Support OpSTEM

Video Transcript:

"CSU isn't the cheapest option, but it's the best program for my um desired major. So, all of the scholarship support that I'm getting is very appreciative because I know I can further my education, especially in doing what I want to do. Um if I wasn't getting some scholarship help, it would be harder to achieve what I'm trying to achieve in the world. And just academically, I love studying and I love my academics, but without scholarships, it would be impossible. I feel just like without CSU, I wouldn't be able to achieve what I want to achieve. When I was um younger, I was 10, we got custody of my nephew, who is now my little brother, and I wouldn't change that for the world. Um and he has just impacted my life so much. And he's seven. So, so excited to be able to be a role model for him, especially when he tells me he wants to be an engineer. And it's just like him having someone to show him what he can do and that even though it might be harder for him, it is possible and that he can do it. That just means so much to be able to be his big sister and his aunt at the same time."

Video Transcript:

"I love math because there's typically just one answer. That was like one of my favorite subjects. Having the [music] reputation of being a straight A student and things like that, you know, I was I've always been kind of the person just like [music] put my head down and kind of do it on my own, right? And just, you know, just work on it, just figure it out. The biggest growth I've seen in myself uh starting college [music] is probably in my teamwork skills. So, you know, working with other people to solve a problem, you know, whether that's we divide or conquer or whether that's we brainstorm on things together and learning to accept whatever, you know, whatever product comes of it. I discovered teaching was a strength. Um, when I first started college, I've learned that I'm really good at explaining problems, right? Helping other people to understand. You can really learn a lot from other people, especially with my job as a STEM peer teacher. Um, I've met a lot of great people. Uh, Operation STEM is a great program. Um, I never would have been a part of the program had I not come to Cleveland State. So, I definitely think this was the right decision."

Video Transcript: 

"I gave um a donation to Operation STEM when I first started at Cleveland State in 2017 with my bachelors I was actually a scholar of Operation STEM so I gave back to a program that benefited me when I first started college being a first generation student I felt like I needed extra help and receiving that help was beneficial to me to also just continue my degrees and now I am the graduate assistant for a program that benefited me so to be able to support the program even more than I'm doing as a graduate assistant financially I feel is a benefit making a donation to operation stem I thought was giving back to the students that are in the program or potentially going to be in the program the next semester um giving financial support we do Supply everything to these students the program is free they actually receive scholarships from from us to attend the program for the two weeks I think giving to a student is just making the student feel seen and heard with their issues that they're experiencing that they do need help just knowing that I was able to impact someone's life is what matters"

Transcript for 3:02 to 5:15:

President Bloomberg: "I am here with Adam Rico who is a student in the Washkewicz College of Engineering thanks for making the time to talk with me today." 

Adam Ricco: "Yeah absolutely.
 

President Bloomberg: "Well first tell me a little bit about you what's your major um where did you go to high school and what brought you to CSU let's start there."

 Adam Ricco: "Yeah so I'm majoring in mechanical engineering um I'm also getting a minor in math. Um I grew up in um I've always lived in Northeast Ohio. Um I grew up in Madina. Um I went to Highland High School. CSU was um always my first decision. I specifically like the small classroom. You could know everybody in the classroom and you could specifically have a conversation with the professor and the professor knew your name."

President Bloomberg: "So you have some scholarships to help you get through the program in Washkewicz. Can you talk a little bit about the scholarships that you have?"

 Adam Ricco: "When I was looking at Cleveland State, I applied through a variety of scholarships. One of them was the Choose Ohio First program. It's a research-based community where um students um develop a research project throughout the year. And another one was the Washkewicz Parker Hannifin scholarship.

President Bloomberg: "That's a big deal."

Adam Rico: "Yeah um it was a full ride scholarship. I went through an application process and interview.  it was an. I was really grateful for that. It really makes an impact on me and my family. I have a younger sister and she also wants to go to college. And so it relieves that financial burden there but it also just helps me knowing that I'm not going to have to be under student loans for the great majority of my life. I can go I could find things that I want I could get involved, and I could focus more on my classes and activities."

President Bloomberg: "And what year are you in your program?" 

Adam Ricco: "Um I'm a sophomore."

President Bloomberg: "So do your scholarships follow you now for the next couple of years until you graduate?"

Adam Ricco: "They will yes."

President Bloomberg: "So that gives you a lot of security."

Adam Ricco: "It does. I was offered scholarships from other universities, um but they weren't renewable. And so one of the things at Cleveland State that really made my decision was um they offered me it was a 4-year guaranteed tuition, and that really helped secure my decision, because I knew that I could be confident stayinghere at Cleveland State."

President Bloomberg: "What is a big thing you want to do as a mechanical engineer?"

Adam Ricco: "Honestly making the world a better place. If I could find things to make the world either more efficient or find things that um help people around me, I think that would be really cool or if I could even design something that can make things better, I think that if I can become good at that if I can learn it um and really make a difference."

"My name is Keneé. I graduated in Spring 2023 as a computer science major. I am currently studying Masters of Legal Studies in Cyber Security and Data Privacy. My favorite memory at CSU was being aSTEM Peer Teacher in the Mathematics Department. I enjoyed helping people. I had a lot of friends. I still talke to them to this day and it was definitely the best time I spent at Cleveland State. Post graduation, I'm already a software developer at a really great company. So I hope to take my Master's Degree and move forward in the company there. CSU empowered me by just being flexible with the scheduling by having different classes that I can register for, the tutoring sessions the office hours. um CSU really provided a lot of resources for me to get my degree. My advice for students, um for me personally I was a non-traditional student. so I got my degree a month shy of my 37th birthday. So being a 37-year-old, single mother, having my own household, I have three toy poodles - CSU just offered so much to me where I can maintain that and still get a full-time degree. And I am a software developer now so CSU I mean just take that step. They will help you get the way."