When I was accepted into the Step Ahead Program, I had no idea what to expect, or what it even was. I wanted a past student's point of view so I had an idea of what I was walking into, however, I could not find one article. I walked in on the first day still confused about the program. What was going to happen? What even is Step Ahead? Are other students in the same boat as me? I was lost, dazed, and confused.

I quickly learned it was such a great program filled with a lot of amazing people. My mentor told my class" "The other students in this program will turn out to be your best friends." At first, I thought she was required to say that. I thought she was trained on what to say and what not to say. Truth is, she was completely serious. I met some of my closest friends in this program and watched as other students also met their closest friends.

Nikki Loftus and Katelyn Gil on the left and Ashley Barron and Courtney Massengill on the right. Both groups met in the Step Ahead program and became best friends because of it!Ashley Barron

Not only do you meet your closest friends but you also receive endless opportunities. You learn the buildings by heart, already know your way around campus, meet and become familiar with the resources offered at FGCU, but most importantly, you can help the fall students who look lost. Step Ahead truly opened a bunch of doors for me and I will always highly respect this program.

Corin Sponsler has only been the Step Ahead Coordinator for about three months, not only is she the one I went to about Step Ahead, but she is also the one I went to when I felt lost about an opportunity that came up. She became more than just the coordinator to me, she became my friend, my mentor, and the one who always knew exactly what to say. She truly is one of the greatest people I have ever had a chance to meet and I cannot wait to see the amazing things she does with the Step Ahead Program.

Corin Sponsler, Step Ahead CoordinatorFGCU CAA

I interviewed Ms. Sponsler in person about Step Ahead and the whole time she seemed super excited to talk about this program with me. She was truly happy and excited to be a part of the Step Ahead team. I had asked her what she enjoyed most about the Step Ahead Program and she had told me she enjoys working with the students - which is also why she wanted to go into higher education, to work with students and help them. She believes the Step Ahead Program is a great opportunity for first year students to get the transition piece early and to see how college is going to be. She loves being a part of the process and seeing how students develop throughout the six weeks. She said it is almost the end and she has witnessed so much growth with the Step Ahead students and it is amazing.

With the program, seeing the most change in all of the students and seeing the students become so excited to come to college is what she finds the most rewarding with the program. She enjoys being the coordinator for this program because she gets to be a part of the whole process. There are a lot of moving pieces. Some of which are meeting with the students, working with the class, working with events, and even the guest speakers. She likes the chance of being able to see everything and know how it will help all of the students even if they do not see it yet. She gets to see the impact the program has on the students and it excites her. Ms. Sponsler found meeting so many professionals who are willing to support the program and care about all of the students and want the students to be successful, as much as she does, the most rewarding thing out of the program.

She then stated how it is a great community here at FGCU filled with so many professionals. Ms. Sponsler feels the program has flown by, she has seen the program successful in a lot of ways. She is excited about improvements, she has also received a lot of positive reactions from the students. She absolutely loves how excited the students are during this program. When someone says "Step Ahead," Ms. Sponsler feels excited to hear about it from other people. She thinks of the students, she sees all of the students throughout the day and she explained how it made her day, it is the best part. She feels extremely lucky to have the chance to work with all of the amazing Step Ahead students. She is grateful to work for this program. For future students, Ms. Sponsler would like them to see Step Ahead as a learning opportunity and would like them to take advantage of being at FGCU in the summer before they come in the fall. Ms. Sponsler loves her job and the program. She is excited to see all the Step Ahead students thriving in college for the next four years. Ms. Sponsler's door is always open and I highly urge you to get to know such a wonderful soul.

During the Step Ahead Program, you take a Step Ahead Success course, math and writing classes, social events, PAL meetings, Summer Series, Tutoring, Supplemental Instruction, writing workshops, and writing consultations. Each class receives a PAL who shares their college experiences, help mentor the students, and provide guidance to the students.

Some of the events taken within the Step Ahead program. From ice breakers, game nights, PAL meetings, and group discussions. Step Ahead students are always laughing and meeting new people!Corin Sponsler

Aleah Stein, Step Ahead PALAleah Stein

Aleah Stein is one of the Step Ahead Peer Academic Leaders (PAL), who I also had the wonderful opportunity to interview her in person as well. During the entire interview, she had answered all of my questions with a smile on her face and a sparkle in her eye. She absolutely loves being a mentor. Ms. Stein finds working with the students and having the chance to talk to them one-on-one outside of the class the most rewarding thing about being a mentor. She enjoys being a mentor because she loves seeing her mentees get from start to finish and watching them achieve their goals. If she had the chance to mentor students next year, she would. Ms. Stein is a senior, so, unfortunately, she is not able to mentor students again. However, she wishes she would have heard about this program sooner because she feels as if she can relate to the students.

She noticed how students were a lot more open than she had expected them to be, she did not think she would get so close to some of her mentees and to her, that was the unexpected benefits with the program. She knows she will stay in contact with a bunch of her mentees and she cannot wait to see what they accomplish. She noticed changes in the students from the beginning to the end of the semester. Some included confidence boosts, becoming more comfortable with classes, the campus, and the extraordinary resources FGCU offers. If she was to give future students tips they would include, take advantage of the program, know it is here to help you, and start off strong. Put full effort into the program because you can start your GPA off right. She loves to be able to have fun in class with her students by making jokes, keeping things light and fun – even in difficult situations. Ms. Stein loves her mentees, she believes they are a pretty cool group.

I had the chance to know Aleah Stein on a personal and professional level and I truly cannot wait to see what the future has in store for her because I know it will be great. She provided great advice on different situations, made me laugh when I did not want to even smile, and she is truly one of the best people all around. I am super blessed to have gotten to know her as I did. She went from my mentor to becoming one of my closest friends and I would have never had the chance to know her if it was not for Step Ahead.

Together, we are Step Ahead. Together, we can change the world.