Abstract
Each year UCLA’s Academic Advancement Program hosts a bridge program, known as the Freshman/Transfer Summer Program. This program is designed to help approximately 400 underrepresented students from historically underperforming high schools and community colleges prepare for the academic demands of UCLA while introducing them to life at the university.
Counseling has become one of the central components of our summer bridge program. Each college counselor meets with students individually to review degree requirements, create individualized degree plans, and get to know them personally. Counselors also conduct weekly curriculum meetings with the instructors from each class. These curriculum meetings allow our counselors to better serve our students, and allows for early intervention and outreach to students who are struggling. This workshop will discuss the ways in which our college counselors are integrated into our summer program, and the strategies we employ to help our students successfully matriculate to the university.
Speaker Biography
Eric Wells
Eric holds a Ph.D. from UCLA and has been a counselor at AAP for the past 3 years. He primarily works with transfer students, STEM and pre-health students, and students with dependents.
Carina Salazar
Carina has been a counselor at AAP for over a decade. She holds an M.A. in Educational Administration and works with transfer students, veterans, students in economic distress, and students with dependents.
Sandra Arreguin
Sandra has worked as a counselor at AAP for the past 5 years. She is a former F/TSP instructor who holds an M.A. in sociology and works with freshmen, former foster youth, and our McNair scholars.
Marian Gabra
Marian, our newest counselor, also holds a Ph.D. from UCLA. She was previously an instructor in our summer program and currently counsels freshmen and is in the process of developing a mentorship program, in partnership with Alumni Affairs, to connect our current students with AAP alumni.
