Registration Reaches New Heights

 

By Todd Blodgett

 

After a successful registration process during the 2021-2022 academic year with DualEnroll.com, we took feedback from our partner schools and improved both student user experience and partner high school functionalities. With a simplified and more concise registration process we had over 15,000 high school students across the state of Connecticut enroll in at least one UConn ECE course. The most in program history, surpassing a previous high of 13,889!

 

This past Spring and Summer we had many meetings with our partner high schools to discuss the expansion of their course offerings and held conversations about how to get more students enrolled in UConn ECE courses. This led to a large growth in the amount of schools that were offering courses in Education Curriculum, Educational Leadership and Educational Psychology. This year we also revamped and reintroduced our partnership and offerings in Digital Media & Design. Five, three-credit courses were available to our high school partners in areas of Digital Media, Film & Video Editing and Game Design. As we continue to grow our offerings in these areas, we expect more partner schools to offer these courses to their students.

 

Registration for the 2022-2023 academic year closed in the Fall on October 6. We encourage students, instructors and school counselors to start having conversations about registering for UConn ECE courses now for the coming academic year. This will encourage students to plan their high school schedules and make sure they have taken the necessary prerequisites for the UConn ECE course they are interested in.

French Immersion Day and Quiz Bowl

 

By: Jessica Dunn

 

After a three-year hiatus of UConn ECE Student Events, we enthusiastically welcomed back the long-standing French Immersion Day and Quiz Bowl on November 3, 2022. About 100 UConn ECE Students representing Lewis S. Mills High School, RHAM High School, Coventry High School, Norwich Free Academy, Nathan Hale-Ray High School, Daniel Hand High School, and Wheeler High School convened at the UConn Storrs campus for a day of excitement and competition in French culture, grammar, history, literature and many other topics. With matching team shirts and deep preparation and passion, the teams came ready to participate in immersion sessions in the morning with UConn French Teaching Assistants, and a head to head, jeopardy-style Quiz Bowl competition in the afternoon.

 

Taking home first place in this year’s Quiz Bowl Competition was RHAM High School, followed by Nathan Hale-Ray High School in second, and Norwich Free Academy in third place. From the UConn Early College Experience Program Office, we want to thank Dr. Florence Marsal for her efforts coordinating the event and extend our congratulations and thanks to all high schools who participated in this year’s event. There have been many obstacles in the way of returning to in person events, but we are very happy to welcome students back to campus and support their growth in and outside of the classroom.

 

 

Youth in Action for Human Rights

 

By: Jake Skrzypiec UConn ECE Human Rights Teacher-Manchester High School, Dodd Human Rights Impact Fellow and Chris Buckley UConn ECE Human Rights Teacher-Brookfield High School, Dodd Human Rights Impact Fellow

 

A new project coming out of UConn’s Dodd Human Rights Impact, with Connecticut educators and youth in partnership with one another, seeks to inspire hope and possibility. Human Rights Close to Home (HRCH) is a three-year undertaking to advance Connecticut teachers’ and students’ skill and capacity in human rights education and civic action. The project brings educators, youth, university scholars and community leaders together to foster these goals through a variety of programing.

 

The HRCH Youth Advisory Team is a diverse group of youth leaders developing components of the Human Rights Close to Home initiative. From December 2021 to May 2022, the Youth Advisory Team collaborated on the development of the HRCH Youth Action Summit, a learning experience for Connecticut high school
students. Guided by ECE teachers Jake Skrzypiec (Manchester High School) and Chris Buckley (Brookfield High School), this team organized all components of the youth summit. The work of these youth leaders included the selection of speakers, school invitations, the logistics of registration, and the facilitation and moderation of the workshops and panels that defined the event. The May 18th summit was host to 250 students from 10 high schools. The attendees engaged in a wide range of sessions informing and empowering young people around human rights and civic action. The youth team is currently working to develop the upcoming HRCH Youth Summit to be held in January 2023.

 

Members of the Youth Advisory Team also submitted a presentation proposal for the National Council for the Social Studies conference, taking place in December 2022 in Philadelphia. The proposal was accepted, creating a rare and unique opportunity for young people to share their work with the HRCH initiative in a professional setting. These young people embody the ideal of a human right defender at the heart of Human Rights Education. Their work is at the forefront of human rights education and civic action in Connecticut. Their presentation at NCSS will emphasize the work of HRCH on the national stage to engage and empower educators to enshrine human rights and civic education into their practice.

 

New Partnerships

 

By Christopher Todd

 

In the arena of PK-12 education, ensuring equitable access to high quality college coursework, phenomenal instructors and meaningful outcomes for students cannot happen in a vacuum. While each one of us plays a significant role in supporting the success of all Connecticut students, it is our collective agency that creates systems and programs designed to elevate and champion the goal of providing access to, and preparation for, higher education. As such, UConn’s Office of Early College Programs is excited to share that we have entered partnership agreements with the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS), the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) and were proud sponsors of the 2022 Connecticut Boards of Education (CABE)/CAPSS Convention; Public Education: Moving Forward for ALL Children.

News to Know

 

 

UConn ECE is now on TikTok! @uconnece

 

Also, check out our new welcome video here!

 

 

 

UConn First Summer, an exploratory summer program designed for incoming first-year and transfer students who will be starting at UConn in the fall, welcomed back 25 students on campus for Summer 2022. The five-week residential program allowed students to engage from six course offerings, participate in workshops to build connections with university departments, and ease the transition in a smaller setting.

 

UConn ECE Faculty Coordinators

Dr. Robert Thorson, UConn ECE Earth Sciences Faculty Coordinator, incorporates an original podcast, Climate Underground into the teaching of his Honors First Year Seminar, Climate Underground and is used in UConn ECE offering of ERTH 1051, Earth’s Dynamic Planet. He describes the course as “Staying afloat without going bonkers requires knowing how the Earth works, what its history has been, and how this knowledge can be put to good use.”

 

 

UConn ECE Instructors

Kristen Rotherham, ENGL 1007 UConn ECE Instructor at Bethel High School shares: My sci-fi flash fiction story, “Cruising for Love” was published on the Wanamaker Studio Flash Fiction podcast over the summer. (*note I use my maiden name when I publish creative writing but it’s really me!)

Expert teachers of ECE LLAS 1190: Introduction to Latin America and the Caribbean Elise Weisenbach (Branford High School) and Bonnie Nietupski (Rocky Hill High School) decided to share their work this fall with the CT Organization of Language Teachers or COLT. At the Conference “Deepening Connections Across Languages, Cultures and Communities” on Oct 20th, 2022, teachers were excited to receive a large slide deck with links to a myriad of lessons that Elise and Bonnie have developed to support the teaching of Latin American Studies. Their presentation “How Spanish Teachers can Learn and Develop Latin America-centered Curriculum” pointed teachers to online resources, summer institutes & grants for teachers, and their own lesson plans, hosted on google docs and on an ECE LLAS website, Laplazavirtual.org, which will soon transition to a permanent new site. Bonnie and Elise hope to get teachers around the state more interested in both the integration of Latin America into their classroom curriculum and in teaching LLAS 1190. Their work paid off at the conference, as 3 schools approached ECE coordinator Anne Gebelein at the event expressing interest in teaching the course at their high school. We are grateful to Bonnie and Elise for being so willing to share their ECE expertise and enthusiasm to inspire other educators.

 

In remembrance

Cathy Manning, Westhill High School Statistics Instructor for UConn ECE, passed away this past August. She was known as a “devoted educator and her career in academia was her passion. She was a wonderful friend to her fellow teachers, and her students loved her both as an instructor and mentor who always made herself available to anyone who needed her support and counsel.*” UConn ECE extends their gratitude to Cathy for her 12 years of teaching UConn courses at Westhill.

 

Conference Funding for UConn ECE Instructors

UConn ECE provides limited funding to UConn ECE Instructors to attend conferences to promote their UConn classes and concurrent enrollment as a dynamic model for education. While funding is not guaranteed, conference presenters and attendees can apply to the UConn ECE Program Office to help offset some of the costs.

 

Annmarie Thibodeau: On Friday, November 18, 2022, I had the opportunity to attend the ACTFL (The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) in Boston, MA with several of my World Language colleagues from The Woodstock Academy. It was a wonderful professional opportunity to learn more about current teaching and learning of all languages, specifically Spanish. I was able to attend three works  hops and speak with numerous exhibitors at the World Language Expo about available resources and travel and study opportunities. I especially enjoyed the conference, Practical Strategies to Boost Student Communication. The presenter provided us with some new strategies and techniques to promote spontaneous communication in the classroom and motivate students to be committed life-long language learners. I am looking forward to sharing his message with my colleagues and students.  Thank you for this opportunity.

 

 

Andrew Morehouse: While attending the 2022 ACTFL conference in Boston, I had some wonderful opportunities for professional development in seeing multiple sessions on utilizing SLA theory in practice (especially with a focus on assessment) and using tech tools that are in line with modern language pedagogy. Additionally, I made connections with several publishers to work on projects with them that will provide better Latin resources for the world. When not at talks or chatting with publishers, I was able to get resources such as novellas for my Spanish classes. All the while, I spent time with dear friends and colleagues and developed deeper bonds and relationships with these folks. I am incredibly appreciative of the funding from UConn that allowed this to happen and I look forward to going to ACTFL Chicago next year to spread more word of the ECE program.

 

 

 

 

Amy Bigelow: December 1 & 2, math educators converged in Baltimore for the annual National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference. I was honored to present Metacognitive Strategies to Help College-Bound Students (with Autism) Thrive, with funding support from the ECE program. I shared the process I use in MATH 1131Q &1132Q and STAT 1100Q that builds off the technique of an exam wrapper to help students build the skills to go from the high school expectations of homework as practice to the college expectations of writing accurate problem set solutions with clear justification and proper notation. Beyond the reflective conversations I had with other teachers after my talk, I was inspired by sessions addressing promoting joy in the classroom, lifting up each and every person, and capitalizing on the formative assessment process. I am excited to return to my department with techniques for including more movement and wordplay and for posing questions with too little information to build curiosity.

 

One of the unexpected highlights to calm my nerves before presenting was being welcomed by the friendly and supportive Professor Tutita Casa of the Neag School who was serving on the program committee. The Huskies represented well in Charm City.

Q and A with Ajit Gopalakrishnan, Chief Performance Officer, CSDE

 

By Christopher Todd

 

 

 

Ajit Gopalakrishnan is the Chief Performance Officer for the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE). The CSDE Performance Office is comprised of about 25 dedicated professionals who work to support the Performance Office mission to improve student outcomes through the use of data and technology.  In his capacity, Ajit oversees data collection, student assessment, psychometrics, data warehousing, reporting, research/analyses, and school/district accountability functions for the CSDE.  During his tenure, the CSDE has successfully developed and implemented a new data warehouse and reporting platform, revamped the school and district accountability system, and implemented the Smarter Balanced assessments. He has directed research, analyses, and evaluation activities to transform data into actionable information and guide decision-making by the State Board, Department offices, local districts, and community agencies.

 

 

 

 

1. For many members within our UConn ECE Community, the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) is often viewed as a bureaucratic agency focused primarily on the oversight and compliance within PK-12 education.  What would you like members of the UConn ECE Community to know about the CSDE Performance Office, and the incredible work you and your team do daily to support districts, schools, and students?

 

As a state agency, we have a responsibility to be good stewards of state and federal funds, so oversight and compliance are necessary aspects of our work, but they are not ends unto themselves. It is vital that we view those mechanisms as opportunities to partner with district/school leaders and other stakeholders so that together, we create the conditions that result in equitable outcomes for all students. We bring this mindset of collaboration to all aspects of our work, whether it be creating interim assessments to support instruction, collecting data about things that matter, eliminating processes that do not add value, designing measures that reflect our priorities, and publishing reports that share both our collective accomplishments and our failings. Doing this fairly across the more than 200 school districts is complex but when we truly listen to our stakeholders and try our best to do the right thing, good things happen for students.

 

2. Connecticut’s Next Generation Accountability System, developed by the Department in partnership with key stakeholders, has been a nationally recognized by the Council for Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) as a leading approach for the holistic measurement of district performance and student growth over time on a broad set of 12 indicators.  Since NextGen’s launch, what do you believe has made the system an instrumental tool in driving statewide and local changes in policy and practice?

There are five key features that have been instrumental to driving statewide and local change:

  1. The first is the holistic nature of the system. While student performance on standardized tests remains an important part of the system, the incorporation of other measures like chronic absenteeism, college and career readiness, on-track to high school graduation, postsecondary entrance, arts access, and physical fitness have brought many more people to the accountability table. I have seen this happen not only within the CSDE but also in schools and districts across the state. This is a good thing because the answers to why some students may not do well in school does not rest solely with English and Math teachers.
  2. The second feature is the value the system places on academic growth. This emphasis is changing the conversation in elementary and middle schools in important ways. Unlike the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act where a focus on “bubble” students was rewarded, the growth mindset in the Next Generation Accountability System rewards the learning of all students across the achievement spectrum.
  3. Thirdly, equity is woven in throughout the system in two key ways. Separate points toward the overall score are awarded to students with high needs; these are students who are English learners, students with disabilities, or students from low-income families. The bottom line here is that a school can earn top honors only if their students with high needs are doing reasonably well. This has been a big area of focus and conversation in schools. In addition to separate points for students with high needs, schools with outlier achievement or graduation rate gaps are dropped a category.
  4. The fourth critical feature is that most indicators are not built as all-or-nothing in terms of the points that a school can earn. Every indicator has an ultimate target. Points for each indicator are prorated based on the percentage of the ultimate target achieved. The key takeaway here is that incremental improvement toward the target is rewarded in this system.
  5. Lastly, and perhaps the most important characteristic is that this system, from its inception, has been shaped by the input of stakeholders. Getting feedback from stakeholders is not a one-time activity but something that’s been an ongoing feature. I am particularly grateful to the input from our Accountability Advisory Group of district/school leaders and accountability experts as well as the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS) Assessment and Accountability group of superintendents for their thoughtful and honest feedback from the very inception of this system. I am also appreciative of the many educators who reach out to us periodically to offer their thoughts and insights on a range of topics such as school classification, career readiness, physical fitness, dual credit, arts courses, and chronic absenteeism.

 

 3. This past summer, the Department recently updated NextGen accountability indicator 5 (Preparation for Postsecondary and Career Readiness – Coursework) and indicator 6 (Preparation for Postsecondary and Career Readiness – Exams and College Credit) to be more inclusive of concurrent and dual enrollment programs.  What led to this shift and how does it align with the CSDE’s vision for improved access to college and career readiness?

 

First, a correction. The Next Generation Accountability System has always recognized concurrent/dual enrollment course participation towards Indicator 5. Effective 2021-22, credits earned by students in concurrent/dual enrollment course offerings will also count toward Indicator 6. While Indicator 5 looks for participation in courses, Indicator 6 looks for an outside objective validation of postsecondary readiness. In prior years, we looked for students meeting benchmark on any exam i.e., SAT, ACT, Advanced Placement, or International Baccalaureate. Going forward, we will also recognize students who may not meet benchmark on an exam but have earned at least three non-remedial college credits with a C or better in dual/concurrent enrollment courses. This shift to recognize success in dual credit courses was the direct result of ongoing input from practitioners and the cooperation from our higher education partners. It makes perfect sense to recognize dual credit course completion because unlike passing an AP or IB exam which still requires acceptance by a college, dual credit courses are already on a college transcript!When we released our 2021-22 accountability results in December, we also released a detailed Indicator 6 report on EdSight that shows the different ways in which students meet the Indicator 6 standard. This highlights the dual credit pathway and brings attention to the importance of students earning college credit prior to high school graduation.

 

4. While the increased inclusion of concurrent and dual enrollment programs along with Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) in the CSDE’s NextGen Accountability Index is a critical step in expanding access to college courses, it doesn’t align with U.S. News & World Report’s traditional AP/IB focused metrics for college readiness.  What advice would you give a building leader or a school district leader who may be pressured to adhere to U.S. News & World Report school rankings over the CSDE NextGen Accountability report?

 

These are difficult conversations, no doubt. My advice to leaders when having such discussions locally is to always place the student at the center, and then support the entire school community to align their goals and values around the interests and needs of your students. I suspect that this will lead to a both/and perspective, not an either/or. While AP/IB type offerings may interest some students, others may prefer dual credit. Obviously, the AP and IB programs (along with the SAT and ACT exams) have good “brand” recognition among the general population. To improve awareness of dual credit, the CSDE in the coming years will be working with our higher education colleagues to build a robust system of dual credit opportunities across the entire state. Part of this effort will involve a public relations campaign so that families, board members, legislators, and other stakeholders see the value of dual credit opportunities offered through our public and private institutions for higher education as a valid and effective approach to prepare our students for postsecondary success. Including dual credit in Indicator 6 is the first step in that journey.

 

By the Numbers

1,520 UConn ECE course sections offered throughout Connecticut

1,029 UConn ECE Instructors teaching throughout Connecticut

186 Connecticut High Schools participating

Welcome Back!

  • Henry Abbott Technical High School
  • The Sound School

Highest Number of Students Enrolled in UConn Courses:

  • 411 Edwin O. Smith High School
  • 284 Glastonbury High School
  • 277 Hall High School
  • 256 Ridgefield High School
  • 252 Norwich Free Academy
  • 245 Berlin High School
  • 234 Avon High School
  • 230 Southington High School
  • 226 Manchester High School
  • 216 Conard High School

Percent Enrollment Increase From 2021-2022:

  • 383% Norwalk High School
  • 375% Hartford Public High School
  • 333% Newtown High School
  • 305% W.F. Kaynor Technical High School
  • 300% Farmington High School
  • 280% Wheeler High School
  • 203% Academy of Science and Innovation
  • 176% A. I. Prince Technical High School
  • 168% Bassick High School
  • 133% Pathways Academy of Technology and Design

Largest Percentage of High School taking UConn courses:

  • 53% New England Jewish Academy
  • 50% Marine Science Magnet High School
  • 37% Edwin O. Smith High School
  • 36% Waterbury Career Academy High School
  • 35% Fishers Island School
  • 34% The Masters School
  • 34% Academy of Aerospace and Engineering
  • 30% Xavier High School
  • 30% Old Saybrook High School
  • 29% University High School of Science and Engineering

Student Artwork

 

Silhouetted couple with backdrop of night sky

Cover/first place
Artist: Anthony Fiore, High School in the Community
Caption: United, Together, Forever, Strong

Description: As I saw this couple climb this monument, my first
thought was “why do something so risky, is that even worth it,
what happens if they fall?”. Saying this I still took the picture
when they got to the top and I regretted criticizing them for their
self-given challenge. As I was reflecting on this photo again I
came to the conclusion that this couple showcases the struggle of
working toward something big. Their act of “climbing the mountain” is a testament to everyone’s struggle or fight. I’m sad to say
I was the hater, the doubter, I was Thomas. It is easy to see someone’s unpractical or unreasonable goal and criticize them, I’m glad
I was wrong about this couple. I’m also glad I took this picture, it
still reminds me to get up even after falling, and to fight.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Oil painting on canvas representing three different generations of Americans Runner up
Artist: Laila Bakhshalizadeh, Griswold High School
Caption: Three figures sitting down representing a few different
perspectives in the United States

Description: The piece relates to the theme because through the
masks and the figures it demonstrates the present and past also
while considering moving forwards (as we look at recent Covid
spikes). The younger figure in the front represents the emerging
generation, contrast to the older figure on either side. The red and
green complimentary colors creating an ambiance reminiscent of
the United States.

Welcoming One of Our Own

Todd family photo
Chris lives in Ellington with his wife, Melissa, an Assistant Principal at McAlister Intermediate School in Suffield, and their two sons, Cooper (10) and Parker (7).

By Christopher Todd

 

The Office of Early College Programs and the UConn ECE Community is excited to officially welcome Christopher Todd, as our new Executive Director of OECP/ECE.  With nearly 20 years in public education, Chris comes to UConn as a practitioner with extensive field experiences and a proven track record of success as both a classroom educator and state agency leader, who has worked tirelessly to elevate the profession on the behalf of students and educators.  While Chris may be stepping into a new role, UConn and the ECE Community is in no way new to him, and his return to UConn serves as a homecoming of sorts

 

Growing up in Willington, CT, Chris’ first experience with the UConn ECE Community and concurrent enrollment programs began as a student at E.O. Smith High School in Storrs, where he enrolled in UConn courses as both a junior and senior.  After completing his BA in History and a secondary social studies education licensure program at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Chris returned home to Connecticut, beginning his teaching career at Windsor High School.  For the next 15 years of his career, Chris dedicated himself to the Windsor Public School community, in both classroom and district-based leadership roles.  Chris benefited from the support of incredible colleagues, mentors, and leaders during his time at Windsor as he worked to refine his own instructional practices in order to develop and deliver highly engaging and rigorous lessons designed to motivate and prepare students to pursue their post-secondary goals and career aspirations.  As a classroom teacher, Chris distinguished himself as both a state and national award winner, teaching a wide variety of courses and levels including alternative education, Advanced Placement and UConn ECE (POLS 1602).  In addition to his teaching, Chris was a longtime varsity swimming & diving coach and a frequent participant on district and building-wide committees.  While teaching, Chris went on to complete his MA in Public Policy at Trinity College, and eventually returned to UConn to earn an MA in Curriculum & Instruction.

As a district-based teacher leader, Chris split his time between the classroom and facilitating the district’s Teacher Education and Mentoring (TEAM ) program. Chris worked with district leadership and colleagues to advocate for the expansion of Windsor’s New Teacher Academy and provide educators with release time to observe colleagues and participate in PD.  Additionally, Chris coordinated district Educator Preparation Program (EPP) partnerships and teacher leader initiatives.  Under Commissioners Stefan Pryor and Dr. Dianna Wentzell, Chris had the distinct privilege of serving as a Teacher Leader-in-Residence at the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) where he co-led the Department’s Teacher Leadership initiatives and advocated for educator voice and input into the policy making process.  In 2013, Chris was honored to be recognized by his colleagues as the Windsor Public Schools Teacher of the Year and was recognized as Connecticut’s 2013 James Madison Memorial Foundation Fellow.  In 2014, Chris was a Finalist for the 2014 Connecticut State Teacher of the Year and was the recipient of the Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution Outstanding Teacher of American History.

 

For nearly three and half years, Chris has served as Bureau Chief in the Talent Office at the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) where he provided leadership and support to the Bureau of Educator Effectiveness and the Bureau of Educator Standards and Certification.  While at the Department Chris helped design, build, and implement systemic changes to support educators, districts, and students statewide.  During his time in the Talent Office Chris fought to streamline and enhance educator certification; bolster relationships with the state’s Educator Preparation Programs and RESC Alliance; enhance Connecticut’s TEAM program; and engage critical stakeholders in the reform of educator evaluation and support.  However, Chris is most proud of his work and efforts with the Talent Office team to provide timely and meaningful guidance and flexibilities to the field during the Covid-19 pandemic.  During his time at the Department, Chris has also served as an adjunct faculty member for both UConn’s Neag School of Education and Sacred Heart University’s Farrington College of Education.

 

As Chris begins his new role of Executive Director of the Office of Early College Programs, he is excited to bring his passion for education and high-quality curriculum and instruction, as well as his experience building robust and meaningful partnerships, to a nationally recognized program that he believes offers a critical and timely solution to ensuring that all Connecticut students have equitable access to a high-quality education.

Group photo at CT State Capital & Meeting

Fall 2021 Political Science ECE Instructor Workshop with fellow UConn ECE Instructors and Connecticut James Madison Memorial Fellowship Winners Jon McGlynn (’19) of Windsor High School, Michelle Pusser (’15) of AITE, and Kathleen Boland (’20) of Trumbull High School.

 

WHS POLS 1602 (Annual trip to the CT State Capital and meeting with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Rep. Brandon McGee and Sec. of State Denise Merrill).

 

 

WHS Political Science 1602 Meeting with Sec. of State Denise Merrill

 

WHS Political Science 1602 learning about Oliver Ellsworth & The Constitutional Convention at the Oliver Ellsworth Homestead in Windsor, CT

 

WHS Political Science 1602 Meeting with Sec. of State Denise Merrill

Student group photo inside state capital building

 

Students talk with Sen. Richard Blumenthal

 

student group photo in front of CT state capital building

UConn ECE Ambassador Summer Plans

 

Emily Laput at UConn

 

Each year, enthusiastic UConn ECE Student Ambassadors assist in the marketing and administration of the UConn ECE program at their high school, support their fellow students and Site Representative, and create a more seamless college experience for all. This year they helped support the UConn ECE program with our reaccreditation with the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP). Students were interviewed by a committee of NACEP members and spoke about their experience with their UConn classes. Here are some of our student ambassadors and their plans for the future, after graduation this Spring.

 

My summer plans include catching up on leisure reading as well as devoting the remainder of my free time to enhancing my life with new experiences. There are limitless opportunities to try new food, hobbies, and excursions that I plan to make the most of. While I have not yet committed to a college or university, I hope to enter my higher education as a more well-rounded and elevated version of myself.

-Aris Flores; Coventry High School

 

 

My summer plans consist of working with adaptive children at summer camp, spending time with family and friends, and traveling. I am extremely excited to be attending Springfield College in the fall where I will be playing softball and majoring in Health Sciences. Although I will miss high school, I am looking forward to the new chapter of my life at Springfield!

-Madison LaValle; Francis T. Maloney High School

 

 

This summer my plans are to go on adventures with my friends and family and enjoy the time together while we still have it. Next school year I plan on attending Siena College. I will live on campus away from my family and friends so this summer I plan on having fun and spending time with them. We have planned many trips and I cannot wait to go on these adventures that will later lead to my new adventure in life.

-Samantha Thompson; Plainville High School

 

This summer, I will be going on vacation with my school to Greece! I will also be working on my musical sight-reading skills to prepare for my college music program audition. In the fall, I will be attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst and majoring in psychology with a possible minor in music.

-Mia Sommers; Wethersfield High School

 

 

In June, I will be hosting my second annual Pink and Flow (pinkandflow.org), a fundraising yoga event, for a local nonprofit breast cancer called Seymour Pink. I also will be continuing managing the social media and marketing for a jewelry store. This fall, I will be studying Marketing at the University of Connecticut.

-Emily Laput; Woodland Regional High School

 

This summer, I plan to continue participating in an internship in the field of microbiological bioinformatics at Northwestern Connecticut Community College, studying the genomes of bacteriophages. Further, I will be participating in an internship at Central Connecticut State University, helping them to run their planetarium, participating in public outreach events, and researching the surface conditions on Mars in comparison to local Connecticut geology. Lastly, and most excitingly, I will be preparing to move into college at Harvard University as a member of the class of 2026, where I plan to major in astrophysics with a particular focus on astrobiology.

-Logan Wilson; Torrington High School