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“The Summit opened my eyes more. [I learned] to speak up and ask for help when I need it and to think more about the reason I chose to go here.” —Summit 2026 Attendee

This year, 82 students attended one of two Student Success Summits in January, hosted by Student Success and the First Year Experience. The Summit is designed for students who wish to improve and refocus academically after their fall semester or students just looking to enhance their academic performance.

Keynote speaker TiElla Grimes, founder of InnHer Uplift Consulting, life coach, speaker, facilitator, and a first-generation college student herself, challenged our students to believe in their ability to achieve success (“RESPONSE-ability” and “do it scared!”). Students were then able to select from workshops in two separate sessions based on their interest, presented by graduate student staff. Session One included the following topics: Secrets of Successful Students, Time Management, and Goal Setting. Session Two included the following topics: Conquering Procrastination, Study Tips and Tricks, and Managing Stress. Session topics were selected based on feedback from students and graduate student success coaches.

Participants also had the opportunity to hear from ����ֱ�� faculty who shared their tips and recommendations for achieving success in the classroom. Panelists included professors Amanda Mack (Health Care Studies), Jarell Rochelle (Music and Dance), Dennis Rosemartin (Childhood Education and Care), Marion Frost (Nursing), Kristin Pangallo (Chemistry and Physics), Leslie Duhaylongsod (Secondary and Higher Education), Keja Valens (English), Ryan Fisher (Biology), Kristin Pangallo (Chemistry and Physics), and Ny Tran (Psychology).

Program assessment demonstrated a strong impact on participants: every workshop session was ranked above a 4.0 on a 1-5 scale, with 1 indicating "strongly disagree" and 5 indicating "strongly agree," for session content being helpful, the student learning something from the session, the student finding the speakers engaging, and the session addressing concerns students had about the spring semester. The keynote speaker, faculty panel, and Summit overall received similarly high marks for boosting students’ motivation and sharing information that was helpful to students entering spring classes. Over 85 percent of students indicated they agreed or strongly agreed that the Success Summit provided them valuable tips/motivation to be successful during the spring semester.

Student comments were equally positive (a few select examples):

• “[I learned that] there are a lot of people who can help me if I have any struggles.”
• “I learned how to study better and more effectively.”
• “My education is important and it cannot be accomplished without discipline and structure.”
• “[I learned] how building a community is really important at Salem State, and how having this community helps guide you.”
• “[I learned] that the path we're on doesn't have to be linear.”
• “[I learned how to] manage my time and stress in a way that won’t exhaust me.”
• “[I learned] about the importance of speaking up and [that] it’s okay to be nervous about it.”
• “Learning how to manage my time [makes] me less prone to procrastination.”

Interested in being a part of next year’s Student Success Summit? Contact Megan Wigton in the Office of Student Success and the First Year Experience. Want to learn more about the various resources in place to support student success at ����ֱ��? Visit the Canvas page.