This summer, 18 first-year students were on campus as part of\ the inaugural Gateway Scholars Program, an initiative designed to help first-generation, Pell Grant-eligible and DACA-protected students build relationships and learn skills needed to help ensure their success in college.
Gateway Scholars spent two weeks connecting with faculty, staff and other incoming students while on campus. They registered for their first classes and became comfortable with on-campus technology and other resources. They also attended financial literacy and public speaking seminars.
The Gateway Scholars program is just one of three initiatives of Wofford’s Pipeline to Postsecondary Success, funded by a grant from the Jolley Foundation. The initiative is a partnership of the Office of Student Success and the Center for Community-Based Learning.
“We want students to stay at Wofford, to succeed here and to graduate — to thrive and flourish,” says Dr. Boyce Lawton, dean of student success. “We want them to really engage with the college. We know that ultimately will help them succeed at Wofford and beyond. Early relationships are very important.”
The Pipeline to Postsecondary Success initiative consists of two other elements: a “near-peer” college access mentoring program and an “equity tool kit fund” designed to provide equitable experiences for all students.
The Jolley Foundation, a family foundation established in 1947 in Greenville, S.C., supports efforts to improve the lives of the residents of Upstate South Carolina.
By Laura Hendrix Corbin