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Act 101 Achievement Program Combines Service with Academic Success
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. – Four student representatives from the Act 101 Achievement Program at Lincoln University collected and donated food to the Neighborhood Services Center in Oxford on March 17.
Students who participated were Michael Hall, a biology major from Philadelphia; Ria Dudley, a biochemistry major from York; Nailah Blanchard, a pre-nursing major from Stroudsburg; and Ezra Connell, an engineering science and mathematics major from Philadelphia.
As part of the Act 101 commitment to community service, the students collected the food donations at a game night in February, which was one of several group-building and special topic workshop sessions Act 101 organizes for academically and financially disadvantaged students so they can successfully complete postsecondary study.
Act 101 students visited the Neighborhood Services Center on March 17, 2017, as part of the programs commitment to community service. Pictured standing from left: Michael Hall, Act 101 Director Patricia Fullmer, Ria Dudley, Nailah Blanchard. Kneeling is Ezra Connell.
Act 101 recruits highly motivated, low-income, Pennsylvania residents with SAT/ACT scores, placement scores, and/or high school grade point averages lower than admission requirements. The 53 students in Lincoln’s Act 101 program receive academic, professional, and personal counseling to assist them with their adjustment to the rigors of college life.
Patricia Fullmer, the program’s director at Lincoln, acts as an advocate for the students, providing academic advising, personal coaching, and letters of recommendation. She also arranges referrals for tutoring in the Writing and Reading Center, the Math Learning Center, and academic departments.
"During the eight years I have led Act 101, I’ve witnessed how students use the support that is offered through Act 101 to help them resolve life issues—such as family problems, which if not addressed can interrupt their academic progress,” Fullmer said.
Act 101 students visited the Neighborhood Services Center in Oxford, Pennsylvania, on March 17, 2017, as part of the programs commitment to community service. Pictured from left: Jamie Cruz of the Neighborhood Services Center, Act 101 Director Patricia Fullmer, Leandrea Hall of the Neighborhood Services Center, and students Nailah Blanchard, Ria Dudley, Ezra Connell and Michael Hall.
The statewide results paint a more detailed picture of the program’s success. In 2015-16, there were 32 Act 101 programs based at 30 Pennsylvania postsecondary institutions serving 3,613 students. According to the 2015-16 annual report, the 81.18% first-year retention rate for Act 101 students from fall 2014 to fall 2015 exceeded the national average rate of 73.0%. Act 101 students earned a higher cumulative GPA in developmental courses (2.50) compared to the general undergraduate population (2.17).
At Lincoln, students begin their Act 101 activities with an orientation in September, and continue learning about special topics including stress reduction with Counseling Service’s Belinda Madison, careers and internships with Career Service’s Ralph Simpson, and study abroad with International Programs and Services’ Constance Lundy.
Article and photos by Shelley Mix, Office of Communications & Public Relations