Summer Programs Offer Elective College Credit
Summer programs at Saint Mary’s serve the College’s mission to empower women at all stages of life. For high school students, Saint Mary's offers a selection of summer pre-college programs through which they can earn elective college credit. These sessions give students a taste of a college campus experience, the chance to make friends, and an opportunity to explore career interests while preparing themselves academically for college-level education. Students are equipped for the future through experiential opportunities to build confidence and learn more about themselves. The offer to earn college credit attracts high school students who are already thinking about college and want to get ahead.
Each year, Saint Mary’s faculty are invited to create and propose new summer programs in their field of expertise to provide high school students a glimpse into a particular career path or college major. The program must balance the rigor of a college-level course with opportunities for summer fun and engagement. “Since Saint Mary’s began offering college credit through popular programs like the Healthcare Institute, led by professor Jennifer Riggs, the program filled up quickly with high achieving potential students,” said Theodora Philippou, Saint Mary’s summer program coordinator. “The students see this single credit as a first step into their college career.” By the time the summer programs end, students are excited about the prospect of attending Saint Mary’s and are already one credit ahead.
Saint Mary’s pre-college programs offering college credit include the Dialogue and Democracy Institute, Embody Theology Institute; Forensic Science Institute; Healthcare Institute; Songwriting Camp; Business Marketing Institute; and Sustainable Living Institute. In each session, students receive instruction from Saint Mary’s faculty, staff, and student mentors. They experience a safe and supportive environment to explore their interests and grow in independence. By the conclusion of each on-campus learning opportunity, students are rewarded for their learning through college credit, which may be applied if they enroll as students at Saint Mary’s.
These summer experiences for high programs are to attract students interested in Saint Mary’s, and for students to explore interests and have a memorable time on campus during the summer. Once they are ready to apply to college, they will look fondly on their summer and will consider applying to Saint Mary’s.
February 19, 2024