Thirty Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) students will begin their college education on Monday, Aug. 12 as participants in the three-week EOP Pre-Freshman Program that concludes on Friday, Aug. 30.
EOP, a state-funded grant program, provides academic support services, counseling, individual and small group tutoring, and supplemental financial assistance to students considered “at-risk” due to various socioeconomic circumstances, that may hinder completion of their academic program. The main objectives of the summer program are to ensure students get an early introduction to all of the college’s support services early, as well as understand college policies, the student code of conduct and the benefits of engaging in campus life.
Alfredo Balarin, director of Student Life and EOP, said the pre-freshman program is designed specifically to ensure students experience a smooth transition to the demands of the collegiate experience at Hudson Valley Community College. “We are very excited to launch the pre-freshman program,” Balarin said. With the support of Dashira Cortes, EOP academic counselor, who brings a wealth of opportunity program experience to the college, Balarin said the program is well-equipped to provide another successful pre-freshman experience “Our goal is to boost our students’ persistence, retention, graduation and transfer rates,” said Balarin. “We also want our students to be engaged in campus life.”
Cortes, who spent time as an academic counselor for the Higher Educational Opportunity Program (HEOP) at Russell Sage College, said the next three weeks will be filled with new and challenging learning opportunities for our students. “It’s our hope and expectation that with support from our colleagues in academic and student affairs, our students will not only reach their educational goals, but will assume leadership roles on campus and in their respective communities. We are preparing our students for success in the classroom, in the community and the world.”
For more information, please contact Alfredo Balarin, at (518) 629-7348.
Published: Mon, 12 Aug 2019 12:22:47 +0000 by l.coplin