BUILDING ACADEMIC
CONFIDENCE:
COSAM ALUMNUS REFLECTS ON SUMMER BRIDGE EXPERIENCE
The Summer Bridge Program is an intensive,
four-week summer residential program for
talented and highly motivated, incoming freshman
minority students from populations traditionally
underrepresented in the sciences and mathematics
who want to get a head start in their college
career. The program, which takes place on campus,
emphasizes academic preparedness, development,
and enhancement of study and time management
skills, establishment of academic and social
support, and career awareness. Summer Bridge
provides the framework to build upon to
excel in the sciences, mathematics, and
pre-professional courses of study,
and Summer Bridge students
consistently perform better than
other minority students who
do not participate.
taught time management skills to balance daily
college life, instilled consistent work ethic from
Summer Bridge professors and counselors,
developed friendship bonds which formed into
study groups, and more. The program fostered my
conversion from a high school mindset to a college
mentality, which academically and socially prepared
me for my college journey.
academic
Herman Turner,
biomedical sciences
’04, was a Summer
Bridge participant
as he transitioned
from high school to
Auburn University
in 2000. Since then,
Turner has returned
to the Summer
Bridge Program as a
keynote speaker and
has sponsored the
program that he says
is invaluable.
1. What was your
experience like as
participant in Summer
Bridge? How did it prepare
you for college?
Auburn University blessed me
with numerous opportunities that
developed my personal character,
established lifelong friendships, and
created memorable college experiences.
The Summer Bridge Program initiated
the belief and motivation that I could succeed
academically at Auburn. Summer Bridge
challenged all students with numerous science and
mathematics assignments in a college atmosphere,
support
2. Why do you feel programs like this are
important?
Summer Bridge is vital in establishing the
foundation for academic learning, preparing
freshmen to balance academic and social
life, and easing the transition from high
school to college. This program demonstrates
the College of Sciences and Mathematics’
dedication to educational support and the
acknowledgement of recruitment, admission,
and, most importantly, retention and
graduation of minority students.
3. What was it like to return to the program
as a keynote speaker?
I was truly humbled and thankful
for the opportunity to share my
Auburn University experience as
a Summer Bridge participant,
Auburn student, and Auburn
graduate to inspire future
leaders of the university
as well as the future
engineers, scientists, and
healthcare providers of
the world.
4. Tell us about your time
at Auburn and career
after Auburn. Where are
you now?
While at Auburn, I was
involved as a COSAM
Leader, student assistant
for the men’s basketball
team, member of the
Sigma Delta Chapter
of the Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity, and several other
organizations. After Auburn,
I attended physical therapy
school at Alabama State University
(ASU), where I earned a doctorate
of physical therapy in 2007. At ASU,
I was awarded the American Physical
Therapy Association’s Minority Award for
Academic Excellence and presented a research
study, “Stroke and Cardiovascular Disease
in College-Ag YX[\˸