Richmond offers new Spiders a Bridge to Success
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Devin Geronomi, an incoming defensive back on the Spider football team, is one of 30 students who participated in Bridge to Success this summer. The program that brings together first-year athletes and other new students for a five-week program designed to strengthen their academic skills and foster community began in 1990.
“BTS provides students with a head start, academically and socially,” said Courtney Hughes, the program’s director. “Students can explore campus life, build connections with peers and mentors, and acquire critical skills that will serve them well throughout their time at the University of Richmond.”
The process helps the students have a smoother transition from high school to college through an immersive experience.
Trying new things
“Discovering the Power of Your Voice” was the theme of this year’s session, which ran from June 22 to July 26.
Enrolled students became more familiar with the Richmond campus while living in the residence halls and taking campus tours.
They met in groups of ten while participating in one of three classes — acting, public speaking, or history. Each class fulfilled one unit of the University’s General Education graduation requirements.
Geronomi of Lexington, South Carolina, had never taken an acting class before he signed up for this one with theatre professor Chuck Mike. At first, he admitted he felt uneasy about the required role-playing. “Once I started getting outside the box and outside my comfort zone, I realized that it was good for me to do that.”
Excursions off campus to the Richmond Times-Dispatch plant, Kings Dominion, Firehouse Theatre, the Virginia Governor’s executive mansion, and the Capitol were also an integral part of the experience.
Dismantling inhibitions
“From their entry into the Bridge program, what I have seen is the dismantling of some of their inhibitions. I know there's a journey for that to take place, but I have seen them begin to move out of their shells,” said Mike, who is in his second year teaching the acting class.
Mike opened one of the classes with warm-up exercises. He gave students word prompts that they used to create improvisational stories. The word “library” led to a tale about an asteroid hitting a library and humans traveling to another planet to look for books.
One student stood up and started to talk, then froze. Mike asked him what happened.
“My mind went blank,” he said.
“Let’s take this to the field. The ball is snapped. Someone is trying to interfere. What do you do?” Mike asked.
“Go get the ball,” the student replied.
Mike nodded in agreement. Inadvertently, the exercise turned into a lesson on concentration.
Preparing for the future
Twenty-five of the students in the program are athletes, including quarterback Jack Callaghan. He had been up since 5 a.m. for an early morning football practice when he walked into acting class.
“I wanted to get a jump start on the school year, figure out what college was like before sports got hectic,” said the Richmond native.
Bridge to Success offers lessons in routine and structure, which allows student-athletes to learn strategies for managing practice schedules, games, and coursework before the academic year starts, Hughes said. “Student-athletes must learn how to balance their athletic commitments with academic demands, while managing the rigors of both.”
Kristian Baisac of Fairfield, California, is not an athlete but was drawn to the program because she is a first-generation student. While one of her parents received an associate’s degree, she is the first to attend a four-year college. “They couldn’t really provide me with too much guidance.”
Curtain call
The students shared their monologues with the class on July 14 in preparation for the evening of July 24, where they were scheduled to present before a live audience of UR community members, including some student-athletes who previously participated in the program.
One student shared how the pressures of recruitment led to his depression. Others discussed racism and divorce. Their classmates were attentive and respectful as they spoke.
Baisac spoke about the importance of inclusivity. She was the only student presenter who had already memorized all of her lines, 10 days before the performance.
Mike walked over to her, then waved his hands back and forth. “I’m putting out the fire because she lit it up,” he said to laughter.
Baisac said she wasn’t expecting the accolades; she was just happy her hard work paid off.
“They chose the themes close to their heart,” Mike said. “I think it's important for them coming into an institution like this, which is high-powered, very driven, that they get some kind of grounding.”
Hughes agreed. “When our students return to orientation in August, they will be leaders of sorts, bringing their knowledge from the summer to the rest of the first-year class,” she said.