My name is Jessica Wang. I am a junior at UConn and I am pursuing a dual degree in Secondary Education Mathematics and Mathematics. My pronouns are she/her/hers.
My dream school was always UConn, so when my parents found the Pre-College Summer Program, I was thrilled! I was a junior in high school, so I quickly applied and got accepted into the program! I took a psychology class and became very close with my psychology group. We would watch movies together, eat different snacks, and just hang out with some clay masks on. Participating in Pre-College Summer reemphasized my desire to attend UConn. It also made me feel more prepared about entering a college setting. I felt comfortable making friends and I was starting to find my way around campus. This made the transition into my first year of college a lot smoother, and it was easier for me to make friends with the girls on my floor because of the experiences I had at UConn Pre-College Summer. I’m still close friends with those same people today!
In the spring semester of my first year, I began to look for summer jobs on campus and I saw through the UConn Daily Digest newsletter that Pre-College Summer was hiring. I immediately knew that I wanted to apply because I wanted to help the students feel as comfortable as I did in a college setting and help them create those friendships that meant so much to me.
My favorite memories as a Pre-College Summer Resident Manager (RM) were getting to know all the students and having fun by doing different activities with them, whether that was ping pong in the Game Room or volleyball on the sand courts. I also enjoyed how close the other RMs and I became as the summer progressed. We would hang out by the grass outside Garrigus (our residence hall building) while the students were in class or watch movies when the students were in their rooms heading to bed. I still talk to a couple of the other RMs and love to hear about how they’re doing.
Pre-College Summer was truly a life-changing experience and I am so glad I was able to have the perspective as both a student and as an RM. I would highly recommend applying for the program whether you’re a high school student seeking a college-like experience or a college student considering a worthwhile summer job.