Harper helps kids bridge gap between high school and college

Marlin Alvarez graduated from Barrington High School in June with a vague idea she wanted to go to college.

Now, after completing Harper College's Summer Bridge Program, the Carpentersville teen has her future firmly in sight.

She is enrolled in classes to earn an applied science degree in pastry arts, before pursuing her real dream: the fashion design program at Harper.

Working as a pastry chef, she says, will help her earn money to come back to fashion design, and ultimately start her own shoe line.

She already has the name picked out for her shoes, which will be a specialty line for small feet, like hers. She plans to call them "Cupcakes."

Alvarez was one of 109 students who celebrated the program's completion last week. At the outset of the ceremony, faculty coordinator Travaris Harris commended them on their commitment: every student had perfect attendance over the two-week session.

Most, like Alvarez, will be the first in their extended family to attend college. That alone makes them a special group, say Harper officials, and one they want to reach.

"The Summer Bridge Program gives these students the advantage of knowing how to navigate the campus, of meeting some of their faculty before the start of the semester, and learning about all of the services Harper has to offer them," says Laura La Bauve-Maher, associate dean of Multicultural Learning.

Alvarez concurs, adding that the only place she knew when she started, was Building A.

"Now I know the campus like the back of my hand," she adds.

She also knows more about some of her academic subjects, including reading comprehension and writing skills.

"The counselors took us into the library and showed us different Web sites we could go to for help, and just all the different resources there were," Alvarez says.

One of her classmates, Miguel Banuelos, 18, of Palatine, pointed to his elevated entrance scores in math, having gone from a remedial level at the beginning of the session to nearly meeting the level for pre-calculus.

As it is, Banuelos will start out in Math 101, among the other general requirements he hopes to complete, in order to pursue his dream of working in law enforcement.

"This helped me make a fresh start," said Banuelos, a recent Palatine High School graduate. "Financially, it suits me better. And if I'm successful, I can transfer. My dream is to go to Western Illinois University."

Just by completing the Bridge Program, he has increased his chances. One hundred percent of last year's class enrolled at Harper, and after the first semester, 93 percent returned.

As a result of their Bridge experience, those students reported utilizing their strengths for academic success, using campus resources, gaining a clearer sense of their career direction, better time management, and ultimately they felt a sense of belonging.

That was one quality Candace Scott of Wheeling said she was looking for from her summer transition experience.

"I met a lot of people, and I just feel much more comfortable now," said Scott, who hopes to pursue early childhood education. "I learned that each building has a resource center where I can go for help, and that made me feel much better."