Summer programs offer head start to incoming freshmen

Students have opportunity to take courses early, get taste of campus life

By California State University, Bakersfield

June 26^th, 2023

Christine Palapuz has been feeling anxious about starting her college journey as a freshman this fall.

The Delano native is splitting from many of her high school friends by coming to California State University, Bakersfield and is making the big step of living in campus housing. With such big changes on the horizon, Palapuz wanted to make sure she put her best foot forward and was as prepared as she possibly could be for college.

That’s where `Runner Launch comes in. The new eight-week summer program, which started earlier this month, allows incoming freshmen to complete their first-year seminar course as well as general education courses in math and English, all while staying in the campus dorms.

“It’s been really great,” Palapuz said. “I was very worried about how life was going to be here. I didn’t know anything about CSUB, but being a part of this program has been really reassuring.”

She has enjoyed meeting her teachers and other students in the program and getting to experience the campus for the first time.

“I’ve really liked getting to know what it’s like,” she said. “The buildings aren’t too far away from each other. There’s a lot of shading and it’s very green. I really like the art on campus too.”

`Runner Launch marks the first time that CSUB is offering a summer program that is open to all incoming freshmen. They were previously restricted to students in need of extra academic preparation.

`Runner Launch is being funded through a $300,000 grant as part of the Chancellor’s Office’s Supportive Pathways Program.

“It’s exciting to get students on campus and get them through those first couple of classes before they have to take a full load in the fall,” said Jacob Whitaker, coordinator of the program as well as coordinator for the Writing Resource Center and Tutoring Services. “It allows them to kind of get their feet wet and get some experience while progressing toward their degree at the same time.”

Being a first-generation student himself, Whitaker said he understands how intimidating college can be at first. He hopes the `Runner Launch program can alleviate some of that fear for incoming freshmen.

“We’re giving them an opportunity to learn in a welcoming environment about what college is like, what CSUB is like. It can be daunting to come into a university for the first time,” he said. “I hope that the students who take part in this program feel a certain comfortability with being here and with the CSUB experience by the end of it.”

Alexis Soto-Leon is taking courses in all three available subjects to get a head start at CSUB. Although he was initially nervous to start university-level work, Soto-Leon said he’s found his classes to be engaging and believes he is making good progress.

“I’m glad I’m getting some of these classes over with. I think getting them done during the summer is very helpful and hopefully I won’t be lost when I come back in the fall,” he said.

The courses aren’t easy, however. Since they are eight weeks long, instead of the traditional 16 weeks, students must go through the curriculum twice as fast.

“It’s a lot more fast-paced, but I think if I just manage my time well, I’ll be able to get it done,” Soto-Leon said.

He appreciates the university offering a program like this to incoming freshmen and getting to be among the first to experience the campus.

“I’m grateful to be able to get ahead because of this program,” he said. “I can’t wait to continue my education and see what my professors throw at me.”

Soto-Leon has gotten to know a few of the other students participating in the program, including Adan Garcia, who said he’s had a good experience with `Runner Launch and is looking forward to returning to CSUB in the fall as a full-time student.

“It’s been a blast so far. I’m glad to be able to be part of it,” Garcia said. “It makes me want to learn more. It’s really gotten me more invested in college. I feel like this will benefit students who are willing to partake in the program.”

Summer Bridge

`Runner Launch isn’t the only summer program on campus this month. The university’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) held its annual Summer Bridge from June 11-23 for nearly 90 incoming freshmen.

One-unit courses in critical thinking, college exploration and advancing academic confidence were available to EOP students during the two-week program to help them with their transition to college.

“The whole goal of those courses is to give them an understanding of what expectations the university and professors have of them as incoming freshmen,” said EOP Outreach and Transitional Programs Coordinator Jesus “J.R.” Perez. “We’re giving students the opportunity to learn more about themselves, to learn about the campus and what it takes to succeed at a university level.”

One of the things Pedro Zapata most appreciates about the program is how inviting it feels and that faculty and staff are always open to answering students’ questions.

“I feel like we’re in a safe place where we can ask questions about what college will be like in our first year,” he said. “As freshmen, I feel like it’s really hard for many of us to come to college. It’s a very big change, so getting this opportunity is very beneficial.”

Nubia Hernandez said the program has helped her come to grips with the responsibilities of being an adult and a college student.

“I had to get used to a different style of learning,” she said. “You’re learning how to be independent and self-sustainable. It’s up to you to make decisions. No one’s telling you what to do.”

For Summer Bridge Lecturer Montzerrath Rodriguez, the program is not only rewarding because of the help she has been able to provide incoming freshmen but also because she’s giving back to a program that she personally benefitted from. Rodriguez went through Summer Bridge herself as a student back in 2013.

“I personally have a passion for it,” she said. “It really did teach me a lot. I feel like it allowed me to get ahead of the game as a freshman. You get an advantage as a student coming into your first year.”

Rodriguez now gets to work alongside educators who were her mentors when she was a student, which she enjoys.

“They’ve guided me and molded me into the person I am today,” she said. “I feel like I’m able now to inspire incoming freshmen like they did, a whole new generation.”

Perez said Summer Bridge provides a vital function for the university, as many of the students in the EOP program — which aims to expand access and increase academic success for underserved students — don’t have a good understanding of what will be expected of them at CSUB.

“A lot of them are first-generation, and being a former first-generation student myself, it was a bit of struggle for me when I first started as a student at CSUB in 2006,” he said. “Having the opportunity to teach students what they need to know to succeed is extremely rewarding. When they tell you they feel more confident about themselves and have somebody they can go to for help, that’s amazing. It’s extremely important that they have a sense of community and belonging to the university.”