Ariana Galvan Tenorio

Morgan Explore Day is a day where high school and college students come to Morgan State and learn about and explore the campus. When we arrived at the school, we were greeted by students and faculty. Morgan State hosted a performance at the Hill Field House with live music and several dance performances. Then we were introduced to the president and other faculty. We were given a speech on what made Morgan State an amazing school to attend. I attended the trip with PGCC students in TRIO SSS, STRIVE, SEAL, and SGA. We were given permission to explore the campus on our own but we either had a buddy or chaperone. We were given a schedule of the various presentations hosted around campus. There were various presentations touching on topics about financial aid and scholarships, housing and dining, majors and minors, etc. I attended presentations on the School of Community Health and Policy and Nursing with a buddy. Afterwards, I took a campus tour. Then after the tour we had lunch at the Thurgood Marshal dining hall. Lastly, we gathered back at the Hill Field House for a few final performances.

During STRIVE's power circle meeting, we discussed pressure and its sources. Mr. Hamlin led the conversation by asking what pressure is and where it comes from for us. Several students chimed in, shared their definitions of pressure, and said where it comes from for them. Then we broke out into breakout rooms and expanded on the conversation. We went into further detail about what strategies help us relieve some of that pressure. Then we came back together and shared our strategies and what we should start doing to help relieve that pressure.

I volunteered to restock the Owl Market with TRIO SSS. I helped with removing the food from the pallets. Then we separated the groceries into three piles—one for Largo, one for UTC, and one for LLC. Then I helped place some of the groceries back on the pallets to transport to LLC and UTC. Lastly, we opened each box and began stocking the shelves neatly with the groceries.

The TRIO team started the meeting with an ice breaker, naming the anime character. Then proceeded to talk about what things to consider when transferring to a four-year institution. For example, what credits transfer over, speak with a pre-transfer advisor, etc. Then they spoke about researching the type careers your degree can help you enter into. In addition, you can try gaining some experience in your field by doing an internship, mentorship, or any other hands-on opportunity. Then they reminded us to take advantage of the various services universities provide such as writing centers, advising, tutoring, etc. Besides studying and going to class, we should get involved in school sports and clubs to interact with others and get involved in the community. Then they spoke about the financial side like applying for FASFA, applying for scholarships, knowing the cost of tuition, books, housing, etc. Finally, they spoke about the transfer fair that will occur next from Sep 14-16. They gave some insightful tips on what to do before, during, and after the transfer fair. Lastly, they showed a spreadsheet to help list the essential information of each school and compare each school you are interested in.

At the start of the STRIVE Kickoff meeting, the STRIVE team introduced themselves. They then began the presentation by explaining what STRIVE stands for. They then explained what the STRIVE program is and how it benefits students. Then they listed the STRIVE core components and then explained what each core component was. For example, STRIVE power circles are small group biweekly sessions focused on leadership, wellness, identity, and skill building. In addition, they introduced the STRIVE Academy and gave a brief explanation of it. Then they told stories about some of the activities STRIVE Academy students participate in. Then they shared the dates and times of their events. Lastly, they hosted a Q&A session.

At the start of the meeting, the SSP team reintroduced themselves. Then the SSP team reviewed the scholarship and academic requirements. For example, earning 15 engagement hours per semester is a program requirement, while maintaining a minimum GPA of 2.5 is an academic requirement. After the presentation, the SSP team hosted a review quiz. After the review, the team held a Q&A session.

At the start of the Launch Orientation, another student and I were given piles of printed schedules for groups A-I. We were told to sort the schedules into their individual pile alphabetically. Then we separated each pile into 5 ways for the students who were checking in to hand out. Afterwards, I began to help with check-in. Throughout check-in, I answered questions, guided students, and helped if they needed anything. Then around lunch time, I and another student helped with retrieving the drinks, chips, plates, napkins, and cookies. I also helped with arranging the snacks in time for lunch.

During the meeting, the SSP team reintroduced themselves to the students. Then refreshed students about the academic and engagement requirements for the program by quizzing the students. Then the SSP team quickly went over the academic and engagement requirements. Then they went over the deadlines for FASFA, registration for Summer and Fall 2026. As the meeting progressed, the SSP team kept quizzing students, for example, one of the questions was what is the name of the beginning semester meeting? They also went over GivePulse and to keep track of our hours. Lastly, the SSP team had a Q&A for students.

On April 30th, the TRIO SSS team took TRIO students on college tour to UMD. At UMD, students met with Dr. Glover, Dr. Walters, and Dr. VanWright. Dr. Walters is the Director of the McNair program. She was the first to introduce herself and began discussing the McNair program. The McNair program prepares students for graduate school and helps them apply for graduate school. She then went on to discuss the requirements, benefits, and how to apply. Next, Dr. Glover is the Director of the SSS program. She spoke about how the SSS program helps support students, what services they offer, etc. Lasty, Dr. VanWright is the Director of the IED program. Both IED and SSS function together, helping students, however, the IED help students academically providing students with tutors and skill development. Then, we were given a tour of the campus by two UMD students. The tour guides introduced themselves and spoke about their majors and college life. We explored the campus and were shown the inside of the library. We were not able to see inside of several buildings but did see the inside of some of the buildings. For example, we entered the McKeldin Library, the Thurgood Marshall Hall, and the South Campus Dining Hall, where the tour ended.

This is week at PGCC is STEM week. Today's meeting was about becoming a competitive applicant. Professors Klein and Assanah discussed several things that we can do to stand out when applying to university. We have to build a portfolio to include community service, accomplishments, leadership/involvement, etc. Then discussed if we need a letter recommendation, make sure to build a relationship with your professor. Let your professor know who we are, what kind person we are, what drives us to pursue our career path, and they have to be excited to write the letter. At the end, students were several pieces of advice like never give up, relationships are important, choose a school wisely, etc.