By Isabella Cerveira
On Friday, March 01st, 2024, from 09:00 a.m. to 01:00 p.m. at Cuyahoga Community College Metro Campus 201, the first Student Summit was hosted by Eric Gordon, the senior vice president of Student Development and Education. The purpose of the summit was to welcome high schoolers and facilitate discussions on strategies to enhance and engage more high schoolers in the pre-collegiate Tri-C programs. The event brought together Cuyahoga Community College staff, including Felicia Barker, the Career Service Specialist; Etan Byasi, the Instructional Assistant of TRIO; Karen Miller, the Provost and Executive Vice President of Tri-C; and Dr. Michael Baston, the president of Tri-C, along with numerous high school students from various schools in Northeast Ohio.
Cuyahoga Community College offers several pre-collegiate programs aimed at assisting, motivating, nurturing, and expanding educational opportunities for middle and high school students, thereby contributing to the success of future generations in Northeast Ohio. These programs include the Educational Talent Search for students from grades 6 to 12, the High-Tech Academy for students from grades 10 to 12, and the TRIO Student Support Services leading to Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math/Science programs, which are designed to help high school students enhance their knowledge across diverse areas through year-round pre-college classes.
Mr. Gordon initiated the event with the intention of providing students with a platform to express their ideas, challenges, and feedback. He expressed concerns regarding the low retention rate of students transitioning to Tri-C after high school graduation and aimed to gather insights from students to improve the programs, “We have several students who participated in the program at Tri-C, but very few stay at tri-c after they graduate from high school, so I want to learn from the students what they brought to us, what keeps them with us, or the way they don’t stay with us after they are finishing their program so we can improve those programs.”
The Student Summit commenced with welcoming remarks from Dr. Baston, Mr. Gordon, Mrs. Janice, and Mrs. Miller. Following the establishment of engagement guidelines and a presentation on the four pre-collegiate programs, attendees were presented with program-related data, including participation and retention statistics. The main activity, orchestrated by Mr. Gordon, encouraged students to share their thoughts, challenges, and feedback about the programs. The activity comprised four rounds, covering both pre-collegiate and postgraduate aspects.The event culminated with Mrs. Miller expressing gratitude to the students for their participation, followed by a lunch service offering a variety of meal options.
Overall, the 2024 Cuyahoga Community College Summit proved to be a valuable event, fostering collaboration between college staff and students to enhance the pre-collegiate program. The summit underscored the institution’s commitment to student welfare and collaborative efforts in education, reaffirming the value placed on student experiences and futures.
