Nearly three dozen recent graduates from Portland Public Schools are taking part in SMCC’s MySuccess program, which aims to increase students’ academic success and provide them with guidance and support through to graduation.
MySuccess provides students an intensive three-week summer success program, scholarship incentives and a dedicated success coach who will work with them year-round to ensure their success at SMCC.
The students arrived July 21 for a welcome barbecue to kick off the summer portion of the program.
MySuccess, now in its third year, was established through a grant from the John T. Gorman Foundation and matching funds from SMCC. Besides helping students with academic preparedness, it also helps build life and academic skills.
Previous groups of MySuccess students have earned more credits and achieved higher grades than peers who did not participate in the program.
This year’s class includes Jean Medard Zulu, who moved to Maine two years from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He plans to studies liberal arts.
“I can’t wait for classes to begin because that’s my mission: to get a college degree,” he said during the welcome barbecue. “You need a college degree to be successful.”