Written by Margaret Chamberlain
Diana Licona’s parents did not attend college, and as a high school student, she knew nothing of higher education. “I thought it was very scary … I knew nothing about how to start,” she said. Licona is among the nearly half a million Latinos who live in Utah. Utah Valley University (UVU) is the state’s largest institution and is leading the nation with a program that creates a pathway for students like Licona to recognize their potential.
The Latino Scientists of Tomorrow (LST) Summer Bridge Program was created 13 years ago as part of an initiative to increase Latino student enrollment.
“We believe in inclusive education,” said Dr. Astrid S. Tuminez, president of UVU. “We especially focus on creating opportunities for those who are underrepresented. Since its inception in 2007, the Latino Initiative has increased UVU’s Hispanic enrollment by 398% and graduation by 724%. UVU has the largest Latino student enrollment among four-year higher education institutions in Utah.”
Each summer, approximately 50 tenth- and eleventh-grade students across Utah participate in the seven-week course. They explore biotechnology, biology, geology, and geography. Students can earn up to six college credits. They also build and strengthen their support network of family, friends, mentors, and faculty members. Licona said the faculty in the program treated her as they would their own children and instilled enthusiasm for her biotechnology and geology classes. “I loved the researching,” she said. She also thought, “If I can succeed at these, then I can succeed in other classes.”
“The most valuable part is how they [faculty and staff] really care,” said Edgardo Antonio Chicas Rubio, a first-generation college student. He participated in the Summer Bridge Program during his sophomore and junior high school years. “It was just really great to have that support group.” Chicas Rubio also completed courses in concurrent enrollment classes in high school, but he found the Summer Bridge Program to be a different experience because the students were working with college professors. Antonio felt the college professors treated him as a college student, pushing him to a higher academic level.
“So, the fact that these are UVU courses and not concurrent enrollment courses or high school courses, these students are technically university students,” said Daniel Horns, dean of UVU’s College of Science and co-administrator of the LST program. “I hope it helps them identify as university students so that they are more likely to pursue university degrees.”
Career exploration workshops are part of the seven-week program. Students meet with professional scientists working in a wide variety of fields, including but not limited to geological hazards, optics engineering, and biomedical engineering. They also network and build relationships with like-minded peers who are interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
By completing the program, students earn six college credits, helping them jump-start their college careers. The six credits also fulfill two course requirements: life science and physical science, which go toward general education requirements. Students do not pay tuition for the program; they only pay a $35 registration fee.
“About 85% of the students who complete the LST Summer Bridge Program come to UVU for at least one semester after graduating high school,” Horns said. “About 40% of those students are majoring in a STEM field.”
Program activities also help students structure their personal growth, learn study skills, create a professional profile, tell their own stories, and find support and guidance within the university system.
Chicas Rubio particularly appreciated the opportunity and guidance in creating a personal statement and resume, and writing cover letters. Now pursuing psychology and pre-med studies, Chicas Rubio credits the program’s personal and career development aspects with helping him secure a full-ride college scholarship. “Even though it was two years ago, it still makes an impact in my life.”
After seeing the success of UVU’s LST Summer Bridge Program, leaders of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) applied for a grant from the Dominion Energy Foundation (DEF) to implement equivalent programs in other colleges and universities across the United States.
HACU and DEF will manage national LST pilot programs at six universities: the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, Sampson Community College, the University of Connecticut at Stamford, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, and the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. UVU received part of the $2 million grant to expand its LST Summer Bridge Program. More than 1,200 students across the nation will benefit from this pioneering program.
“All students should have access to a quality education and be provided with the skills to achieve exciting new career opportunities,” said Carter Reid, executive vice president and chief of staff for Dominion Energy. “This is a step toward improving equity for Hispanic students and increasing diversity in STEM careers.”
More than 500 students have completed UVU’s program, and that number will rapidly increase as the program expands to accommodate up to 100 students each summer.
Starting in 2020, the program was moved online. The program directors would like to see instruction moved back to in-person as it allows more hands-on learning, though they acknowledge that online courses open opportunities to reach more students. In the past year, a much wider audience of students was able to participate through the online program — more than in-person instruction would have accommodated.
For Licona and Chicas Rubio, the LST Summer Bridge Program was eye-opening, motivating, and confidence-building. “They have literally changed my life,” Chicas Rubio said. “I’m really glad I was a part of it, and I encourage other students to join it and to get their lives changed, too.” •
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