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Megan Wigton
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“This summit did re-enforce the confidence I have that if I struggle, I need only to reach out to any member of SSU's faculty to know I can get the help I would need.” – Summit 2025 Attendee
This year 185 students attended one of two Student Success Summits in January, hosted by Student Success and the First Year Experience. The Summit is designed for first-year students who wish to improve and refocus academically after their fall semester but is open to all students looking to enhance their academic performance.
Keynote speaker TiElla Grimes, Founder of InnHer Uplift Consulting, life coach, speaker, facilitator, and once a first-generation college student herself, challenged our students to believe in their ability to achieve success (“RESPONSE-ability” and “do it scared!”). Students were then able to select from workshops in two separate sessions based on their interest, presented by graduate student staff. Session one included topics: Secrets of Successful Students, Time Management, and Goal Setting. Session two included topics: Conquering Procrastination, Study Tips and Tricks, and Managing Stress. Session topics were selected based on feedback from students and graduate student success coaches.
Participants also had the opportunity to hear from Salem State University faculty who shared their tips and recommendations for achieving success in the classroom. Panelists included professors James Gubbins, IDS, Amanda Mack, healthcare studies, Jarell Rochelle, music and dance, Yvonne Ruiz, social work, Claire McCarthy, English, Kristen Pangallo, chemistry and physics, and Keja Valens, English.
Program assessment demonstrated a strong impact on participants: every workshop session was ranked above a 4.0 on a 1-5 scale, with 1 as "strongly disagree" and 5 as "strongly agree" when it came to session content being helpful, learning something from the session, speakers being engaging, and the session addressing concerns students had about the spring semester. The keynote speaker, faculty panel, and summit overall also received similarly high marks for the degree of motivation and sharing information that was helpful in planning for spring classes. Nearly eighty-one percent of students indicated they agreed or strongly agreed that the Success Summit provided them valuable tips/motivation to be successful during the spring semester.
Student comments were equally positive (a few select examples):
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“(I learned) you can't let the illusive perfect stop you from the definitive best.”
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“I think that more than just students who were required to go would get some really good advice from this. Especially from the faculty panel. It was really cool to hear about how the professors had struggled and overcome it in the past. I think that could be eye opening to the people who often see their teachers as the "enemy" and don't realize that all of them were students once too.”
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“The most important thing I learned today was to limit distractions as they can set me back in my work.”
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“What I have learned today that one of the speakers stated that what you think will become what you do, and I agree.”
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“Something that was important that I had learned today is that even if you are nervous to go to a professors office hours it is always good to bring a friend because sometimes they also might have a question they would like to ask the professor too.”
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“I learned that I should take things a step at a time, and I should think of starting the race if I ever want to finish it”
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"(I learned) I'm in the same boat as other people and I can make it through.”
Interested in being a part of next year’s Student Success Summit? Contact Megan Wigton in the Office of Student Success and the First Year Experience. Want to learn more about the various resources in place to support student success at Salem State University? Visit the Student Success Canvas page.