STEP/CAP readies hopeful students for college life

Now going strong for four decades, Eastern Connecticut State University hosted 44 hopeful first-year students during its annual Summer Transition at Eastern Program/Contract Admissions Program (STEP/CAP). Coordinated by Christina Irizarry and Kolin Ebron of the Office of Opportunity Programs, STEP/CAP is designed to provide a smooth transition into higher education for select incoming students over the course of six weeks with the help of student community leaders.

“The mission is to support underprepared students as they prepare for the rigors of academics and the college experience,” said Ebron. “The community leaders are really the backbone of our program. They provide leadership, guidance, and answer questions about the college experience.” 

He continued: “Access and opportunity should be important for our students, and it’s amazing to see their progression as the weeks go on. It’s a great opportunity to get a jumpstart on their college career and figure out who they want to be.” 

Between karaoke nights and ping pong tournaments with their leaders, STEP/CAP participants took courses in a myriad of subjects, from history to political science. Sophomore biology major LaShawn Bowe’s motivation as a community leader for the program stemmed from her own prior experience as a STEP/CAP participant.

“I love to help people, so I wanted to get in this position and get to meet incoming Eastern students,” she said. “Everybody deserves a second chance at education, and I think STEP/CAP is a great opportunity for people to get another chance at their education.” 

Junior business administration major Elizabeth Mard described her multifaceted role as a leader similar to being a “counselor, RA, TA, and peer tutor all at once,” she said. Mard was also a STEP/CAP participant upon her entry to Eastern and wanted to fulfill the leadership role for her participant successors. 

“If I didn’t have STEP/CAP, I would have been lost once I got to college, so the program gave me good stepping stones,” said Mard. “It gave me relationships with faculty and other students that I came into the year already knowing, which gave me a step up from other first-year students.” 

Recent graduate Ian Valeta ’25 concluded his third year as a student leader and reflected on the dozens of first-year students he’s impacted by applying his computer science degree in performing data analysis on STEP/CAP. 

“I’m working on some data analysis for the program, trying to get a broader picture to help the staff with improving the program,” said Valeta. “I’ve found that there’s no one kind of mold for all of the different students, but hopefully I’ve changed at least a couple dozen lives. I’m still in contact with a lot of the students I mentored my first year.”