‘Bridge’ program helps students get head start on fall semester

    The fall semester won’t officially begin for a couple more weeks at North Platte Community College, but that hasn’t stopped some students from getting a head start on their education.
     Hunter Barnette, of North Platte, Adriana Vargas of Imperial and Chanda Cooper, of Hershey began classes Monday as part of the Bridge to Success program. It’s the second year the program has been offered in North Platte—a similar version exists in McCook.
     “Bridge to Success is designed to be a small cohort of students who build connections with each other, the campus and the community during a two-week period,” said Bobbi Muehlenkamp, area director of Learning Commons.
     Students qualify based on their scores on a placement test. Their tuition, fees, books, rooms, meals and activities during that time are free.
    Bridge to Success has the potential to speed up the time it takes a student to graduate. By taking a college prep class now, participants won’t have to take it as part of their regular course load.
     “We have data showing that students in the Bridge to Success program start the semester better prepared than their peers,” said Muehlenkamp. “It’s also not unusual for them to have a better GPA.”
     A number of social activities are planned to help participants bond with each other including Waterfront Days at Maranatha Bible Camp and a trip to Cody Go Karts.
     “This year, we also added a new activity where the students volunteered to help clean up at a North Platte church that had water damage,” Muehlenkamp said.
    “Community service is an important part of connecting and giving back, so I was excited that we had the opportunity to do that this year with the Bridge students,” she said.
     Two other students are joining the Bridge students to complete a foundational English course. The Bridge cohort will remain together this fall through English Comp I and College Success classes.