For many of the students who attended the 2025 iCAN Summer Institute, it was their first time stepping foot on Wofford’s campus. They left the three-day experience with the tools and the confidence to feel comfortable returning to a college campus in the coming years.
The iCAN Summer Institute was held June 11-13 at Wofford, bringing juniors and seniors from around Spartanburg County to learn about college life. The institute was hosted by iCAN (College Access Network) Spartanburg, which is a program of Wofford’s Center for Community-Based Learning, and the Citizen Scholars Program, which serves more than 200 students in the region.
“The institute helps knock down barriers and empower young learners to set themselves up for a college education,” says Dr. James Stukes, assistant dean of student success and college access.
The iCAN Summer Institute gives its participants a strong start by breaking down critical aspects of the college application and enrollment process and providing a roadmap to set them up for success in the admission process.
“We assist the students with creating and starting their Common Applications, creating their FSA IDs, updating resumes, having discussions on scholarships searches and creating their college list, just to name a few things,” Stukes says.
Students also get a taste of college academics through labs and workshops held by Wofford professors and coordinated by the college’s Minorities in STEM program. Subjects of study this year included psychology, physics, chemistry and biology.
Dr. Amelia Atwell, assistant professor of biology, immediately saw the impact of her joint biology and chemistry lab with Dr. Grace Schwartz, assistant professor of chemistry. Atwell’s lab involved introducing students to various macroinvertebrate species indicative of healthy water like mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies, as well as other interesting critters like dragonflies and crayfish.
“There was one young man that was a budding scientist, and it was so great to see him excited about the insects,” Atwell says. “I can see him being able to take this experience and saying, ‘I want to go to college to be an entomologist!’”
Participants learned to live on their own, staying in residence halls both nights of the program while enjoying fun outings with their counterparts, including karaoke night in Stukes’ office and a trip to Moe’s BBQ.
According to Susan Little, executive director of Citizen Scholars, many students who attend the iCAN Summer Institute come from non-traditional home structures and low socioeconomic backgrounds, often living at or near the poverty line. They typically have limited opportunities to visit college campuses, and the anxiety surrounding college can create significant barriers.
“This experience is truly life-changing,” she says. “Many of our alumni who attended the institute remember the fear and uncertainty they felt before their overnight stay — but they left feeling empowered, realizing that living on a college campus wasn’t just possible but within their reach.”