Featured Fellow: Carin Tamayo shares the reality of Kapi‘olani’s first virtual Summer Bridge

by | Jul 15, 2020 | Title III

Featured Fellow: Carin Tamayo reflects upon an unforgettable first-ever virtual Summer Bridge experience

Rewind to March 13, 2020 when the White House issued its Proclamation on Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19 Outbreak). The moments that followed were pivotal for Kapi‘olani Community College students who faced uncertainty in the midst of a state-wide shut down. Classes were swiftly moved online over spring break and the remaining weeks leading up to May were marked with cancellations of summer activities. The outlook seemed bleak for many students left wondering, “what’s next?”

In the wake of COVID-19 cancellations, the Kapi‘olani Community College STEM Program decided to host its first ever virtual Summer Bridge. In fact, Kapi‘olani was the only campus to host Summer Bridge this year whereas other campuses postponed activities. The decision did not come easily as the capacity to host an eight week long Summer Bridge program with dozens of daily break out rooms was untested. This plan would either get pulled off by STEM’s team of miracle workers, or quickly lead to some awkward moments on Zoom with missing hosts and lost students.

Title III Fellow Carin Tamayo knows first hand how much work it takes to keep a program afloat in the midst of COVID-19. Carin was among the architects of the STEM Summer Bridge hosted from May 26th to July 2nd.

During an interview with Sara Kim (Title III Fellowship & Professional Development Coordinator), Carin emphasized the importance of teamwork, having a positive spirit, and staying motivated while successfully transitioning STEM’s entire Summer Bridge program to an online platform.

 

How is the STEM Summer Bridge program going amidst the new normal of COVID?

Carin: Summer bridge program is not necessarily what it used to be. What exists now for ‘Ike Summer Bridge is, everything was moved to an online platform. Which is great for our students because they take a math class and then they have an applied engineering research component at the end of the day, like half and half.

Josh (PEEC II Project Coordinator) is the great mind behind that [getting the program online], he envisioned seeing it through and keeping it going and making it happen. Josh has been a real resource for the program, because he’s so well versed in all types of tech which was helpful while managing the new world of online platforms.

Carin saw many of her students lose their internships and enrichment programs over the summer which she feels is an important part of a student’s self discovery and growth.

 

How are your students?

Carin: The students are thriving, and getting all of the peer mentor time and teacher time as they did when they met face to face. They face the same struggles that they do in their final academic year as they did in person.

I wonder how much more valuable that cohort experience [learning online] will be, because they [the students] have gone through an entirely new experience that is new to all of us! We’ve seen the academic struggle, we’ve seen so many of the other struggles that come with being in school, whether it’s finances or family, or all kinds of other obstacles. But to have this new kind of struggle, and have to rise above it, might end up bonding them better!

 

What are positive things the program is looking forward to?

Carin: I’m hoping this [moving online] keeps our program going, I don’t think anyone knows what we can expect to see moving forward. But not losing momentum on our end, not losing our fire to innovate and create something new, to change along with the times will help our students do the same.

It’s really difficult right now for everybody to stay motivated and to have a plan and know what they’re going to do moving forward.

I think it’s helpful to see the program that motivated you to begin with working hard to innovate and make their own changes so that it suits those new times. That we’re still able to provide you with all these resources and be available to you, that to me would keep me motivated.

 

How can the Shared Services or Fellows’ support you during this time?

Carin: The best support for me has really been in having our conversations, when we all get together and chat. Just hearing that other people are going through the same thing has been so incredibly valuable. I know other people, very good people that are in the same position, and they’re wrestling with their mess and they’re pushing through their way too. If they can do it I can too.

With your positive attitudes and motivational spirit, and knowing I have you guys there as a resource has been so important to me. I hear My students say the same thing to us, ‘If I didn’t have you here, it would be a lot harder for me to come to school everyday to push through and stay motivated.’ That’s what you guys are to me.

 

The Shared Services Center is focused on highlighting the accomplishments of the Title III Fellows over  the summer through a weekly article published on the Title III Ohana site called, Featured Fellows. To learn more about Fellowships please contact Sara Kim, Professional Development & Fellowship Coordinator, at sjohashi@hawaii.edu.

Featured Fellows Series