When Davion Harris, 18, started his CSUN undergraduate journey this fall, his excitement was tempered by apprehension.
“My biggest concern was not having it together and just being lost, because I’m first generation,” he said. “I’m going to have absolutely no knowledge of college … I didn’t want to be the typical ‘lost freshman.'”
To calm those nerves, the psychology major took part in CSUN’s Pathways to Excellence or “P2E” program. It’s a four-week summer transition program, offered free of charge to new incoming students. Students learn about university life, take tours of the campus, and meet with peer mentors and professors. Participants also gain early access to advisement and device loaner programs.
The program offers several pathways, including one called MSTEP for students in engineering and computer science programs. Luis Torres, 18, is a computer engineering major interested in creating computer hardware. The Imperial County native said P2E’s intensive math courses helped him prepare for the fall semester.
“I got a taste of some math, and there’s a lot of stuff I did not know,” Torres said. “I was quite surprised. And I felt like, OK, I now have this knowledge and I can pursue even more complicated math. It really helped me out.”
An added bonus of the program, Torres said, was meeting other students. “I made a lot of friends there,” he said.
Athena Ebuen, 18, a journalism major, said she learned new time-management skills during the program. A workshop on creating SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) has stuck with her during her first semester, Ebuen said.
CSUN launched the Pathways to Excellence program this academic year, 2024-25 — built from an earlier initiative by the CSU Office of the Chancellor, Early Start. Vanessa Hernandez, coordinator for student success and equity programs in CSUN’s Office of Student Success, noted that Early Start focused largely on academic preparedness. She wanted to add other elements to help boost Matadors’ confidence as they began college, Hernandez said.
“Familial support is incredibly important,” she said. “I wanted to include the families. At the kickoff event in July. we had over 500 people.” Hernandez said she also invited families to attend a group movie night on campus.
She also created a peer mentor program called “HOMIEs” or “Helping Others Move Into Excellence.” These older students helped guide the new students. “Throughout the program, they were really instrumental,” Hernandez said.
In-person and online options for the summer program are available, but Hernandez said she strongly recommends the in-person option.
Students planning to start CSUN in fall 2025 may fill out the interest form now on the program’s web page. Pathways to Excellence information sessions will take place in March and April 2025.
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