/news-archive/tag/charles-w-donaldson-summer-bridge-academy/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Tue, 10 Dec 2019 14:53:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /news-archive/2019/12/10/graduate-student-spotlight-malik-williams/ Tue, 10 Dec 2019 14:53:41 +0000 /news/?p=75867 ... Graduate Student Spotlight on Malik Williams]]> Meet Malik Williams, a native of Waldo, Arkansas (pop. 1,283), who will graduate this December with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in business information systems. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will celebrate the graduation of Williams along with hundreds of other students during a commencement ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Jack Stephens Center.聽 Tell us about a little bit about yourself. I鈥檓 an only child who is still a little country. I love hanging out with close family and friends, learning new things, and traveling to different places. I work part-time at the Genius Bar at the Apple store in Little Rock while going to school full-time. My mom taught me how to cook, clean, do laundry, and mind my Ps and Qs. My dad taught me the importance of hard work and said that I could do anything I set my mind to. Why did you choose 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock? When I was in 10th grade, the TRIO Talent Search college prep program helped me learn about colleges and universities in the state. My career coach helped me fill out college and scholarship applications. It was a choice between Southern Arkansas University and 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. I chose 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock because it is in the capital city and had the top business school in Arkansas. My mom wanted me to stay at home, but I felt like I needed a challenge and wanted to get out of my comfort zone. TRIO and all of the wonderful mentors helped me do just that. I can definitely say that I would not have been so exposed to so many opportunities if I had stayed in my hometown. Another thing that helped my decision was the Dr. Charles W. Donaldson Summer Bridge Academy (SBA) for high school students. I came up here for three weeks before the beginning of my freshman year to attend this program. This program pairs students with mentors that help them with their weaknesses in different areas to get them ahead of the curve in the first year of college. Why did you major in business information systems? During my freshman year, I was undecided, but I knew I wanted to do something in the business field that would help me make a good living. I chose business information systems because it is a versatile degree that contains all aspects of business mixed with information technology. I’ve always been interested in technology. (I’m the IT person in our family.) What kind of careers can you do with a business information systems major? There are so many choices such as marketing, management, project management, database administration, business analysis, coding, and software development and others. What companies are you interested in? Apple, Blue Cross Blue Shield or Southwest Power Pool would be great companies to work for. I鈥檇 like to stay in Little Rock to build a foundation, but would consider relocating. How would your professors describe you? I think they would say I am laid back and easygoing. I鈥檓 versatile and soak in new information like a sponge. My job at Apple has helped me develop people skills. Who were your mentors? My mom and dad are my life coaches. My cousin Montrell Turner is a business information systems graduate from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and has always had good advice for me. My hometown friend Corrigan Revels helped me early in my college career. The Summer Bridge Academy program helped me stay on track and connected me to the right people. What was your biggest challenge in college? Procrastination, and the balance of social life, school, and family. You have to figure out what is important. Learning about “delayed gratification” helped me put things into perspective. I listen to podcasts that motivate me and help me self-reflect. What was the toughest decision you had to make? Working part-time while going to school full-time. My parents wanted me to focus solely on school. What advice would you give to incoming students? Stay focused and keep a good balance. Don鈥檛 overwhelm yourself, because stress is real. Take care of everything on the front end and network. You can鈥檛 get by without help. Most of all, never lose sight of the goal and reason why you made the decision to come to college. This story was compiled by Toni Boyer-Stewart.]]> /news-archive/2018/07/25/bank-of-america/ Wed, 25 Jul 2018 19:56:33 +0000 /news/?p=71189 ... Bank of America awards $20,000 to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Summer Bridge Academy]]> Bank of America has given $20,000 to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Charles W. Donaldson Summer Bridge Academy that has been helping incoming freshmen prepare for college-level work since 2013. John Dominick, Bank of America鈥檚 senior vice president and senior treasury sales officer, presented an oversized check to university officials on Wednesday, July 25, at the Bailey Alumni Center. The money will pay for up to 15 students to participate in the academy and get a jumpstart on their academic careers. 鈥淏ank of America is honored to be part of the University of Arkansas鈥檚 Summer Bridge Program which will ease transition into college for incoming freshmen,鈥� said Donnie Cook, Arkansas market president, Bank of America. 鈥淥ur company and our associates across Arkansas are committed to supporting our communities where we live and work and especially those organizations that promote educational opportunities and resources for our young people.鈥� The Summer Bridge Academy at 糖心Vlog传媒-Little Rock is a four-week program that includes two weeks of online instruction followed by a two-week intensive residential program aimed at preparing incoming freshmen for college-level classes and eliminating any need for remedial courses. Students who complete the academy save about $1,000 by eliminating remedial math and English courses. They also earn a stipend and get free room and board in university housing during the academy. This Summer Bridge Academy program also offers motivational workshops and special events for the students as they learn strategies for succeeding in college. This Summer Bridge Academy is open to high school seniors who have been accepted into 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and who currently require remedial coursework based on their test scores. Support from the Bank of America Foundation has provided proven results for students attending the Summer Bridge Program. Engaging in intense academic curriculum that consists of at least four hours of math and four hours of reading and writing per day has shown amazing results. Last year, 96% of participants bypassed math, 100% bypassed writing, and 92% bypassed reading. To date, the Summer Bridge Program has resulted in a total of 238 course advancements and saved students more than $179,085 in non-credit course fees. 鈥淵ear after year, it鈥檚 been a success,鈥� Dominick said. 鈥淭his program is one that needs to be replicated.鈥� In the upper right photo, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock celebrates a donation from Bank of America to the Summer Bridge Academy. Pictured in the front row (L to R) are Christian O鈥橬eal, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock vice chancellor for advancement; Charles W. Donaldson; Amber Smith, assistant vice chancellor-student experiences; Lauren Ayers, Bank of America sales associate specialist; Magen Price, Bank of America Arkansas Market manager; Donna Austin, Bank of America financial center manager; John Dominick, Bank of America senior vice president; and Kristi Smith, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock senior director of development.  ]]>