Students participating in the EOP Pre-Freshman Summer Program travelled to the New York State Capitol on Friday, Aug. 16 and met with Senator Neil Breslin to talk about their experience as summer program participants and their educational and career goals.
Senator Breslin, a long-time supporter and advocate of state-funded Educational Opportunity Program, talked to the students about the history of the Capitol and gave the students a tour of the historic building, according to Dashira Cortes, academic counselor for EOP. Emphasis was placed on the importance of self-advocacy and overall political awareness.
Cortes said the senator was very generous and took time away from his busy schedule to meet with our students and share personal stories about his college journey and how fortunate our students are to be attending a great institution like Hudson Valley Community College. He encouraged our students to take advantage of all resources on campus and to ask questions. “Our students were very engaged and asked great questions which left a great impression,” Cortes said.
The three-week pre-freshman summer program that concludes this Friday, Aug. 30, has introduced participants to all of the college support services, institutional policies, important dates on the academic calendar, workshops on study skills, leadership development, self-advocacy, student engagement, and student expectations. “We are very satisfied with the level of enthusiasm our students have had during the summer program,” Cortes said. “Our challenge will be to help maintain their momentum during the course of the semester. I am confident they will have a seamless transition and will be role models for their peers.”
For more information, please contact the EOP Office, (518) 629-7399.
Published: Mon, 26 Aug 2019 12:41:30 +0000 by l.coplin