 2015 semester!
Tutoring: Updates
Student Support Services has made
some changes to our tutoring policies for
the spring 2015 semester which we want to
bring to your attention. Prior to scheduling a tutoring
appointment, you will need to review and
sign a tutoring contract. This contract will
cover how you can best prepare for a
tutoring session and what you must do
before coming to your appointment. Additionally, the contract outlines our
new missed appointment policy. These
changes have been established to help
students and tutors make the best use of
their time. Please be sure to thoroughly review the
tutoring contract and familiarize yourself
with the new missed appointment policy
(found on this page) prior to scheduling
your first tutoring appointment,. As always, if you have any questions
please feel free to speak with an SSS staff
member.
You must cancel any scheduled
appointment 24 hours in advance.
If sessions are not cancelled the day before
the scheduled tutoring session, that
appointment is considered a missed
appointment (no show). You may cancel
your appointment in person or by calling
the front desk at 203-576-4186.
You will receive an email message from us
when you miss an appointment. Any
student who accumulates two (2) no shows
will no longer be able to schedule a
tutoring session in advance for the rest of
the semester, and will only be able to use
tutoring services on a walk-in basis.
P A G E 7
on the reapplication process for a
deadline in February and will be
notified of renewal in August. Should the grant not get
renewed, the SSS program will no
longer be at the University and the
staff and services will no longer be
available to you. While we hope
this will not be the case, we want
our students to understand the
reality of the situation. We also want you to know that,
regardless of what the future holds,
we are committed to making spring
2015 a successful semester with
enriching programs and services for
you.
We would like to share some
important information regarding the
future of the Student Support
Services program at the University
of Bridgeport. SSS is a federally funded TRIO
program which can be found in
universities across the United States.
The program runs on a five year
grant cycle and is currently on its
fifth year. Every five years, all
programs have to reapply for
funding for the next five years. I t is important for our
participants to understand that there
is no guarantee that any Student
Support Services program will be
refunded. Currently, we are working
If you have any questions
regarding the information here,
please feel free to contact any of the
SSS staff members.
Future of SSS
Strengths Quest is Coming...
P A G E 8
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
STAFF CONTACT
Aamna Qureshi, Director
203-576-4184
Erica Granoff, Academic Coordinator
203-576-4185
Daniela Squizzato, Learning Specialist
203-576-4186
Pam Walsh, Administrative Assistant
203-576-4186
Rawan Shilleh, Graduate Assistant
Main Office
203-576-4186 (phone)
203-576-4187 (fax)
S T U D E N T S U P P O R T S E R V I C E S S P R I N G
Fall 14 Cultural Enrichment Trip For the past two years, Student Support
Services has taken its students to see plays,
such as The Curse of the Starving Class, Fences,
and 4,000 Miles, at the Long Wharf Theatre
in New Haven, CT. During the fall 2014 semester, students
had the opportunity to see Thornton
Wilder’s classic, Our Town. When Emily, who dies in childbirth, is
given the chance to go back in time to her
12th birthday, she is overwhelmed by the
realization that she missed the opportunity
to be fully present with the ones she loved,
while alive. She asks the state manager, “Do
any human beings every realize life while
they live it? Every, every minute?” The first
two acts of the play are intentionally
uneventful leading to this moment.
SSS History & UB In August 2010, the U.S Department of
Education awarded 1.1 million dollars in
grant funds towards Student Support
Services at the University of Bridgeport.
This grant is to provide a range of services,
including academic advising and tutoring, to
help qualified low-income, first generation
college students, and students with
disabilities, boost their academic
performance and successfully complete
college.
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While it was met with mixed reactions
from students, the play’s message was to
appreciate the seemingly mundane daily
activities with family and friends while you
have the time.
SSS Participants at Long Wharf Theatre