WORCESTER—Ten alumni of Worcester Public Schools (WPS) are graduating alongside fellow WPI peers this Friday, marking the culmination of their journey as the inaugural cohort of the Connecting Mentor Partners for Academic Success of Undergraduates in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics (CoMPASS) program.
These scholars, who entered WPI in the Fall of 2020, are recipients of the CoMPASS scholarship, an NSF S-STEM grant designed to supplement the WPI Great Minds scholarship for Pell-eligible, academically talented students from WPS. This program offers guidance and support tailored to their unique needs, facilitating their transition to college life and navigating the academic landscape at WPI.
Despite commencing their college careers remotely during the COVID pandemic, these Great Minds CoMPASS (GMC) scholars quickly fostered a supportive community; many lived together on the same floor during their first year.
Over the four years, they actively participated in professional development workshops, mentoring sessions, and various CoMPASS programming activities.
Seven of these scholars engaged in summer research programs, while others embarked on global IQP experiences abroad.
Throughout their journey, they cultivated strong bonds not only amongst themselves but also with the GMC support team made up of WPI faculty, staff, and graduate students.
According to WPI’s announcement, this support team played a pivotal role in guiding the scholars through the intricacies of college life, providing assistance with academic and career endeavors, and offering emotional support as first-generation students in a STEM-focused institution.
The core GMC support team, led was led by Professors Tiffany Butler, Funmi Ayobami, and Jessica Rosewitz, as well as a cohort of dedicated staff members.
WPI’s graduation is Friday, May 9, at the DCU Center.
Send news releases to Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org
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