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.

 

Course Offerings and Expanded Access

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By Christopher Todd

 

One of the most important fundamental principles in public policy is that the more complex a change, the less one can force that change upon stakeholders. Look to any state or federal education mandate, and one can understand the complexity of change. Simply mandating or forcing students to take advantage of the multitude of dual credit opportunities their school provides doesn’t lead to success. However, creating a robust catalog of offerings that allows for choice, and aligns with student interests will ultimately shift the landscape of dual credit opportunities in Connecticut.

 

In his book “Inquiry Mindset”, Trevor Mackenzie writes Passions create opportunities for deeper learn­ing as students are highly motivated and willing to explore them further. Their proper knowledge of the topic accelerates and amplifies their inquiry. Student interest and passion must drive the opportunities we look to create in an expanded course catalog. As the UConn ECE program quickly approaches 100 unique UConn course offerings, the program stands on the precipice of determining which new courses to add to our catalog, and as such, advocates with the appropriate university leadership within corre­sponding disciplines. The program will continue to look for disciplinary gaps in our course offerings and will work to bring in new course offerings that align with partner school needs, relevant career pathway pursuits, and most importantly student interests and passions.

 

Taking this into consideration, the UConn ECE program is excited to share new course offerings available during the forthcoming 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years. These courses align with the program’s strategic vision of expanding course offerings in a way that addresses both disciplinary gaps and student interests and needs.

 

ASLN 1102: Elementary American Sign Language II (4 credits)

Continued development of basic knowledge and understanding of conversational ASL.
BUSN 2235: Personal Financial Literacy (3 credits)

Introduction to essential topics in personal finance for individuals and entrepreneurs. Financial literacy, personal finance topics including recordkeeping, budgeting, risk, insurance, credit, purchasing decisions, savings/invest­ment options, income taxation of individuals and small businesses, and retirement savings.
CHIN 3210: Chinese Conversa­tion and Composition I (3 credits)

Development of ability to communicate in Chinese, orally and in writing.

CHIN 3211: Chinese Conversations and Composition II (3 credits)

Development of ability to communicate in Chinese, orally and in writing.
CSE 1010: Introduction to Computing for Engineers (3 credits)

Introduction to computing logic, algorithmic thinking, computing processes, a programming language and computing environment. Knowledge obtained in this course enables use of the computer as an instrument to solve computing problems. Representative problems from science, mathematics, and engineering will be solved.
KINS 1100: Exercise and Wellness for Everyone (3 credits)

Overview of the five pillars of health (exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress and relationships); role of exercise in health promotion and disease prevention across the lifes­pan; impacts of exercise in leisure time, culture, community, careers and the workplace.
MATH 1070Q: Mathematics for Business and Economics (3 credits)

Linear equations and inequali­ties, matrices, systems of linear equations, and linear program­ming; sets, counting, probability and statistics; mathematics of finance; applications to business and economics.
PUBH 1001: Introduction to Public Health (3 credits)

This course describes the history, philosophy, and science of public health. Students will identify biological, environmental, and social determinants of health from a comprehensive perspective. They will apply these principles to define health problems, evaluate possible causes, and recommend effective public health responses to health concerns. By doing so, students will learn about career opportunities and the complementary role public health plays with health care and voluntary and governmental organizations in protecting the public’s health.

To learn more about each course offering and UConn ECE Instructor requirements, we encourage you to visit our entire course catalog.

 

Addendum

ME 3295: Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering (3 credits)
  • SolidWorks for Industrial Design option
  • AutoCAD for Industrial Design option
NUSC 1165: Fundamentals of Nutrition (3 credits)
An introduction to the principles and concepts of nutrition with emphasis on the nature and function of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins, and their application to the human organism.
ARE 1110E: Population, Food, and the Environment (3 credits)

The role of agriculture in the growth and development of societies throughout the world. Economic, social, and environmental problems of food production and resource needs in developing and advanced societies.

 

Wallace Stevens Poetry Contest

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UConn ECE Wallace Stevens Poetry Contest

 

By Sean Frederick Forbes

 

The theme of this year’s ECE newsletter “Doubling Down on Success” reminded me of the card game blackjack. My grandfathers and uncles used to play blackjack during summer family gatherings, so I was familiar with the phrase “doubling down.” In blackjack, the term means to double one’s original bid in exchange for only one more card; it’s a move that suggests great surety of winning, despite the potential risk of losing. The Merriam-Webster dictionary offers a secondary definition of the term: “to become more tenacious, zealous, or resolute in a position or undertaking.” With all that said, perhaps the theme for this essay can be: “Doubling Down on Poetry,” since a poet must set to the page a sense of surety in their written creation despite the potential risk of being misunderstood by others. Writing poetry in any form or style is no easy undertaking especially in the high-tech world we live, in which digital distractions abound. There will always be poets, committed to painstakingly crafting verses to be read.

 

This year the ECE Wallace Stevens poetry contest received twenty-three poetry packets. My fellow judges, Sophie Buckner and Anh Le—both PhD candidates in the English department at UConn and creative writers—and I selected four poetry packets by Brooke Vazquez, Yimin Wu, Mikayla Vazquez, and Jenny Li as the first, second, third, and Hon­orable Mention prize winners, respectively. On a cold, yet sunny, Friday morning in February, Sophie, Anh and I held a Zoom meeting to deliberate and select the winners, and the three of us noted how enriching, innovative, and vibrant all of the submissions were. Four poets stood out to us since each packet captivated our individual and collective poetic sensibilities.

 

The title of Brooke Vazquez’s poem “Alphabetic Entomopho­bia,” introduces the reader to a different type of alphabet, one in which the irrational and per­sistent fear of various insects, is front and center with dazzling details that act as verbal and visu­al somersaults when read aloud. What’s most striking in these thirteen couplets is the merging of scientific and poetic language to create a rhythmic flow to the narrative: “uliodons savored her physique with silk / veins crawl with starving, matured maggots,” causing the reader to engage with the dynamic lives of insects in nature.

 

In five distinctive stanzas, Yimin Wu’s “Pomelo Peel” offers a com­plex and layered braided narrative as a speaker confronts cultural and social constructs regarding skin color, ethnic identity, and otherness. In the final stanza, the speaker eats a pomelo, its juices “sewing between cracks within / The rinds of my amber, pomelo heart,” a heavy image to decipher.

 

Mikayla Vazquez’s “Land of the Brave Lord” is a narrative poem written in four sequences about the Indigenous peoples of South America and the Caribbean, the Arawaks. Each sequence acts as a portal into the spiritual and ritu­alistic aspects of their lives. The speaker states, “The stars were crafted for the Arawak people, cultivated with crystals gathered from the darkest of caves, and the gold at the depths of their rivers;” a truly mythic-poetic vision.

 

Jenny Li’s “Loud Whispers” offers a seemingly simple end rhyme scheme in semi-regular rhyming couplets, which upon first glance one might not detect the cascad­ing rhetorical and sound effects established. Toward the end of the poem, the speaker thinks about the intensity of the battery of loud whispers, and states, “In the trees / With the breeze / The leaves flee / I want to be free;” with a gift of hope offered in the final image.

First Place

Brooke Vazquez

 

Brooke Vazquez, a junior at Rockville High School, has earned numerous accolades for her work, including a platinum award in the 2020 Connecti­cut Student Writer contest, two Silver Keys from the 2021 and 2022 Scholas­tic Arts & Writing contest, an honorable mention in the 2023 Nancy Thorp Poetry contest, and many more. Brooke’s future in the literary world looks promising as she continues to pursue opportunities to innovate and promote her work.

 

“I love writing, specifically the genre of poetry as it is a major outlet for me and a way to express my feelings on greater issues, primarily for women. For me, writing is the ability to paint a picture of a moment in time using words, and I try to implement that notion in my own work.”

 

Second Place

Yimin Wu

 

Yimin Wu is a junior at Hall High School and the Vice President of the school’s Creative Writing Club. He enjoys writing poetry, reading manhua, and listening to music.

 

“Through writing poetry, I’ve formed a stronger sense of self-identity and shared my cultural heritage. My pieces often deal with envy and Chinese-American struggles, which I hope to share with the rest of the world and foster a little more understanding of the immigrant experience.”

Third Place

Mikayla Vazquez

 

Mikayla Vazquez, a junior at Manches­ter High school, is most recognizable by her untamed curly hair, and visceral love for creative writing. She enjoys creating a variety of poems and prose that explore the human experience, and all the happy, strange moments within it. When she’s not buried in her comforter reading, she’s either thrifting, or not drinking enough water.

 

“I gifted my mom a poem for Mother’s Day in 2022, and it was the first time I had ever seen her cry. It made me realize just how much words are a way to make people feel a range of emotion, and poetry is the most bare, and deeply personal form.”

 

Honorable Mention

Jenny Li

 

Jenny is a high school senior at Montville High School. At Montville, she studies various AP and ECE classes in order to feel prepared for her future pursuit in nursing. Although writing isn’t one of her passions, she does spend some time whenever she is free to write down ideas and poems that come to her. For the most part, she spends her free time either studying, at work, or through social media consumption.

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