Dream Camp Trinity Graduates…Our Future Leaders
In the fall of 2007, seven Dream Camp graduates embarked on a new and exciting journey into unfamiliar territory--their freshman year of college. As most of us are aware, adjusting to the collegiate life can be a tough challenge. The students were filled with much anticipation as their dreams of furthering their education became a reality. Each one of them was aware of the importance of a college education and the effort that is required to succeed. Some were homesick, while others transitioned from high school to college with ease. They went to different schools, but they all knew that they would need to stay focused, be responsible, and balance their coursework with their social lives and extracurricular activities.
Two of our former Dream Campers decided to further their studies in Education. Latoya Manfred enrolled at American International College to study Early Childhood Education and William Gonzalez enrolled at Eastern Connecticut State University to pursue a degree in Physical Education. Latoya’s experience working at Dream Camp as a Counselor helped her to decide on becoming an educator. William has been active in a campus group called the Males Board that helps minority males adjust to the community and college lifestyle through community service projects.
Another set of Dream Camp grads set their sights on business degrees. Vanessa Miller became a student at Southern Connecticut State University to major in Business Management. She is also involved in her college community, promoting on-campus activities to strengthen the student body and keep students on campus. Kelcey Crittendon enrolled at the University of Hartford to study Business Administration and has his sights on joining the Hawk’s track team.
Others chose technical paths, such as Kareem Pownall, who became a student at the University of Bridgeport to study Industrial Design. He dreams of designing blueprints and skeleton structures of various projects before being sent to manufacturers. Kantius Joshua, a student at Manchester Community College, will pursue Advanced Technology in 3-D modeling. Kantius was busy taking pre-calculus and engineering classes, and working 10 hours a week at the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology. He also has plans on transferring to Central Connecticut State University in 2009 and wants to pursue a football career.
With dreams of protecting and serving the public, James Ferguson, a student at Briarwood College, is studying Criminal Justice; Tiffany Marrow, a student at the University of Connecticut, is pursuing a Forensic Science degree. James demonstrated his sportsmanship skills as the starting center for the men’s basketball team. When asked about his first collegiate preseason, James stated, “It was much tougher than high school, but I made it through and worked hard for my spot on the team.” Tiffany decided to participate in a six-week, seven-credit pre-collegiate summer program that provided mentoring, tutoring, and academic counseling.
All of the students are learning how to manage their time appropriately, each balancing all aspects of their collegiate careers. The experiences they encountered in their first year in college helped them to gain a valuable insight on how to deal with the tough challenges ahead and helped them realize their true potential academically, athletically, and socially.
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