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July 28, 2011vol xvii, number 7 Events Calendar July 29 Summer Research Symposium STT Aug. 6 Energy Effi ciency Workshop STT/STX Aug. 11 Energy Effi ciency Workshop STT/STX Aug. 16 New Student Registration STJ Aug. 17 New Student Registration STT/STX Aug. 22 Fall Semester Classes Begin STT/STX/STJ Aug. 29 Special Alumni Phonathon STT Summer Bridge Provides ‘Feel’ of College Life It’s Monday morning and the 42 students of UVI’s Summer Bridge Program on the St. Thomas cam- pus are playing “Who Wants to be a College Success,” a game based on the popular television show, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” Even before the game gets started, the students have plenty questions. It is the same way a little later with guest presenter Jasper Lettsome of the VI Department of Health’s STD/HIV Program. The students are enthusiastic, curious, opinion- ated and candid. In this class, “In- tro to College Success,” they ab- sorb information, process it and challenge it. Jacquan Patterson, instructor of “Intro to College Success” was tasked with teaching the students about the intricacies of college life that they may not learn from their other courses – reading, writing, speech and math- ematics. He invited guest presenters in various fi elds in the community and at UVI to address the students. “Every day of our lives we have choices,” Lettsome said. “Every time we make a decision we have to think on what the consequences may be.” He launched into a series of anecdotes taken from his personal and profes- sional life. “All this ties into disease,” Lettsome explained. “Disease is a cat and mouse game. We think that we can look at people and know who have diseases. We can’t,” he told the students. He encouraged them to be victors and not victims in life. “We can develop ourselves to the full- est and make a difference in our surroundings.” Summer Bridge is a new UVI program for graduating high school students who have been accepted to the University as freshmen for the Fall semester. The program is designed to help students jump-start their college education at UVI by improving their understanding and skills in math and English. They are also taught about campus resources and how to form networks of learning communities before Fall semester classes begin in August. Students from public, private and parochial schools throughout the territory were selected to participate. They live on campus and follow a round-the-clock sched- ule of classes in the day, study hall and organized activities in the evening and fi eld trips on the weekend. “I used to hate math before, but he made it fun,” Sum- mer Bridge participant Shamari Skelton said of Math- ematics Instructor Avon Benjamin. Skelton said the pro- gram has given him a “feel” of college life – study halls, developing good study habits, available campus clubs and organizations, writing tips and researching techniques. “It prepares you for the journey to come,” said Skelton, who will major in UVI’s new Hotel and Tourism Management program. Jewelise Fahie said that Dr. Patricia Harkins-Pierre’s classes have improved her writing. The nursing major said that she wishes the Summer Bridge Program was longer than four weeks. Skelton agreed. “I do recommend other students to come and I hope the program continues next year,” he said. Shari Wiltshire, program coordinator on the Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix, has witnessed camarade- rie among the 37 students on St. Croix. “The instructors, who I want to personally commend, have said that they see the potential in this group. They see the progress the students have made and, overall, that this pilot group of students is on the right track,” Wiltshire said. Jasper Lettsome, far right, an administrator at the VI Department of Health, gives a guest lecture to students in the Summer Bridge Program on the St. Thomas campus. GET CONNECTED TO UVI news, activities and accomplishments at . . . www.uvi.edu dateline: UVI 2 John Brewer’s Bay St. Thomas, VI 00802 dateline: UVI is a production of the UVI Public Rela- tions Offi ce. Contact us by telephone at 340-693-1056 or by fax at 340-693-1055. UVI Program Spurs Interest in Medicine, Grad Enters Med School Delia Miller’s early exposure to the sci- ences is paying off. It was UVI’s Summer Science Academies that fi rst got her think- ing about a career in the sciences. Then it was the Medical Explorers program at the Schneider Medical Center on St. Thomas that that made her know she wanted to be a medical doctor. UVI’s collaboration with the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) sealed the deal for Miller. This Au- gust she will join BUSM as a fi rst-year medi- cal student. “I look forward to working hard, but still have fun in the process,” Miller said about her expectations of medi- cal school. Because Miller spent the past year, and the two summers before that at Boston University, she is already acclimated to the university and the city. She is anxious to begin classes. “Initially it was really fun,” Miller said of her fi rst summer at BU. “The next summer it got more rigorous,” Miller said. “I realized it was more than just liking the city. It required a lot more dedication.” Her senior year, which she spent at BU, was a real “challenge,” she said. “It prepared me for medical school. It showed me what I need to do to be successful.” Miller fi rst considered a career in medicine while par- ticipating in the UVI Summer Science Academies when she was a high school student. At one of the workshops, a former UVI student who was attending medical school spoke to the students. Miller doesn’t remember the wom- an’s name or where she was attending medical school. But it changed Miller’s life. “I thought, if she is from UVI and she went to med school, then why can’t I go,” Miller re- called. At UVI Miller applied to the highly selective BUSM Early Medical School Selection Program in her sophomore year. Once selected, students participate in a six-week summer program at Boston University following their sopho- more and junior years at UVI. They spend their UVI senior year at BUSM – earning college credits toward their UVI degree and medical degree. After graduating from UVI, the students enter BUSM as medical stu- dents. “I’m grateful for the opportunity,” said Miller, who has yet to select her specializa- tion. “For right now, I’m just exploring the sciences,” she said. “I want to be exposed to more things before I make a decision on what type of doctor I want to be.” “The program really helps transition students from undergraduates at UVI to medical school students at BU,” said Dr. Sandra Romano, a UVI professor, Biological Sci- ences Department chair and liaison for the program. “It provides a very supportive environment for the students – all the students in the program, at whatever level they are at.” Boston University provides a support network to help with the transition. The program also closely monitors students’ progress, providing whatever assistance they need, Dr. Romano added. “The program is a wonderful opportunity to get into medical school.” UVI is one of 14 universities to participate in the highly selective BUSM Early Medical School Selection Program. Delia Miller