Students

UConn ECE Chinese Talent Show

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By Dr. George Chunsheng Yang | Photos by Gordon Daigle and Mike Illuzzi

 

March 14, 2025

 

On March 14, 2025, UConn ECE, in collaboration with UConn’s Language, Cultures, and Literature (LCL) Chinese program, hosted a Chinese Talent Show for both UConn ECE Chinese high school students and UConn Chinese students. Hosted at the UConn Student Union Theater, the event featured more than 20 student-led performances, and drew an audience of more than 150 students, instructors, and community members, all eager to witness the creativity and dedication of high school and college Chinese learners.

 

The event showcased a wide variety of performances, including solo and group singing, traditional and modern dance, Chinese poem recitations, and engaging sanju ban (a comic dialogue style popular in Chinese storytelling). Between the acts, UConn ECE Chinese instructors hosted interactive mini-games and cultural trivia sessions, keeping the audience entertained and engaged throughout the event.

 

At the end of the event, three standout performances were honored with special awards. The Best Language Expression Award went to Amity High School for their flawless Mandarin poem recitation. The Best Performance Award went to Norwich Free Academy for their powerful Taiji dance. The most Popular Award went to Amity High School for their popularity among the audience.

 

The event was proudly sponsored by UConn ECE Office and UConn Chinese Program. The Talent Show reflects a broader community-wide initiative to foster cultural understanding, confidence in Chinese communication, and global competence through language education.

High School Engagement

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By Jessica Dunn / Image by Carissa Rutkauskas

 

In the winter 2024–2025 edition of our magazine, we introduced a map showcasing the Connecticut high schools that participated in UConn ECE student events during the Fall semester. Since then, the map has been expanded to capture the full scope of the 2024–2025 academic year—including all student events held throughout the Spring semester.

 

This updated version reveals an even broader level of engagement, with many additional high schools now represented. The growth in participation highlights the increasing enthusiasm among schools across the state to connect with UConn ECE student enrichment opportunities with a deep investment and emphasis on access for all students. From large urban districts to small rural communities, the updated map tells a compelling story of how academic curiosity and opportunity continue to spread.

We’re proud to see such strong involvement from our partner schools and applaud the efforts of instructors, students, and UConn ECE Faculty Coordinators who make these valuable learning opportunities possible. We look forward to continuing this momentum and encourage all high schools to take advantage of the valuable opportunities available to students across various disciplines.

UConn ECE Health Sciences Day

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By Dr. C. Michael White

 

This year’s Health Sciences Day at the UConn School of Pharmacy brought together high school students from East Lyme, RHAM, and Waterbury high schools. They engaged with UConn faculty members (Ms. Laura Nolan and Drs. C. Michael White, Robin Bogner, Jennifer Girotto, and Nathaniel Rickles), a CVS pharmacist/UConn Alum ‘93 (Dr. Galushko), and a P4 Pharmacy Student (Ms. White) in three hands-on activities.

 

First, they navigated a cardiac arrest on our simulation manikin where they had to recognize the rhythm, give chest compressions and mask valve artificial breathing, and then select, draw up and administer the correct doses of drugs in between defibrillator shocks. Next, they moved to the compounding laboratory where they were able to create brand new dosage forms. This is something that pharmacists do for patients who cannot tolerate the normal doses of medications, cannot swallow pills, or require a cream that does not exist commercially. Finally, they learned how to draw up medications like vaccines, insulin, and weight loss drugs into syringes, expel the air bubbles, and administer them properly in muscle or the subcutaneous fat of the arms or belly.

 

This was followed by a luncheon with pizza, a brief presentation on careers in pharmacy ranging from community, hospital, nuclear, pharmaceutical industry, and managed care settings, and then informal discussions about the day’s events. Students loved intermingling with those from other schools, seeing the UConn campus, and applying what they learned in their UConn ECE courses to real world scenarios, but in a simulated environment.

Student Perspectives: Focus on American Studies and English

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By Carissa Rutkauskas

 

AMST 1201: Introduction to American Studies

What is an American? A multi-disciplinary inquiry into the diversity of American societies and cultures.

 

Aleina from Granby Memorial High School

My decision to take ECE American Studies was one of the best decisions I ever made since it introduced me to the style of college level courses, a factor that helps me feel more relaxed about college. Further, taking this course helped me improve my paper writing skills while learning American History. Namely, this course made me open my eyes, and realize that American History is nuanced, with several decisions that seemed beneficial initially, but eventually failed to achieve the initial goal.

 

Dylan from Rockville High School

I participated in ECE American Studies this past year and found it to be not only developmental to myself as a student, but fun as well! We were taught straightforward concepts and information, but the way we were able to express this information creatively was the fun part. For example, we had to make a 15-minute long documentary about whether or not the founding fathers ideals were held up in society today. So, me and my friends made a video, and the concept was that the founding fathers had been revived and they were interviewing people to work in the government with them, so these people being interviewed gave examples of how their ideals were held up today to try and get the job. Being able to do projects creatively like that with friends while learning in the process led to my success and the fun I had doing this ECE course.

 

Fabio from John F. Kennedy High School

Attending UConn has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Although the coursework was sometimes challenging, my hard work and determination led to successful completion. This opportunity provided me with valuable college experience, which was essential for me as a European immigrant, given the significant differ­ences in how college operates here compared to Europe. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

 

ENGL 1007: Seminar and Studio in Academic Writing and Multimodal Composition

College composition through multiple forms of literacy, including rhetorical, digital, and information literacies necessary for twenty-first-century contexts. The develop­ment of creatively intellectual inquiries through sustained engagement with texts, ideas, and problems. Emphasis on transfer of writing and rhetorical skills to academic and daily life. ENGL 1007 includes a built-in one-credit studio component.

 

Jayden from Berlin High School

Over the course of this school year in a UConn writing course, I have learned an immense amount of informa­tion on how to perfect my writing craft. From tone and diction, to critical thinking, I have improved in every aspect of my writing; thus, my confidence has skyrocketed over the course of the year.

 

Ian from Daniel Hand High School

This course treated me like a college student unlike any other AP class. I was able to truly get a feel for what college coursework was like and learned more about myself and my writing. I’ll use what I learned this year to continue my education and athletics at the University of Missouri.

 

Andrew from Seymour High School

It was a great class that informed me more on how we need empathy for those who are struggling around us. The humans in education project was a success and taught me that those who are struggling with food need help from the community.

 

News to Know

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By Carissa Rutkauskas

 

Congratulations on your retirement!

Congratulations to Glenn Lewis from Berlin High School on his retire­ment. Mr. Lewis has taught UConn SPAN 3178 and SPAN 3179, Interme­diate Spanish Composition and Span­ish Conversation: Cultural Topics, since 2012. His unique gift to ECE classrooms was bringing alive the language, culture, and history through his storytelling based on his extensive travel experiences in the Hispanic and Portuguese worlds, and his Chilean heritage. In his retirement, Mr. Lewis will move on to his third career teach­ing Buddhist philosophy and practice, and eventually living part time in the White Mountains and in Chile.

 

Congratulations to Maria Vilardo from Crosby High School in Water­bury on her retirement. She entered teaching as a second career and has been teaching for 19 years, nearly 12 of them in Waterbury. Ms. Vilardo has taught UConn’s History 1502: US History Since 1877, since 2020 and describes her affiliation and partner­ship with UConn ECE as her “crown­ing achievement as an educator.” In her retirement, she plans to enjoy life, relax, read, and travel. She has already traveled to Europe and South Amer­ica and extensively throughout the Caribbean. In the future she would like to visit Japan and Singapore.

Promotions

Congratulations to Dr. Evan Perkoski, one of Early College Experience’s Faculty Coordinators or his promotion to associate professor and tenure.

Conference Attendance

Franklin Academy (East Haddam) UConn ECE Political Science and Human Rights Instructor Fahd Rafiq was awarded UConn ECE Instructor Conference Funding to attend the 2024 International Studies Asso­ciation Annual Conference in San Francisco, CA in April, where he presented a research paper on Nation­alism and identities in South Asia, an article version of his dissertation. He also co-presented on forming na­tional identities, mass culture, and land rights. Dr. Rafiq was able to attend several sessions, including foreign policies, using role theory and Arab Spring 2.0, and civil war research.

UConn ECE Student Successes

Congrats to UConn ECE Student Maya Bynoe from Pathways Acad­emy of Technology and Design for: being a nine-time scholarship winner; admission to University of Con­necticut School of Business Honors Program; achieving 28+ credits by fall enrollment; having started a business which now has product placement inside of a local store; served as sec­retary for the Greater East Hartford Community Fund.

 

Hanh Tran, Saint Thomas More School. “Thanks to the amazing courses from UConn ECE, I am able to discover my new interest in eco­nomics, especially microeconomics. Initially, I didn’t think economics was an excit­ing subject to take but it was great to finally learn something practical and I figured out that what I’ve learned can be applied positively to my consump­tion habit. As a result, I received an Excellence in Economics Award from Saint Thomas More high school!”

 

UConn ECE Student Perspectives

Jia Yi Lu, Bristol Eastern High School. “Recently, I passed my Calculus final with an exceptional score. I don’t think I would’ve been able to achieve this without the help of my ECE Instructor.”

 

Reygina Pierre, Ledyard High School. “Having gone through the ECE experience I have more confi­dence in myself in the field of animal science classes I took.”

 

Jonathan Plona, Wolcott High School. “I did really well in my ECE courses, earning A’s in them. I learned a ton from my instructors and earned college credit. It was a great experience,and I’ll be taking ECE courses again next school year.”

2023-2024 UConn ECE Professional Recognition Awards

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By Jessica Dunn

 

Each year, we look forward to receiving and reviewing hundreds of nominations for the Professional Recognition Awards and working with the review committees to select the winners. With that said, it is no easy task, as we have over 2,000 members of the UConn ECE community, mak­ing it very difficult to choose just a few professionals who stand out each year. But once selections are made, the hard part is over, and the celebrations begin.

 

UConn Early College Experience hosts an annual Awards Ceremony for all winners to publicly recognize and thank them for their dedication and commitment to the UConn ECE Program. Those recognized have exceeded program expectations and excelled in preparing their high school’s students for the next level in their education. Candidates are nominated by their colleagues, students, administra­tion, and UConn Faculty for their exemplary instruction and management of the UConn ECE Program.

 

On April 25, 2024, we hosted our annual Awards Ceremo­ny for award winners, family, and friends on the UConn Storrs Campus. Our award winners and guests gathered at the UConn Alumni Center for an elegant sit-down din­ner where they were welcomed by Office of Early College Programs (OECP) Executive Director, Christopher Todd as well as UConn’s Interim Associate Vice Provost, Amit Savkar.

 

The night was filled with speeches from UConn OECP staff along with program partners to personally recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of each winner. This year we had the great honor to recognize thirteen Professional Recognition Award winners along with six award winners of the Silver Jubilee Award (25-year partners). The night was filled with heartfelt speeches, tears of joy, laughter, and celebration as winners, accompanied by their family and friends were able to pause and acknowledge the great im­pact they have on the lives of their students, their commu­nity, and those who work alongside them.

 

Congratulations to all recipients of this year’s awards. Your dedication, expertise, and outstanding contributions have truly set the standard for excellence within the UConn ECE Community. The UConn ECE Program would not be successful without the passionate and dedicated partners we are honored to work with, and we are grateful for all you do.

 

Principal Award for Program Support & Advocacy

Keri Hagness, The Morgan School

Thomas E. Recchio Faculty Coordinator Award for Academic Leadership

Natalia Smirnova, Economics, University of Connecticut

Site Representative Award for Excellence in Program Administration

Kevin Barbero, James Hillhouse High School

Instructor Award for Excellence in Course Instruction

Kyle Candia-Bovi, English, Suffield High School

Austin Cesare, U.S. History, Joseph A. Foran High School

Gina Corrado, Spanish, Cheshire High School

Christina Hernández-Williams, Spainish, Cromwell High School

Heather Watts Mathieu, Biology, Montville High School

“Rookie of the Year” Award for Excellence in First-Year Course Instruction

Gemetta Neal-Goulet, Educational Leadership, Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts

Margaret Clifton, English, RHAM High School

Award for Outstanding Research in the Field of Concurrent Enrollment

Scott Campbell, English, University of Connecticut

Kathrine Grant, English, Connecticut Education Assoc.

Carissa Rutkauskas, University of Connecticut

Silver Jubilee Award

Julie Barker, Physics, Cheshire High School

María DiVirgilio, Spanish, Lyman Hall High School

Cathy Fedeorowicz, Mathematics, Seymour High School

Gan Manelli, Europeon History, Masuk High School

Amy Nocton, Spanish, Edwin O. Smith High School

Tina Riccio, Spanish, Southington High School

 

 

 

Student Scholarships

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By Jessica Dunn

 

Through a rigorous review process, the UConn Early College Experience Office scholarship committee se­lected six outstanding 2023-2024 UConn ECE Students as scholarship recipients. Each student has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship applicable to any institution. All recipients are high school seniors, who have completed at least one UConn Early College Experience course and have demonstrated outstanding achieve­ment in their project submissions. Additionally, applicants are evaluated using a holistic rubric that considers various factors including academic success, future academic aspirations, and demonstrated financial need.

 

View the 2024 UConn ECE Scholarship Winner video.

 

Excellence in the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences

Winners demonstrate academic achievement and a potential for future academic and professional accomplishments in a field focusing on the Arts, Humanities, and/or Social Sciences.

 

ARIANNA ANDERSON
Pathways Academy
of Technology
and Design		 TAINA TOLSON
Greater Hartford
Academy of the Arts

Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics

Winners demonstrate academic achievement and a potential for future academic and professional accomplishments in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Mathematics.

 

GIANNI DRAB
Robert E. Fitch
High School		 MUKTHA RAMESH
Rocky Hill High School

Excellence in Civic and Community Engagement

Winners are academically successful, are already making a positive difference in their town or neighbor­hood, and are inspiring others to do the same. The students chosen for this award are UConn ECE Students who demonstrate ambition and self-drive evidenced by outstanding achievement in both school and their community.

 

TESSA FABIANO
Stamford High School		 DANIELLE KANTER
Fairfield Ludlowe
High School

Celebrating our student staff

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As the Office of Early College Programs works to sustain our unprecedented growth, the program continues to rely heavily on the support, insights, and dedication of our OECP student workers. Undergraduate and graduate students alike, our ECE student staff works tirelessly to provide customer service to our students and families, support student and instructor events, and keep our communication and social media presence relevant and timely. OECP has a long tradition of leveraging the power of student workers. In fact, the majority of the full-time program staff began their journey with OECP as student workers.

 

Yara Medawar, Graduate Assistant

PhD Candidate, UConn, Civil and Environmental Engineer­ing

“I am very excited to join UConn’s Office of Early College Programs, where I look forward to sup­porting and inspiring the next generation of students. I’m particularly excited about the opportunity to contribute to innovative educational initiatives that bridge high school and college experiences, fostering academic excellence and personal growth among our students.”

 Amanda Mueller, Student Administrative Assistant, 4 years of experience, UConn ECE Alumni

Rockville High School (‘20); UConn, Molecular and Cell Biology with a Minor in Psychological Sciences, (‘24); UConn, Genetic Counseling (Rising 1st year graduate student)

“What I enjoy the most about working with UConn ECE is the kind and supportive program staff and giving back to a program that has given so much to me!”
Caroline Lynch, Graduate Assistant

Master’s Student, UConn, Higher Education and Student Affairs

“As a former ECE student myself, I am very excited to contribute to a program that has so positively impacted my education.

Additionally, I am looking forward to the opportunity to complement my graduate education in such a hands-on and valuable way!”

 Siva Sekhar Medisetty, Graduate Student Worker/ Data Dashboard Designer

Master’s Student, UConn, Business Analytics and Project Management

“I’ve truly enjoyed collaborating with my colleagues and witnessing the collective creativity and dedication that drives our work forward. Looking ahead, I’m excited about the innovative projects we’ll tackle together!”
Christ-Anne (CJ) Jean-Francois, Student Administrative Assistant, 2 years of experience, UConn ECE Alumni

Central Magnet High School (class of 2021); UConn, Political Science and Psychology major; rising junior UConn ECE Alumni

“What I enjoy most about working with the ECE program here at UConn is how understanding and kind everyone on the team is, and their commitment to helping me grow in my role and fostering my independence.”

 Emma Winston, Student Ad­ministrative Assistant, 2 years of experience, UConn ECE Alumni

Sacred Heart Academy (class of 2022); UConn, Majoring in Psychology and Philosophy; rising junior

“Working with the kindest and most compassionate staff at ECE. I also love contributing to a program that assists these students in reaching higher in their education and really exploring what they’re passionate about.”
Whitley Sumpter, Student Ad­ministrative Assistant, 2 years of experience

Hayesville High School (class of 2022); UConn, Social Work major; rising junior

During my time working with UConn ECE, I have gained many valuable skills that will not only help me in future career endeavors but in life. What I have learned has allowed me to evaluate and solve problems much more efficiently, and my confidence in my abilities to handle issues that arise inside and outside of work has grown exponentially. No matter what kind of day I am having, it is nice to know that I will be walking into a supportive work environment with staff who go above and beyond, whether I need help with a project or even just to talk. I am incredi­bly grateful that through UConn ECE, I have met some of the most kind and genuine people who have played a large role in shaping my experience at, and love for, UConn.

 Julia Swanson, Student Adminis­trative Assistant, 2 years of experi­ence, UConn ECE Alumni

East Catholic High School (class of 2020); UConn, Elementary Educa­tion, minor in English and Speech Language Hearing Sciences; rising senior

“I’ve enjoyed working with the ECE team because they foster inclusivity, support one another, and create a welcoming environment. ECE held a Christmas party that included all staff, featuring food and a gingerbread house competition, which the student staff won! The ECE staff are incredibly kind and caring, always ensuring everyone feels included and supported.”
Charlotte Daigle, Student Ad­ministrative Assistant, 1 years of experience, UConn ECE Alumni

Wethersfield High School (class of 2023); UConn, Major: Pre- Teach­ing/Elementary Education Minor: HDFS; rising sophomore

“Working in the UConn ECE office I have enjoyed interacting with parents and students and seeing how helpful this program is for them when tran­sitioning into college. Seeing that the work we put in every year pays off when we see how grateful these students are.”

 Elizabeth Hinkson,

Student Content Creator, 2 years of experience

Norwood High School (class of 2022); UConn, Nursing; rising junior

“As a Content Creator at UConn ECE I have enjoyed cre­ating innovative content for students. The supportive staff motivates me to improve daily, which has been an enriching experience.”
Sameul Alam, Student Content Creator, 1 year of experience, UConn ECE Alumni

Wethersfield High School (class of 2023); UConn, Marketing with a minor in Business Management & Communications; rising sophomore

“As a content creator for UConn Early College Experience, I enjoyed interviewing around the UConn campus, speaking to instructors, participating in meetings, and being motivated by the supportive com­munity within the office.”

 

 Brayden Bloom, Student Content Creator, 6 months of experience, UConn ECE Alumni

Ridgefield High School (class of 2023); UConn, Finance; rising sophomore

“UConn Early College Experience has given me the chance to work with some amazing people and get more involved. I really enjoy getting to meet new students and staff every day, as well as getting to be more comfortable with our campus.”