Twenty-five incoming SUNY Orange students recently spent part of their summer preparing for college success through the College's Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Summer Academy, held July 27 through Aug. 14.

The three-week Summer Academy was held Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Middletown campus and introduced students to the academic expectations of college while helping them develop relationships with classmates, faculty and staff before the Fall semester begins. Participants strengthened their reading, writing and mathematics skills, learned about campus resources and gained the confidence needed to begin their college careers.

Jazline Alcala, from Riverhead, Long Island, said, “I’m a first-generation college student, and I’ll be staying in the Newburgh area with my Nana. EOP has helped me make the decision to follow my heart and attend SUNY Orange, where I can pursue my dream of becoming a nurse. I’m really excited about starting college, and the Summer Academy helped me feel more prepared by teaching me things like what a syllabus is and how to stay on top of everything.”

The Summer Academy concluded with a recognition ceremony celebrating the students’ successful completion of the program and their readiness to begin classes at SUNY Orange this Fall.

“Our Summer Academy gives students the skills, connections and confidence that will support them throughout their time at SUNY Orange,” said Madeline Torres-Diaz, associate vice president for student engagement and completion at SUNY Orange. “By the time the semester begins, these students have a strong foundation and a network of people who are invested in their success.”

“This program has let me learn what is available on campus and see things I would not have been able to if I just showed up on the first day of classes. I have more knowledge and understanding as a result of the people who came to speak to us. I’m considering joining a club which is something I didn’t do in high school,” said Newburgh Free Academy graduate Oscar Posadas.

SUNY Orange's Educational Opportunity Program provides academic and financial support to students who demonstrate the potential to succeed in college but may benefit from additional academic preparation and financial assistance. Throughout their time at the College, EOP students receive personalized academic advising, tutoring, financial assistance, career guidance and other support services designed to help them achieve their educational goals.

The program is part of the State University of New York's Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program, which has helped expand access to higher education for New Yorkers for more than five decades. Since its creation in 1967, the program has supported hundreds of thousands of students in earning college degrees and pursuing successful careers.

To learn more about the Educational Opportunity Program at SUNY Orange, visit www.sunyorange.edu/eop or contact the College’s Educational Opportunity Program office at eopprogram@sunyorange.edu.