From racial disparity and poverty to shyness, students face a lot of obstacles heading into college. But some professors are finding new ways to support them and forge a path to success.
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Friends with Benefits
Madelynn Shell (UVA Wise)
The first year of college can be stressful and disorienting, especially for shy students. But Madelynn Shell says shy freshmen who have at least one good friend report more life satisfaction and better emotional wellbeing.
Coming Home to Teach
Christina Duffman (Eastern Shore Community College)
While many students on the rural Eastern Shore of Virginia can’t wait to get out, one of their teachers couldn’t wait to come back. Christina Duffman grew up in poverty and now shares her inspiring life story with students who feel hopeless there.
STAR Power
Leslie Whiteman (Virginia State University)
Leslie Whiteman and her colleagues created a program called STAR (Successful Transition to the Academic Realm) to help minority students overcome science class challenges and pursue STEM careers.
Teaching with Tech
Helen Crompton (Old Dominion University)
Many teachers see cell phones in the classroom as a real problem, but Helen Crompton loves bringing handheld technology into student learning. Helen Crompton is a Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award recipient.
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When introducing the story about SI at Virginia State University – black students at a HBCU are not minorities.
Good point, the students are not minorities at VSU! The program description for STAR (Successful Transition to the Academic Realm) specifically mentions “minority” students, and professors have created and implemented it for VSU particularly because of the large number of students in ethnic minorities there.
Thanks for listening!