10-15-2023 EDU - Flipbook - Page 2
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The Baltimore Sun | Sunday, October 15, 2023
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
Pictured are Salisbury University’s 2023 Powerful Connections students, along with SU President Carolyn Ringer Lepre.
Credit: Salisbury University
SU pre-semester programs help students make
connections for a lifetime
A
s Amiyah Brunson of Snow Hill, MD,
began her first semester at Salisbury
University, she didn’t yet know her
course schedule or classroom locations. What she did know is that there
were many faculty, staff and students she could
turn to for support, thanks to SU’s Powerful
Connections initiative.
This year, Brunson was one of 100 enrolled
as part of the largest cohort in the program’s
history. As a pre-semester experience, Powerful
Connections is a vital tool for new students.
“Our Powerful Connections program plays
an important role in successfully supporting
students through the transition to university
life,” said SU President Carolyn Ringer Lepre.
“Activities and programs help to orient students
of various backgrounds with an understanding
of the academic experience and our campus.
Ensuring SU is a welcoming place for all is at
the core of our mission.”
Robby Chin of SU’s Office of Diversity and
Inclusion said many students leave the program
with a mindset that helps foster relationships on
and off campus.
“Powerful Connections encourages our students to value every interaction,” he said.
“When I first got here, I felt like I wasn’t
going to make any friends,” Brunson said. “But
by the third day, I’d made a whole bunch of
friends. As soon as I got together with everybody, I felt so connected.”
Brunson’s sister, Ayonna, is a Powerful
Connections coordinator and a senior secondary education and mathematics major. Three
years ago, she was in her sibling’s shoes.
“Powerful Connections helped me with
getting connected,” Ayonna said. She learned
about student organizations, including the
Black Student Union, and connected with other
mentees. This provided her friendships and a
support system on campus.
“As soon as I got involved, I was like, ‘Yes! I
love it here,’” she said.
Ayonna and Amiyah’s mother, Dr. Undrea
Blake, a 2005 SU graduate and principal of
Wicomico High School in Salisbury, served
as a guest speaker for this year’s Powerful
Connections cohort.
“Coming to SU was one of the greatest
choices that I have made,” she said, noting that
the small class sizes, the approachability and
reputation of faculty, and the ability to meet
new people easily on campus made her experi-
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“I’m glad that I got the opportunity to learn
more about SU before classes started,” said Zion
Powell, a Powerful Connections mentee from
Denton, MD. “Getting the opportunity to meet
my dean, explore campus and make friends will
allow me to have those ‘powerful connections’.”
Program mentors like Jahnaiya Sutherland,
a data science major and honors student from
Bowie, MD, look forward to helping first-year
students.
“Powerful Connections will make you feel
right at home,” she said. “It has been extremely
instrumental for me."
One of the benefits for her was being introduced to campus leaders, who encouraged her
to become involved. Now, she is doing just that,
helping lead SU’s NAACP and Multicultural
Alliance. She encourages Powerful Connections
participants to become involved in similar ways.
SU offers other pre-semester programs
including TRIO’s Scholar Bridge Program, the
Disability Resource Center’s STARS Program,
and another for SU’s College Assistance Migrant
Program (CAMP) program.
“We’ve been running our CAMP Welcome
Lunch for our new students and their fami-
lies; however, this year we were more proactive about providing our program in Spanish
and Haitian-Creole,” said Nina Soto Ramirez,
CAMP project director. Separate information
sessions in each language also allow families to
ask questions.
Each summer, SU offers other opportunities for incoming students to build relationships and experience the region before starting
classes. Achieve at Assateague visits Assateague
Island National Seashore; Bike, Beach and
Beyond explores Salisbury via bike and through
a service project; and Secrets of Salisbury discovers hidden treasures of the campus and city.
Other students build connections through the
Algonquin Canoe program in Canada.
This year, SU welcomed some 1,400 new
students as part of the Class of 2027. They
represent 27 states and 18 countries, include
178 student athletes and 180 honors students,
and nearly half self-report as first-generation
students.
Learn more about opportunities to make
tomorrow yours at Salisbury University at www.
salisbury.edu.
