Community Service at Saturday College

Bridges to a Brighter Future students exhibit a passion for community service that explains why "their potential outdistances their circumstances".

Photo Courtesy of Anabella Soto, Tobi Swartz and Miracle Hill Ministries

The Afternoon Activity portion of Saturday College is always highly awaited by its participants. According to Casey Crisp, Assistant Director of Bridges to a Brighter Future, " One of the best parts of planning Saturday College is picking what this activity will be. These can be anything from a Furman football game, a trip to the movies or community service. For many of our students, that trip to the movies is the first they’ve taken in their lives.”

During my visit to Saturday College, it was pleasantly surprising to see that even though the students love football games and movies like any other teenagers, they still consider community service their favorite afternoon activity.

This same day, when the lunch portion of Saturday College concluded, the students left Furman Hall and cheerfully headed to the parking area in spite of the cold, icy drizzle. Among chants of “Yay! Community Service!” they piled into vans driven by counselors and headed to Miracle Hill Thrift Shop near Traveler’s Rest, to spend an afternoon sorting through donations, cleaning and helping out in any way needed.

Sophomore Kelsey Roloson from Greer High School understands the importance of giving back. “We’re helping out a community that in turn helps us. Our lives may not be awesome all the time, but there are always people who are worse off, and we need to be aware of that.”

According to the students, “time went by too fast” and some even took advantage of the occasion to make a few purchases for upcoming school events.

In the words of Senior Desireé LaFreniere, “ Rearranging clothes might not seem like a great help to the community. But we know that Miracle Hill helps families that have problems just like our own, so if we can help even one person have a better day, then that makes it worth the effort.”

These students are truly inspiring in the way they put others before themselves, even if their lives have been affected by economic and emotional troubles. With positive attitudes like theirs, there is no doubt that they are on the right track to reaching the potential they were not aware they had.

Don't forget to keep checking our blogs! If you have any comments or ideas for future community service projects, leave a comment below!

Saturday College: An Introduction

For many, Saturdays are just a chance to sleep late, but for students who participate in Bridges to a Brighter Future, Saturday College represents one more step in the road towards attaining a college education.

Photo Courtesy of Tobi Swartz

For many teenagers in high school, Saturday mornings represent a chance to sleep late and relax after a busy week. However, at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina the first Saturday of every month marks another Saturday College session for the Bridges to a Brighter Future program.

Bridges to a Brighter Future started out as a four week program in the summer, but its administrators soon saw the need to add another element to keep students motivated during the school year. This is how Saturday College was born. Today, Bridges counselors and partners from the Greenville community come together on these Saturdays to provide academic assistance to over 100 Bridges participants.

“Each time they come to Saturday College, participants receive a $20 stipend to help them cover costs such as transportation or missed work”, explains Program Director Tobi Swartz.

The session lasts from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, followed by an optional afternoon activity.

Although Swartz claims "there is no typical day at Saturday College ", the schedule below is how the program is broken down.

8:00 - 9:00 AM: Students arrive and sign in at front desk by McEachern Lecture room in Furman Hall.

9:00 - 9:30 AM : Students have a joint session in which they exchange any important news or important achievements.

9:30 AM- 12:00 PM: Students receive tutoring in areas like Social Studies, Science and English. They also participate in workshops focusing on topics like filling in Financial Aid forms.

12:00- 1:00 PM: Lunch

1:00PM: Afternoon Activity (this can range from going to a Furman Football game to Community Service)

Sarah Burke Sigmon, a Furman Junior and Saturday College science tutor, thinks  “waking up at 7:30am is difficult, but doing something as simple as helping with their homework makes me realize that they are extremely grateful for the time I’ve dedicated to them.”

This sense of gratefulness is evident from the moment you set foot in any of the classrooms. While homework isn’t a high school student’s idea of fun, they tackle their assignments with a positive attitude, conscious that academic success will be one of the keys to college acceptance.

Attending Saturday College does not come without its sacrifices. “Sometimes, we forget that the kids are also very involved in extracurricular activities. A lot of our students are part of sports teams, and Friday nights usually mean games or meets, which are physically draining and don’t end until late at night”, commented Swartz.

Nevertheless, they always greet Swartz with smiling faces and contagious enthusiasm, making their Saturday a chance to not only learn, but also to reconnect with friends that they have not seen in a month. The balance between schoolwork and friendships help make Saturday College “perfect”, according to evaluations submitted by participants at the end of the year.

The road to college is not an easy one for these students, but with the support system of Saturday College, they know that they are not alone on this journey.

For more information about Bridges to a Brighter Future don't hesitate to leave a comment below. Make sure to come back to our blog, we will be updating it constantly!

A Parent's Perspective on Interivews

In the last post, I shared some information about the student interviews that I was lucky enough to sit-in on. After I had watched a couple of hours of student interviews, I stationed myself in the hallway to speak to the parents of the students. They offered a really unique perspective on the interview process and the Bridges to a Brighter Future Program as a whole.

The parents that sat out in the hall looked almost as nervous as the students themselves. I asked them all the same several questions about their students and why they wanted them to be involved in the Bridges program. The most common answer to my questions revolved around the need for structure and planning in their student’s life. The parents frequently saw Bridges as a place to help provide their student with a consistent presence of education in both the present and the future. They also wanted their students in a college oriented environment and around those who had college experiences to share, as many of the Bridges students are the first in their family to go to college.

A potential Bridges student and her mom
 waiting for the interview to begin

I also asked the parents about what they thought were some of the biggest challenges for their students. Several of the parents told me they wanted their students to work on were their social skills. Bridges provides an excellent opportunity to meet and interact with other students and adults. Also since students are without their cell phones when at the summer program, they are forced to interact face-to-face rather than through the technology crutch.

The parents impressed me with their unwavering support of their students. Even more so I was inspired by how kind they were to me and their want to know more about my college experience to share with their own children. I really enjoyed getting to know the potential students’ families and gaining their unique perspective on the program. 

Check out this video where students share their thoughts on the Bridges Interviews!

Inside the Bridges Interview Room

Bridges to a Brighter Future has officially finished interviewing their applicants. A few weeks ago I got the chance to sit in on some of the interview sessions that were held at Furman University, and even participate by asking the students some questions.

The first thing I noticed when entering the interview room is how open and warm it seemed.  The second thing I noticed was how sweet and happy all of the interviewers were. It immediately put me at ease, as I’m sure it did for all of the potential Bridge’s students.

The Bridges interview room before the hours of interviews began

As each ninth grader came, they looked so nervous. The room full of adults introduced themselves, each of them was so kind to each of the kids and took such an interest in each of the students’ lives. When I arrived at the interview Tobi Swartz and Casey Crisp who lead the program were present. There were also teachers who volunteer for Bridges, Furman staff, Bridges Alumni, and Bridges Counselors.

The students were nervous as they waited in the hallway to be called in to their interview. They were shown a video about the Bridges program and given some more information about it while they waited. The questions ranged from ordinary to in depth. Each student got a chance to tell the room about themselves, their likes and dislikes. They also asked the students about strengths, weaknesses, their family, and their friends. All of the questions seemed to reach at getting the students to open up more about themselves.

I witnessed so many students who lit up about their strengths, such as drama club, band, or a sport. I saw a lot of them talk about their families with pride and happiness.  Many talked about the struggles in their lives and all of the wonderful things they had heard that Bridges could offer to them.

As each student filtered out of the room a discussion, in which everyone talked about how they would fit in to the program, ensued. Every student that came in had some sort of need for the program and also had his or her own unique personality to offer to it. More often then not, the discussion really tried to focus on how the student would fit in with in a class and the program as a whole. The need that the student had for the program was also extremely important to the team.

The Bridges interview room and volunteers

Overall, the experience was wonderful and I was so impressed by each one of the students that I met. I have no idea how the Bridges team ever narrows it down to twenty-five with so many promising young students. 

Check out this Audio Slideshow...

Behind the scenes at Saturday College

For these students, Saturday mornings quickly go from academics to a family environment. Photo Courtesy of Tobi Swartz.

Bridges to a Brighter Future is a program known for obtaining amazing results. However, these outcomes are the result of perseverance and hard work, not only from the students but also from counselors, volunteers and administrators.

In my first post, I talked a little about what a typical day at Saturday College entails. However, I did not mention the incredible amount of work that happens behind the scenes. Tobi Swartz and Casey Crisp, Bridges Program Director and Assistant Program Director describe planning Saturday College a “logistical challenge” that is worth every effort put in.  The first Saturday of every month, they are prepared to receive students and volunteers who will take part in a hectic morning of academics, but most importantly, support. 
Ensuring that every student has transportation and contacting local restaurants to provide lunch are only two examples of items Swartz and Crisp must check off their "To Do List" before the students arrive on Saturday morning.
To get a general idea of some behind the scenes work at Saturday College, be sure to check out this Flickr Slideshow and YouTube video.

Swartz states that "Bridges students are known for their enthusiasm and dedication". This is easy to see as soon as you meet them because they learn from the example of hard work set by other people involved, like program administrators and counselors. The students of Bridges to a Brighter Future are the ones we hear about the most, but the program would not be as successful as it is without its foundation of collaborative effort.

Saturday College is only one component of Bridges to a Brighter Future, so be sure to read our other posts, to better understand the job of other people involved with different parts of the program. Who knows? Maybe you’ll feel identified with the cause and become the next volunteer!

Don’t forget to leave any comments or questions below!

The true meaning behind Saturday College

For high school sophomore Kelsey Roloson, Saturday College is a chance to remember the positive changes Bridges to a Brighter Future made in her life. 

Photo Courtesy of Anabella Soto.

Bridges to a Brighter Future is an academic program like no other. While it strives to help students reach their highest academic potential, its atmosphere is not one of the competitiveness and stress typically associated with high school and college applications.
Saturday College is a great example of how academic excellence and a motivational environment can go hand in hand.


For Bridges participants, these sessions represent more than just an opportunity to receive free tutoring and college advising. What makes these Saturdays memorable is the ability to spend time with friends and strengthen the relationships created during the four week summer session. Even seemingly insignificant things like having lunch together take on a whole new meaning when they are put in the context of love and encouragement that defines Saturday College.


Students were asked to describe their Saturday College experience in three words. Among the most popular ones were "family", "hope" and "future". Program Director Tobi Swartz describes these Saturday sessions as synonymous to a “safe haven” for the students, whose circumstances are often ridden with financial and emotional hardship. 


   

Saturday College is just one component of Bridges to a Brighter Future, so be sure to check out what other elements make this program so successful.

If you have any comments, please leave them below!

Community Service at Saturday College

Bridges to a Brighter Future students exhibit a passion for community service that explains why "their potential outdistances their circumstances".
Photo Courtesy of Anabella Soto, Tobi Swartz and Miracle Hill Ministries

The Afternoon Activity portion of Saturday College is always highly awaited by its participants. According to Casey Crisp, Assistant Director of Bridges to a Brighter Future, " One of the best parts of planning Saturday College is picking what this activity will be. These can be anything from a Furman football game, a trip to the movies or community service. For many of our students, that trip to the movies is the first they’ve taken in their lives.”

During my visit to Saturday College, it was pleasantly surprising to see that even though the students love football games and movies like any other teenagers, they still consider community service their favorite afternoon activity.
This same day, when the lunch portion of Saturday College concluded, the students left Furman Hall and cheerfully headed to the parking area in spite of the cold, icy drizzle. Among chants of “Yay! Community Service!”  they piled into vans driven by counselors and headed to Miracle Hill Thrift Shop near Traveler’s Rest, to spend an afternoon sorting through donations, cleaning and helping out in any way needed.

Sophomore Kelsey Roloson from Greer High School understands the importance of giving back. “We’re helping out a community that in turn helps us. Our lives may not be awesome all the time, but there are always people who are worse off, and we need to be aware of that.”
According to the students, “time went by too fast” and some even took advantage of the occasion to make a few purchases for upcoming school events.

In the words of Senior Desireé LaFreniere, “ Rearranging clothes might not seem like a great help to the community. But we know that Miracle Hill helps families that have problems just like our own, so if we can help even one person have a better day, then that makes it worth the effort.”

These students are truly inspiring in the way they put others before themselves, even if their lives have been affected by economic and emotional troubles. With positive attitudes like theirs, there is no doubt that they are on the right track to reaching the potential they were not aware they had.

Don't forget to keep checking our blogs! If you have any comments or ideas for future community service projects, leave a comment below!