H.S. Seniors Experience Summer Academies

The summer academies at Molloy University bring rising high school seniors to explore subjects of interest with university faculty. The academy learning environment features fun-filled educational activities and career guidance pointing toward what their college experience will soon be like.

Two academies were held on campus June 26-30. One was the renowned Business Bootcamp Academy, which has been up and running to student acclaim for a decade. The second was the Compassionate Health Care Academy which made its debut this summer.

The Business Bootcamp enrolled nearly 50 students. Many come on the recommendation of high school peers and older siblings who have previously attended, and they are ready to go from the moment they arrive, said Dawn DiStefano, associate dean and director of the undergraduate program of the School of Business, who directs the bootcamp.

Fifteen faculty members from the six undergraduate academic majors in the School of Business—accounting, economics, entertainment and sports management, finance, management and marketing—offered lessons.

The daily schedule, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., featured at least three activities, plus team-building and free time.

Right off the bat on Day 1, the students competed in Introduction to the Lions Den, a business-style competition modeled on the “Shark Tank” TV show. Faculty members served as the “sharks” and critiqued their five-minute pitches for new products or services the students created and fine-tuned in 90 minutes that same morning. 

The business management exercise draws in elements of networking, marketing, leadership, delegation and team building. “They get so excited to come to this,” DiStefano said. “Other kids from years prior have told them about this. These kids want to be in business; they can’t wait.”

Other games teaching business skills include a Buy-Sell-Hold trading competition flavored with candy holdings and a Quiz Bowl contest focused on current events in the world of finance. Students can also digest tips at a business lunch featuring lessons on etiquette, place settings and food.

Current Molloy business students, from sophomores to seniors, served as leaders of the teams of boot-camp participants. Daily prizes were awarded to first-, second- and third-place teams, and Power Point presentations with photos and background music were made to display highlights.

“It’s a heartfelt program that’s well thought out,” said DiStefano, who said that business faculty and staff members see the bootcamp as more than just a recruitment tool.

“We’re meeting new students,” she said. “We’re so excited to see their faces and how they grow over the week.” In the digital survey taken at week’s end, students are asked to reflect on what they enjoyed and what they would like to see more of to better the summer program.

The boot camp included a full-blown graduation ceremony, with an opportunity afterward for parents to ask questions about Molloy. Many note that they like the bootcamp’s early summer timing and volunteer that their kids often return home raving about their experiences, DiStefano said.

An agreement with Enrollment Management enables bootcamp graduates to receive a one-credit scholarship upon enrolling at Molloy. This fall, graduates will be invited back for a special shadow day in Molloy classrooms.

“We know who they are before they come. They become our ambassadors…They become part of the fabric,” DiStefano said.

Twenty high schoolers enrolled to participate in the initial Compassionate Health Care Academy offered by the Barbara H. Hagan School of Nursing and Health Sciences.

“I am really excited,” said Hia Datta, Ph.D., an associate professor who is director of Molloy’s new Ph.D. program in communications sciences and disorders and undergraduate program in speech language pathology and audiology. “This is the first of its kind happening at our school, the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, and at Molloy. We have never done a summer academy, and not just for a day or a morning, but rather a week.”

“We’re delivering to students what it takes to become a clinician, how it is art and science, and the harmony of that. Its success lies in how clinicians interact with people.”

Dr. Datta said the compassionate descriptor is integral to effective delivery of health care as a “social constituency,” so it is important to build that understanding. “That is definitively the center of what we are trying to get the students to receive,” she said.

The students gained exposure to the subdivisions of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences (Communications Sciences and Disorders, Nursing, Social Work and Allied Health Services) over the academy’s four full days, one each day.

Each of the clinical subdivisions were illustrated with an information session/lecture, interactive discussion and reflection, and hands-on activities, including demonstration and interaction with lab equipment.

For hands-on experiences in nursing, for example, students visited simulation rooms and learn how to take vital signs and have an opportunity to practice in state-of- the-art learning labs. The social work experience featured a field trip by bus into a local community, where students will learn about environmental wellness and access to healthy food.

Dr. Datta directs the new academy with the support of Rose Schechter, Ph.D. and RN, professor and associate dean of undergraduate nursing; Lisa Newland, Ph.D., professor and chairperson of undergraduate social work; and Michael Hartman, chairperson of allied health services. A total of 20 to 25 faculty members across the four disciplines were engaged in the academy.

Students also had a chance to ask questions about the day-to-day experiences of these professionals in the campus setting.

“The central service for the university is re-emphasizing a connection to our community,” Dr. Datta explained. “This absolutely personifies Molloy’s pillar of community. We are connecting with local kids and helping with their decisions.”