Success StorieseWW elcome and Congratulate two STRONG-CT scholars who gruated recently fromthe Community College and transfered to UConn!

Sandra Ruiz, of Hartford, who graduated in Mayfrom MCC and transferred to the College of Liberal Arts at UConn to continue her studies in life sciences.
"Although the program just started, it has helped me remarkably with the process of transferring to UConn," stated Ruiz. "It was during the Inauguration of the First Student Class held at Storrs, where I had the chance to receive complete information about the curriculum for biology majors and how it can be geared towards one's personal interest. Professor Eric Schultz, from UConn's department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, sat down with me and went over the UConn catalog, explaining to me in detail about the major requirements for a biology degree. The STRONG-CT program truly is a support system for students involved in the life sciences. One can receive help from a personal mentor, the project coordinator, the program director and from UConn graduate students," stated Ruiz.

Mary Katherine Starr or "MK" as she likes to be called transferred to UConn in the fall of 2006 and is pursuing a degree in Agriculture & Natural Resources.  MK holds three Associate degrees (Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies, and Environmental Studies) .  Additonally, MK holds a certificate in Environmental Health & Safety from TRCC and has completed training sessins in OSHA and Environmental Regulations. 

Although MK is new to the UConn campus and she is becoming familiar herself to UConn, she has volunteered her time as a STRONG-Ct facilitator for the STRONG-CT INTD class that is held for first year students. MK has become an integral part of the class and is an asset to the other students within the STRONG-CT program here at UConn.

MK is a full time student as well as holding down two part-time jobs-onw within her chosen field as an Environmental Health & Safety CO-OP at a local manufacturing company in Manchester CT.

MK has always been active beyond the classroom as noted below:

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, President 2005-2006 V.President : 2004-2005

Who's Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges

National Deans List

All Connecticut Academic Team -2006

MK is looking forward to meeting and working with other STRONG-CT scholars who plan to transfer to UConn in the near future.  MK would like to be involved with working on strategies to help ease the transition for incoming students and strengthen the cohort of STRONG-CT scholars.