Article By: Cecily Davis, STEM Connect Analyst
At STEM Connect, we believe that community is the heart of the college experience. Whether it’s guiding students through the early days of their journey, celebrating milestones, or offering support when challenges arise, we’re here to ensure no one navigates it alone. Our seasonal programs create opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to connect, build lasting relationships, and grow together. In a space that can sometimes feel overwhelming, we strive to cultivate an environment where everyone feels welcome, supported, and celebrated. By coming together, we make the STEM experience not just about academics, but about fostering a sense of belonging and shared success.
The joy of Arizona Summer – bright, hot, and sticky! But there’s a cool way to enjoy it at STEM Connect: the Summer Bridge Program! The Summer Bridge program keeps students comfortable with ambient lighting, and our Advising Team ensures they stay sticky-free! With so much information out there, some of which may or may not be accurate, our team hosts a three-day Summer Bridge program to guide students in the right direction. Navigating the college experience can be overwhelming, but we ensure students leave with a stronger sense of community within STEM. And of course, no one goes hungry – there’s always food and refreshments at our events!
Let’s talk about our start-of-season and end-of-season events! As we transition between the Fall and Spring semesters, we love to celebrate! Welcoming students at the start of their semester journey shows that we care about their new beginnings – whether they’re starting a new program or continuing one. It also helps them feel excited about what’s ahead, knowing they have the support of their STEM community. At the end of the semester, we’ve learned that it’s just as important to celebrate course completion! Many students go through semester after semester without recognition, so we’ve made it a tradition to acknowledge their hard work, reward them, and come together. Success is not only determined by degree completion; it’s also about completing the semester goals students set for themselves. By celebrating, we invite students and faculty to join us at the STEM Connect center to connect over semester accomplishments. We play games, win prizes, take pictures, and offer freebies and raffles! Again, we have plenty of refreshments!
The last season of events – Spring! The lovely Spring Break: a time to recoup, rejuvenate, and reset. It’s also a time for midterms, spring cleaning, and all those to-dos. But what better way to bring back the excitement than with a day of Spring Fling events! STEM Connect coordinates a series of tables representing various STEM departments, clubs, and organizations, along with advisors, tutors, peer success coaches, university transfer reps, and STEM-related organizations such as the Military and the SciTech Institute. Whew! That was a long sentence!
We also started a brand-new tradition last year: hosting a reception for STEM students days before they walk across the stage at graduation. Yup, another party! The STEM Grad Reception is an opportunity for students and faculty to celebrate degree completion with food, fancy mocktails, pictures with loved ones or their support teams, and a Certificate of Achievement personally designed by STEM Connect. We hope you enjoyed our Scenic Route of STEM Connect, which embraces a sense of community and togetherness for STEM students, faculty, and staff!