Bridging From High School to College

Incoming freshman Olivia Brooks and her parents recently arrived on campus from Riverbank, near Modesto.

Caption: Incoming freshman Olivia Brooks settles into a room in the new residential halls as part of the ‘Summer Bridge’ program. Photo by Edward B. Salas

Brooks, who plans to study international business, settled into a room in the new residence halls that will be her home for the next five weeks.

Manuel Dominguez of Ontario, also checked into a room in the new five-story housing complex, eager to get a jump-start on college and his major in computer science.

Through the Summer Bridge program, these first-time freshmen are getting a sneak peak at what living and learning at Cal State Fullerton will be like come this fall. The two recent high school graduates are among 65 Educational Opportunity Program freshmen taking part in the intensive summer program through July 28.

EOP is a statewide program offered to students whose families face economic barriers and/or who need admissions or counseling services to succeed in college. Students in the program take English and mathematics courses to improve their skills and fulfill general education requirements, get the chance to meet other new students, learn about student clubs and organizations, as well as receive information about other perks of campus life.

“The Summer Bridge program offers academic, cultural and transitional support from high school to college,” said Kandy Mink Salas, associate vice president for student affairs. “Students gain valuable information to help them meet academic and personal challenges so they can be successful in college.”

These students were among the first to occupy the new residence halls and to have dinner in the Gastronome, the new 565-seat dining facilities for the residence halls, Mink Salas said.

The new residence halls open this August to house freshmen students. The new complex will accommodate 1,064 students, more than doubling the number living on campus today.

July 5, 2011