Starting college is the first step in the race, but staying in college until one reaches the finish line is the ultimate goal.  The Bridge to Excellence (B2E) first-year mentoring program helps new students navigate through their first college semester, a critical time that often makes or breaks students, so that the student can persevere towards his or her college degree.

How does the B2E program work?

• First, the new student takes the College Student Inventory, or CSI, before he or she has registered for classes.
   

• We at Bridge to Excellence then assign the first year student to a mentor, a faculty or staff volunteer who works one-on-one with new students to help them make a smooth and successful transition to college.
   

• Next, a meeting with the student is arranged during which the mentor discusses the student's potential needs as identified in the CSI Student Report.
   

• The mentor also serves as the new student's "go-to-person" whenever the first year student has questions or concerns about any college-related issue.

For the past six years, new students who participate in the B2E program have returned at greater rates than non-participants and have also sported higher Grade Point Averages (GPA's).  We hope to continue to help new students run a good race their first year and thus enable them to push on to their sophomore year and beyond.