other bills add up pretty fast. It’s important to manage your finances, even if you don’t, like many students, have much money to manage at this point in time! Our programs and services are designed with one goal in mind– to help you successfully complete your education at the University of Bridgeport. We are excited to announce that 72% of SSS freshmen from the 2012-2013 cohort moved onto their sophomore year, and this fall an estimated 76% of SSS freshmen from the 2013-2014 cohort will begin their sopho-more year. We are so proud of your hard work and your dedication to your education. It is a pleas-ure for SSS staff to contribute to your success, guide you through your challenges, and watch you grow! We welcome the SSS class of 2018 and ex-pect great things from you as well. Good luck this semester and we look forward to seeing you in the office!

Sincerely, Aamna Qureshi

Dear Students, I have been the Director of Student Support Services for about 2.5 years, and while this is no milestone, I wanted to share my excitement about and gratitude for the growth of SSS during this time period. For starters, the SSS com-puter lab will have a white board and a projector, which will be especially helpful for workshops focusing on course registration and FAFSA. We hope you will continue to take full advantage of the lab- it is for SSS students only! We have also expanded our collec-tion of reference materials for students, which includes text-books. If you don’t initially have a book for a class, swing by our office, we likely have it for you to use! The program has grown in other ways as well, which are perhaps not as noticeable. We have expanded our peer men-toring program, ExCEL, which now has 13 committed mentors and 29 mentees. In addition, we’ve added exclusive cultural and enrichment activi-ties for this group of students.

We are proud of the fact that most of our professional tutors have served you for two years and counting. While we are sad to see Susan DeLeonar-do leave and are grateful for her time with us, we are excit-ed to announce that Omkar Betageri will be spending more time with us this year, tutoring biology, chemistry and mathe-matics. It is a blessing to have such committed individuals return every semester to work with SSS students. We want you to know that SSS can be your home away from home, and we work dili-gently to create a supportive community here. SSS-only First Year Seminar classes help us to do so. These classes are traditionally taught by SSS staff, although we welcome a new instructor, Debbie Stellav-ato. Our hope is that you will support your SSS peers in and outside of class and will experi-ence the benefits of interacting with other SSS students. We’ve expanded our pro-gramming to include a full series of workshops on finan-cial and economic literacy. You may realize that tuition and

First Day of Classes August 25th

No Classes-Labor Day September 1st

Last day to elect pass/fail September 5th

Last day to add courses September 5th

Last day to drop a class without academic penalty September 12th

Mid-semester Exam Week October 13th-17th

Last day to drop a class with “W” grade October 31st

Registration for Spring 2015 semester begins November 3rd

Last day to apply for December graduation November 15th

Thanksgiving Recess November 26th-30th

Last day of classes December 5th Final Exam Week December 8th-12th

A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

SSS Takes Over

Boston

2

Third Year’s a Charm 3

Upcoming Fall Trips 3

Neely’s Cultural

Emersion

4

SSS Staff Explores

New York City

5

Welcome New Staff 5

SSS Graduates! 6

SSS Students Shine 7

Dean’s/President’s List

7

Success Checklist 8

SSS Contact Info 8

Important Fall Dates

Student Support Services

Fall 2014

Newsletter F A L L 2 0 1 4

SSS students commit to:

Attend a minimum of 3 advising meetings

Attend a minimum of

2 SSS workshops These commitments

are on a semester basis.

P A G E 2

SSS Takes Over BOSTON! The University of Bridge-

port’s Student Support Ser-

vices (SSS) program continual-

ly works to provide their

students the tools they need

to make the most of their

time at the University. Every

semester they hold numerous

workshops to increase com-

munication between students

and to help them learn and

master new skills. Such work-

shops focus on study habits,

budgeting, and organizing

your workspace (among many

other things). However, the staff of SSS

knows that a healthy mind

requires a balance between

work and fun. As such, they

also tend to hold a few events

and trips every semester. For

example, in the past students

have seen plays and perfor-

mances in New Haven and

New York. These events

allow students to learn, relax,

and socialize while sometimes

enjoying some delicious (and

free!) food. This semester was no

exception. In what is likely

their most ambitious endeav-

or thus far, SSS organized and

funded a trip for SSS students

that was both educational and

fun. The trip was a 3-day

journey through Massachu-

setts, specifically Salem, Bos-

ton, and Cambridge. With the

aid of the grant, SSS was able

to take 50 students on this

trip to see numerous histori-

cal sites and routes, and also

visit locations that the stu-

dents may have not seen be-

fore. On Friday, April 4th, stu-

dents boarded a bus that

made the 3-and-a-half-hour

trip to Salem, where the stu-

dents got a chance to tour

the historic areas in the old,

sleepy town and learn about

the Salem Witch Trials. The

best part about Salem was the

museum, for it had a large

room set up with animatron-

ics that detailed the events of

the Salem Witch Trials. In just

twenty minutes, it effectively

summarized the causes and

consequences, including the

deaths of the 19 people who

were found guilty of being a

witch. The show also high-

lighted the story of Guiles

Corey who was crushed to

death with stones for refusing

to confess. The chilly day concluded

with a ghost tour, in which

students were taken around

the central areas of the town

and were told mysterious and

wonderful stories about

ghosts, murder, betrayal, and

corruption. The following day, the

students were treated to a

lovely breakfast in a private

dining room inside the Holi-

day Inn in which they stayed.

Thus commenced a very long,

active day in which the stu-

dents toured Boston and

many of its historical sites.

Starting with an educational

tour about the town itself,

the students visited the Old

North Church, strode

through a graveyard in which

British soldiers were buried

during the Revolutionary

War, and visited Nathaniel

Hawthorne’s House of the

Seven Gables. Following that, students

visited the Museum of Science

where they had access to

many exhibits– featuring eve-

rything from animals, to fun

illusions, to a magnificent light

show done with lightning.

Ever see the movie The Sor-

cerer’s Apprentice, starring

Nicholas Cage? There is a

scene where the young man

who becomes the apprentice

uses Tesla Coils to play a

song by OneRepublic. Same

idea, although the song choice

was different. After receiving a couple of

hours to explore downtown

Boston, students converged

at Hard Rock Café for dinner.

It’s worth noting that all the

meals were funded by the

program, so students did not

have to worry about having

to pay for the food. Once

everyone was full and had a

chance to digest, students and

advisors departed the restau-

rant for the final event of the

day. Tucked away in a rather

inactive alley is a small thea-

ter, The Charles Playhouse.

An improvisation group per-

formed their comedic murder

-mystery play titled Shear

Madness, which takes place in

a hair salon. This isn't your

average play; the audience

decides who committed the

murder and the improv group

acts out their decision ac-

cordingly. The dialogue was hilarious

to say the least, and every

line was either a punch line, a

reference to something in

pop culture or the news, or

just mispronounced so badly

that the other actors made

good use of it to poke fun at

one another. It was lively,

entertaining, and interactive.

Being that it was an improv

performance, actors really

focused on the moment, for

at one point two of the male

actors accidentally kissed and

started laughing so much that

they broke character and

needed a moment to com-

pose themselves.

Day three began with a

visit to Harvard, some free

time to explore Harvard

Square and lunch. Students

(see Boston, page 6)

S T U D E N T S U P P O R T S E R V I C E S F A L L 2 0 1 4

Third Year’s a Charm of 15 mentors. One of the major

enrichment activities for this group

was a trip to the Body Worlds exhib-

it in New York City, an experience

which allowed the group to further

build their relationship in a fun and

educational environment. This year, the program consists of

13 mentors and 29 mentees thus far.

There is also an exciting lineup of

activities for this year’s group. The

SSS staff is planning a trip to Lyman

Orchards for a tour of the orchard

and farm, as well as an in-depth look

into Lyman’s food processing and

production. This will be an especially

unique experience for city-dwelling

students! Also in the lineup for fall activities

is pumpkin painting and a semester

long fundraiser for The Columbus

House. The Columbus House serves

Student Support Services is excit-

ed to announce that the Expanding

the Collegiate Experience through

Leadership (ExCEL) program will

begin its third year this fall! The primary goal of the ExCEL

mentor program is to help incoming

freshman students transition to uni-

versity life– which includes both the

social and academic aspects. New SSS

students are paired with SSS upper-

classmen, most of whom were once

mentees as well. Mentors meet with their mentees

a few times a month, introduce them

to various resources on campus,

study with them, have a meal with

them, attend SSS workshops with

them, and in general just serve as the

go-to for any questions SSS freshmen

may have. Last year, the program consisted

people who are homeless in New

Haven and in other towns in CT and

is not only a place for temporary

shelter and food, but is a resource to

help individuals transition to perma-

nent housing and obtain jobs. Most students agree that ExCEL is

an enriching little piece of SSS, alt-

hough it has grown significantly since

its inception. The SSS staff and the

ExCEL mentors welcome the new

mentees!

P A G E 3

Upcoming Fall 14 Activities

OUR TOWN at the Long Wharf Theatre

Join us for an evening at the Long Wharf Theatre

to see the classic play, Our Town. Be sure to sign

up in the SSS office for this event!

Date: Thursday, October 23rd

Time:-5pm-11pm Location: New Haven, CT

EXCEL Mentee/Mentor Events

Mentor-Mentee

Fall 2014 Events

Friday, September 12, 2014

Lyman Orchard Tour

12:30 pm

-

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Celebrate Fall: Pumpkin Painting

12:30 pm

-

Friday, November 14, 2014

Day of Service: New Haven, CT

12:30 pm

More details to come.

Events are subject to change.

If a change occurs SSS will notify you.

P A G E 4

S T U D E N T S U P P O R T S E R V I C E S F A L L 2 0 1 4

Neely’s Cultural Immersion find her way to Japan. She made

the final decision about studying

abroad after meeting with the

Dean of the College of Public

and International Affairs, Dr.

Thomas Ward. Dean Ward

suggested the Asian Studies

Program of Kansai Gaidai Uni-

versity and informed Neely

about scholarship opportunities

there. Neely left the meeting

hopeful and decided to do

some research on the college,

looking at reviews of the col-

lege as well as the crime rate in

the area. It is, after all, nerve

racking to call somewhere

home for a few months, with-

out ever having been there.

Satisfied with her research,

Neely prepared to journey to

Japan! Neely shared that her time

in Japan was one of the most

rewarding experiences she has

had in her life thus far. While

abroad, Neely made an effort

to fully immerse herself in the

culture and community. She

engaged with her peers who

came from all over the world,

as well as with the native peo-

ple of Japan. During her stay in Japan she

lived in the dorms that were

provided by Kansai Gaidai Uni-

versity. She was responsible for

her meals, meaning she had to

shop for groceries and prepare

her food in a communal kitch-

en. Neely recalls the difficulties

she had adjusting in a foreign

land where she did not know

anyone. Though it was a bit

challenging to adjust to this

new environment and lifestyle,

Neely said that it was worth it,

as she never felt more inde-

pendent and mature as she had

then. Another interesting realiza-

Student Support Services is

excited to share that one of

our students, Neely Neverson,

had an adventurous opportuni-

ty to partake in a study abroad

trip during the spring 2014

semester. Neely studied abroad in

what is known as the Land of

The Rising Sun, Japan. Her in-

terest in Japan started at a

young age with a love for the

popular anime cartoon, Sailor

Moon. Neely shared that when

she watched the show, she felt

overcome with joy from watch-

ing the cute, butt-kicking hero-

ine. It was not until high school,

when Neely’s friend introduced

her to her school’s Japanese

club, that she became aware

that the Sailor Moon cartoons

were of Japanese origin. From

that point, Neely’s interest in

the Japanese culture began. During her first year at the

University of Bridgeport, Neely

decided that her education

would serve as the bridge to

Japan, recognizing that it would

likely be easier to travel while

in school rather than after grad-

uation. Neely did her research

and discovered that UB offers

assistance with study abroad

programs and guidance from

travel counselors– services that

were not accessible outside of

UB. She connected with the VP

of International Programs,

Brandon LaFavor, and asked

him if UB had any affiliation

with a school in Japan. Unfortu-

nately the University did not,

and still does not, so it was up

to Neely to find a suitable

school in Japan and initiate

contact. While many students would

have given up at this point,

Neely persisted, determined to

tion Neely had during her time

in Japan was that an individual’s

ability to speak any particular

language is not by any means an

indicator of their intelligence.

Attempts to express herself in

the native language were at

times frustrating for Neely, as

she only knew limited Japanese.

She sometimes felt limited be-

cause she would repeat the

same words over and over

again. Neely used this frustration

as a motivator and soon she

was learning the local dialect,

which was not taught in class.

During this process she gained

respect for her Japanese friends

who were learning English.

Finding this common ground

allowed Neely and her peers to

struggle together, laugh togeth-

er and learn together. Neely’s study abroad op-

portunity was a wonderful

learning experience culturally,

academically and personally. “I

can easily say that the time in

Japan was one of the happiest

periods of my life,” she says.

Neely looks forward traveling

abroad again and encourages

students to do the same. Every semester the SSS

program hosts a study abroad

information session run by

Brandon LaFavor. Research

shows that studying abroad is

one of the top things that re-

cent graduates regret not doing

while in college. If you want to

study abroad but have ques-

tions and concerns about

where to do it and how to fund

it, do not miss this workshop!

Check the SSS fall activities

brochure for details regarding

the session.

Written by SSS student, Neely Neverson

Edited by Aamna Qureshi

P A G E 5

however it was also an opportunity

for our staff to reconnect, something

that’s challenging to do during the

busy semesters. First on the agenda was a stop at

the famous Strand Book Store, which

has 4 floors of new, used and rare

books that totaled 18 miles worth of

reading material! We then ventured to the Brook-

lyn Museum of Arts to view the Art

and Civil Rights in the Sixties exhibition,

which featured powerful photography

and artwork that reflected the turbu-

lent climate. This was a moving exhib-

it which depicted both the violence

and the hopeful struggle of coura-

geous men and women during the

Civil Rights movement.

While students are resting (and

hopefully working) during the summer

months, the Student Support Services

staff works diligently to close off the

year and begin preparations for the fall

semester. We recruit a new freshman

class, plan academic and developmen-

tal workshops, and research potential

cultural and enrichment activities. This summer we decided to have a

cultural and enrichment activity of our

own, with the goal of discovering new

events and activities for SSS students. Specifically, in late June, we left our

quiet offices at UB for the bustling

concrete jungle, New York City. The

primary purpose of the trip was to

explore museums which we may take

students to during the school year,

Our last stop was the New York

Historical Society which featured The

Black Five exhibit. This is one exhibit

we know our students would love, as

it told the history of basketball in the

African American community and the

eventual integration of the Black and

White leagues. It was a creative exhib-

it, set up like a small basketball court

with display windows along the perim-

eter. These held artifacts from the

time period, including jerseys, sneak-

ers, newspaper articles, tickets, and

event programs and schedules. We enjoyed this educational and

team-building experience, and we

hope students will be inspired to

check out these museums as well!

SSS Staff Explores NYC

Welcome Pam! Student Support Services would like to welcome the newest addition to our

team, Pam Walsh. Pam is coming aboard as the administrative assistant, so

you’ll be seeing her often; be sure to say hi and introduce yourself! Pam is an advocate and consultant. She has worked with unique learners

and children with disabilities since 2003. Previous to advocacy, Pam worked as

a training specialist with WebMD, SmithKline Beecham, and Eli Lilly Pharmaceu-

ticals and holds a B.S. from the State University of New York, College at Brock-

port in Business Administration. An avid volunteer in the community, Pam is a board member for the Special

Education Parent Teacher Association, Inc., works with local schools to en-

hance school climate and promotes Autism Awareness through national and

state organizations. Interested in a more holistic way of life, Pam is a certified Aromatherapist

and enjoys meditative practice during her few minutes of spare time. Pam is

passionate about working with individuals to realize their true potential and is

excited to join the Student Support Services team.

SSS Administrative Assistant:

Pam Walsh

P A G E 6

Boston cont’d... explored only parts of the campus

due to time restrictions, and later

grabbed lunch at any of the nu-

merous eateries that surround the

square. Finally, students viewed a mov-

ie in the New England Aquarium

and later had an opportunity to

view the aquatic life in the large

tank in the atrium of the building,

including seahorses, penguins, sea

turtles, eels, crabs, manta rays, and

seals. All in all, the trip was amazing

to say the least. Not only did stu-

dents learn much about Boston

and the Revolutionary War (some

students were able to talk to war

re-enactors and learn about war-

time weapons and uniforms, as

well as the outcomes of a few

battles), but they also had a chance

to explore new places while having

a lot of fun as a group. SSS has proved once again why

they are such an important re-

source for students. This is anoth-

er example that shows SSS staff

are concerned with making sure

that the students learn and enjoy

their time at UB. While the pro-

gram may not organize another

journey like this anytime soon (it

is obviously an exhausting endeav-

or), they always have plenty more

events and trips planned that their

students will enjoy as much as

they did the trip to Boston.

Those of you who are currently

SSS students- don’t miss out on

these events! They are fun, educa-

tional, and free! If you are new to

the program this year, be sure to

sign up for events and workshops

early, as space is often limited.

Written by SSS student, Kevin Matos Acevedo

Edited by Aamna Qureshi

Photos courtesy of SSS staff

The end of the spring semester is always a great time of

year, as we have the chance to see our participants’ hard

work pay off, as they graduate! On Saturday, May 10,

2014, the Student Support Services staff was honored to

attend the University of Bridgeport’s graduation to see

24 SSS students cross the stage at Harbor Yard. The

majority of students graduated on this day, while some

students will officially be done in December but elected

to walk early. We would like to congratulate the follow-

ing SSS students on their successful completion of their

degree:

Congratulations to Our SSS Graduates!

Stelle Joseph (A.A)

Alphea John

Trichelle July-Lindo

Philip Marc

Kristen McDowell

Bianca Ramos

Alana Petinaud

Nicole Salati

Mamdou Seck

Eve St. Surin

Oral Theobalds

Samson Viassy

Marvalee Washington

Oluseye Awodele

Jeffrey Brandon

Carly Cammarano

Crystal Candito

Kadeem Carty

Katerina Correa

Jessica Deutsch

Elroy Douglas

Shaquella Howard

Alex Isaac

Maria Jara

S T U D E N T S U P P O R T S E R V I C E S F A L L 2 0 1 4

P A G E 7

Jamie Fox

Iris Hernandez

Leslie-Ann Heslop

Se Eun Hwang

Janaya Jarrett

Melinda Jules

Brittany Livingston

Jetsenia Maldonado

Ricardo Martinez

Kevin Matos Acevedo

Quanita McCalla-Fox

Kristen McDowell

Julia Navarro

McKenzie Parent

Brianna Quinn

Gabriella Reis

Martika Santiago

Shanasia Shelton

Eve St. Surin

Cynthia Stancil

Genesis Tapia

Sahara Tariq

Capreece Taylor

Serne Thompson

Tia Walker

Capri Wright

Kajin Yousif

Kristyn Andrade

Elleyse Atherton

Raquel Bejar

Jade Blair

Afua Boadu

Carly Cammarano

Crystal Candito

Ryan Carmone

Brianna Clare

Katherine Collado

Elroy Douglas

Caitlynn Dufort

Brianna Falconer

Jane Filus

Karley Fortier

SSS Dean’s List & President’s List

Dean’s List and President’s List are prestigious academic honors. Dean’s List applies to those students who are of

full-time status and received a grade point average of 3.2 or higher. President’s List applies to those

students who are of full-time status and received a grade point average of 3.7 or higher.

Student Support Services would like to congratulate our students who made Dean’s List and President’s List for

the Spring 2014 semester. Through hard work and commitment, these students did exceptionally well.

Congratulations and keep up the good work!

Elliott Abbotts

Simon Arias

Alberta Asiedu

Marcela Barreto

Jasmine Cates

Aja Edwards

Karissa Espada

Zachary Hodoba

Joyann Foster

Anthony Huynh

Maria Jara

Kristine Johnson

Stelle Joseph

Trichelle July-Lindo

Emily Montes

Erik Morales

Nicole Morales

Emily Ngaopraseutsack

Jessica Nieves

Julisa Nunez

Dominick Pereira

Jonathan Pierre

Phylicia Prince

Angel Riera

Nicole Salati

Radames Vargas

Marvalee Washington

Danielle Wedderburn

SSS Students Shine! Student Support Services congratulates

Dominick Pereira, class of 2016, who

received the University of Bridgeport

Alumni Scholarship for the 2014-2015

academic year! Dom joined SSS in the fall

of 2012 and immediately stood out as a

model student and citizen. Dom has con-

tributed significantly to the SSS program as a Peer Mentor

and never misses an opportunity to serve the larger UB

community. He is a committed volunteer, as well as a UB

ambassador, and he has held multiple officer positions for

the class of 2016. Outside of school, Dom has devoted

much time and energy to mentor children fighting life-

threatening illnesses, as well as those who have lost a par-

ent. We are confident he will fulfill his dream of being a

child psychologist and are proud of his many personal and

academic successes!

Student Support Services congratulates

McKenzie Parent on landing a summer

internship with Sikorsky in Stratford, CT.

McKenzie joined SSS in the fall of 2011 as

a freshman and is an exceptionally hard-

working student. You have likely run into

McKenzie in the SSS Learning Center, as he comes there

regularly for tutoring. His hard work pays off; McKenzie

has made the President’s list for 4 semesters and the

Dean’s list for 2 semesters. This is no easy feat, especially

as a computer science major! McKenzie first learned about

the Sikorsky internship opportunity through the National

Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) of which he is an active

member. Specifically, McKenzie is working as an Avionics

Science Engineer intern and his primary role is program-

ming. The rest is top secret! We are proud of McKenzie’s

academic and professional accomplishments!

P A G E 8

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

STAFF CONTACT

Aamna Qureshi, Director

aqureshi@bridgeport.edu

203-576-4184

Erica Granoff, Academic Coordinator

egranoff@bridgeport.edu

203-576-4185

Pam Walsh, Administrative Assistant

203-576-4186

Rawan Shilleh, Graduate Assistant

rshilleh@my.bridgeport.edu

Main Office

203-576-4186 (phone)

203-576-4187 (fax)

S T U D E N T S U P P O R T S E R V I C E S F A L L 2 0 1 4

SSS Fall Checklist to Success The first few weeks of the semester are critical for students and it is essential for you to start on

the right foot! Below are some tips that will help you begin a successful academic, and a reward-

ing personal, journey at UB.

1. Get Organized (your syllabi, your schedule, your dorm room, etc.)

2. Attend all of your classes

3. Sit in the front in all your classes

4. Get to know your professors and make sure they know you

5. Set academic and personal goals

6. Stay on top of your coursework: readings, assignments, etc.

7. Review your syllabus regularly to stay on course in your classes

8. Check your university email daily

9. Learn how to navigate Web Advisor, Canvas and the UB Portal

10. Seek tutoring early and often

11. Engage with fellow students in your classes or in your residence hall

12. Find a mentor on campus

SSS History & UB In August 2010, the U.S Department of

Education awarded a 1.1 million dollar

Student Support Services grant to the

University of Bridgeport. This grant is to

provide a range of services, including aca-

demic advising and tutoring, to help quali-

fied low-income, first generation college

students, and students with disabilities,

boost their academic performance and

successfully complete college.

Get Connected!

@UBridgeportSSS SSS University

of Bridgeport

Follow us and stay up to date on SSS

Stu

den

t Su

pp

ort S

ervic

es

Stu

den

t Su

pp

ort S

ervic

es

Stu

den

t Su

pp

ort S

ervic

es