{"id":221561,"date":"2023-07-27T10:40:53","date_gmt":"2023-07-27T14:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=221561"},"modified":"2023-07-27T14:30:19","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T18:30:19","slug":"path-to-college-connects-university-and-nyc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2023\/07\/27\/path-to-college-connects-university-and-nyc\/","title":{"rendered":"Path to College Connects University and NYC"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tori Mcklaine still has her senior year of high school in South Jersey. But when she joins the Class of 2028 at ÌÇÐÄvlog, where Mcklaine has already committed to play Red Hawks soccer, she has a game plan to beat the freshman jitters. <\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter how scary the experience may seem, the people surrounding you can make a difference,\u201d Mcklaine says. <\/p>\n

Pursuing their passions and career paths in film and TV production, social media marketing, business innovation, Python and robotics, and art and architecture, nearly 100 high school students came to Montclair in July for new one-week Pre-College Summer Programs<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Classes taught by Montclair faculty were complemented by access to the corporate and cultural resources of New York City. It was the best of both worlds as students experienced what it\u2019s like to live and learn on campus and how the University is connected to the vibrant metropolitan region. NYC field trips included Google headquarters, creative agencies and the hit musical Hamilton. <\/p>\n

\"Student
Stella Haupt-Lucas \u2013 holding her autographed playbill \u2013 proves she was indeed in the room where it happened.
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The students also got a taste of college life, with \u201cmany students forming strong bonds and friendships that will last a long time,” says Coordinator of Strategic Communications Keith Green.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing into the pre-college program, I was definitely anxious,\u201d Mcklaine says. \u201cBut when I got here, we were all ready to learn and just excited to learn. That helped me feel more comfortable in the environment. Even outside of the classroom, we wanted to hang out, we all wanted to be together, and that had a big effect on how I worked in the classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n

The program also opened the students\u2019 eyes to a variety of career paths. Mcklaine envisioned majoring in Journalism when she starts college a year from now. \u201cBut being part of the social media group introduced us to public relations, influencer marketing and working with agencies.\u201d As she plans to study in Montclair\u2019s School of Communication and Media, she has come to realize \u201cthere are so many intricacies within one field and there are so many ways to find the perfect fit for you.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"A
Tori Mcklaine interviews University President Jonathan Koppell about the new Pre-College Summer Programs. \u201cI had 100% confidence that if we invited high school students to come and sample what we had to offer at Montclair that it would not be hard for us to attract very bright, engaged students. I have no doubt that this is going to grow in the years ahead,\u201d Koppell told her.
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 2023 Pre-College Summer Programs included:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Intelligent Systems: Python and Robotics<\/strong>: Aspiring engineers learned to program in Python and designed and built their own robot systems, their efforts spotlighted in a robotics demonstration and competition.<\/p>\n

Film and Television Production<\/strong>: Aspiring storytellers scripted, shot, edited and starred in their own narrative films, gaining hands-on training across the production process.<\/p>\n

Business Entrepreneurship and Innovation<\/strong>: Working in teams, students redesigned public spaces for the town of Montclair using 3D printers in the University\u2019s innovation research MIX Lab.<\/p>\n

Social Media Success<\/strong>: Influencing, Marketing, and Creative Strategy: For the socially savvy, the program saw students creating content, working with influencers, and understanding and analyzing social media data.<\/p>\n

Summertime in the Big Apple: Exciting Excursions in New York City<\/strong>: With New York City just 12 miles away, students commuted daily to the city to produce digital photographic essays about their experiences in art, food and culture. <\/p>\n

\"Group
History Professor Jeff Strickland (in royal blue) brings students to the outdoor memorial of the African Burial Ground National Monument.
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three other programs allowed for longer experiences at Montclair, including: <\/p>\n

Pre-Law Summer Academy<\/strong>: Students worked in teams preparing a case in an environmental law contamination suit while learning about issues that impact Native American and Indigenous people in New Jersey and across the globe. The program was sponsored by Montclair\u2019s College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Rutgers Law School and Seton Hall Law School.<\/p>\n

Italian Immersion Summer Program<\/strong>: An immersive experience in Italian language and culture that allowed students to earn college credits. <\/p>\n

Model United Nations Summer Academy<\/strong>: Students learned to solve real-world problems from a former U.N. diplomat and also earned college credits.<\/p>\n

\"Four
High school students participated in Model U.N. to gain skills in writing, negotiating, public speaking and debating \u2013 and solve real-world problems under the instruction of Alfredo Toro Carnevali, a former United Nations diplomat.
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\u201cI would encourage you all, while you’re here, to poke your heads into different buildings and see what’s going on and get a sense of what happens at a university,\u201d ÌÇÐÄvlog President Jonathan Koppel told the high school students. \u201cIt’s a little quiet in the summer, but you can get a flavor for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Teens
High school students in the University\u2019s Pre-College Summer Program wait on the platform for the morning train to New York City. Montclair\u2019s location provides opportunities for students to explore the city and tap into the cultural and corporate resources of the Big Apple.
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Two
Alexander Lin and Demir Oztekin take in the city’s soaring architecture.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
Briella Terkildsen walks with students to a matinee performance of Hamilton.
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Two
Charley Harrison and Isabella Moscharis look at an exhibit at the African Burial Ground National Monument.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
Jade Ortega, right, shares how quickly students bonded in their collaborations in Film and Television Production.
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Students
Brad Thatcher, president and CEO of Thatcher + Co., takes students on a tour of the public relations agency located in Times Square.
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
Smartphone video captures an interview with Provost Junius Gonzales.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Story by Staff Writer Marilyn Joyce Lehren<\/a>. Photos by University Photographer Mike Peters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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