UVI Summer Bridge Graduates Honored in Ceremony

Graduation ceremony honors students for completing the intensive 5-week program aimed at honing academic and study skills

The latest cohort of students to successfully complete the University of the Virgin Islands’ Summer Bridge Program were celebrated in a graduation ceremony held on Friday.‌

“Congratulations on making it this far,” UVI’s Dean of Student Success Pamela Moolenaar-Wirsiy told the graduating students. “Y'all are future alums.’

The 5-week program, according to UVI, helps incoming freshmen “jump-start their college careers” by honing their skills in the areas of math, reading, and writing. Participants also learn techniques for success at college, including time management, effective study habits, and developing testing skills. “As a result, Summer Bridge students…will more likely forgo taking remedial, non-credit courses” when their first semester at university begins, UVI said.

Moolenaar-Wirsiy encouraged the students to pursue their passions at UVI, even if those interests were not part of their registered course of study. Meanwhile, Provost and Vice-President of Academic Affairs Camille McKayle noted that the graduates’ very participation in the Summer Bridge program proves that “you care about your education and that you want to get ahead.” She also encouraged incoming freshmen to explore their interests, explaining that many first-year students change their majors several times before settling on a particular subject area. “You know what it is? Okay. It is okay,” McKayle reassured graduates.