2012 UW Academic Advancement Program
Graduation Celebration:
World Class Experiences
Graduation Celebration:
World Class Experiences
| Second row (l-r): Willie Sinclair (l-r) Casaundra Lucille and Jordan Elvord; Maxwell Bracey (l) and Erin Gonzalez; Brittany Thompson (l-r), assistant dean Linda McCarroll Stamm, Lynette Quiles and Alexis DuBernard; Clockwise from upper left: Delphine Vakunta (l-r), Kendra Allen and Lorena Barbosa-Mireles; Christina Barrera (l) and Antonette Guider; Alexandria Harris (l-r), Tanesha Jones and Alysia Mann Carey; Queezarwoe-Pella Zanweaba Borh (l-r), assiatant dean Stamm, Christina Bonilla and Miriah Barger; Colleen Perez (l-r), Andres Perdomo, assistant dean José J. Madera, Amanda Saffold and Casey Rogers; Ashish Verma (l-r), Vanessa Schoenecker, Tanya Harnpattanapanich and Cara Hunt; The AAP staff: José J. Madera (l-r), Linda McCarroll Stamm, Abike Sanyaolu, Larry Edgerton, Lupe Ahedo and DeVon Wilson, AAP director |
By Jonathan Gramling
When the Academic Advancement Program was founded 45 years ago, it was
designed to give students who historically had not attended UW-Madison — due
to their socio-economic status or first generation status — the support system
that they needed to attain their degrees and graduate. Although the program did
not have any scholarships attached to it, the program was able to provide a lot
of support services to the students.
“All of our students participate in a Summer Bridge Experience before their
freshman year,” said DeVon Wilson, the director of AAP. “It’s a great way for
them to launch their academic experience at Wisconsin. They receive credit for
it. It’s at a time when they don’t have a lot of other distractions. They are here
during the summer for seven weeks. And then we meet with them throughout
their first two years along with their peer mentors. They have peer mentors who
are upper-class students who also work with them. So we build this circle or
family of support: undergraduates, assistant deans and other community
members who serve as a resource for these students throughout their four
years.”
On May 1 at Varsity Hall in Union South, the graduation of yet another cohort of
several dozen AAP Scholars was celebrated. And as the students received their
stoles and certificates and gave their testimonials, it was clearly evident that
staff and students had clearly bonded as a family away from home for these
students as they successfully completed their college careers.
“We have a pretty good success rate,” Wilson said. “This is the first class that
has been part of our new model design. We’re pushing these students up with
the idea of closing that graduation gap. Most have graduated in four years. What
has been amazing is that, as most people know, most students graduate in 5-6
years. But these students have been graduating in four years. Our goal is to
work for four years and if they need a fifth, that is okay. But we want to try and
get them out of here in four years.”
As the world becomes a smaller place and markets, both product and labor,
become globalized, it is important for students to experience the world as a part
of their education. AAP emphasizes those world-class experiences including
Study Abroad.
“We took 16 students to China for the World Expo, which was held in Shanghai,”
Wilson said. “Then we also went to Beijing. It was a great opportunity. We’ve
been trying to get students engaged in these high-impact practices that really
lead to graduation from these experiences. Study Abroad is a critical one. We got
a lot of support campus-wide. Students helped to raise money. Some of the
students had never been on a plane. They had the opportunity to go to the World
Expo. Not only we’re they able to engage and understand a little more about
China, but they also, because of the World Expo, had the chance to get
connected to other parts of the world. We had a chance to meet with U.S.
officials in China who were helping in the areas of business development and
growth. We met with the point person for the Great Lakes governors. They met
with folks in the community. They got a real balanced experience over the two
weeks that they were there. Some of the students, as a result of that, studied
abroad elsewhere. That is the impact that we wanted to have.”
But what makes those experiences possible is the day-in, day-out support and
guidance that the AAP students receive from staff. They ensure that a family’s
first generation experience with higher education is a positive and successful
one. And from the tears that were shed during the testimonials, it was the
relationships forged that ultimately made it a successful experience for all.
When the Academic Advancement Program was founded 45 years ago, it was
designed to give students who historically had not attended UW-Madison — due
to their socio-economic status or first generation status — the support system
that they needed to attain their degrees and graduate. Although the program did
not have any scholarships attached to it, the program was able to provide a lot
of support services to the students.
“All of our students participate in a Summer Bridge Experience before their
freshman year,” said DeVon Wilson, the director of AAP. “It’s a great way for
them to launch their academic experience at Wisconsin. They receive credit for
it. It’s at a time when they don’t have a lot of other distractions. They are here
during the summer for seven weeks. And then we meet with them throughout
their first two years along with their peer mentors. They have peer mentors who
are upper-class students who also work with them. So we build this circle or
family of support: undergraduates, assistant deans and other community
members who serve as a resource for these students throughout their four
years.”
On May 1 at Varsity Hall in Union South, the graduation of yet another cohort of
several dozen AAP Scholars was celebrated. And as the students received their
stoles and certificates and gave their testimonials, it was clearly evident that
staff and students had clearly bonded as a family away from home for these
students as they successfully completed their college careers.
“We have a pretty good success rate,” Wilson said. “This is the first class that
has been part of our new model design. We’re pushing these students up with
the idea of closing that graduation gap. Most have graduated in four years. What
has been amazing is that, as most people know, most students graduate in 5-6
years. But these students have been graduating in four years. Our goal is to
work for four years and if they need a fifth, that is okay. But we want to try and
get them out of here in four years.”
As the world becomes a smaller place and markets, both product and labor,
become globalized, it is important for students to experience the world as a part
of their education. AAP emphasizes those world-class experiences including
Study Abroad.
“We took 16 students to China for the World Expo, which was held in Shanghai,”
Wilson said. “Then we also went to Beijing. It was a great opportunity. We’ve
been trying to get students engaged in these high-impact practices that really
lead to graduation from these experiences. Study Abroad is a critical one. We got
a lot of support campus-wide. Students helped to raise money. Some of the
students had never been on a plane. They had the opportunity to go to the World
Expo. Not only we’re they able to engage and understand a little more about
China, but they also, because of the World Expo, had the chance to get
connected to other parts of the world. We had a chance to meet with U.S.
officials in China who were helping in the areas of business development and
growth. We met with the point person for the Great Lakes governors. They met
with folks in the community. They got a real balanced experience over the two
weeks that they were there. Some of the students, as a result of that, studied
abroad elsewhere. That is the impact that we wanted to have.”
But what makes those experiences possible is the day-in, day-out support and
guidance that the AAP students receive from staff. They ensure that a family’s
first generation experience with higher education is a positive and successful
one. And from the tears that were shed during the testimonials, it was the
relationships forged that ultimately made it a successful experience for all.