Aug 22, 2011 - Claremont, Calif. -

When Garrett Menghini ’13 arrived at Harvey Mudd College in 2010, he was a shy, introverted teen. By the time he finished the Summer Institute, however, his confidence soared.

“Summer Institute pushed me out of my comfort zone enough to help me realize I can do things I didn’t know initially I could,” he said. “It did a really good job of bringing me out of my shell and definitely helped with the transition from high school to college.”

Now Menghini serves as head mentor for the revamped version of the very program that spurred his success.

Summer Institute (SI) immerses participants in a host of workshops and activities designed to position incoming freshmen for academic and personal success. Student mentors help with homework, extracurricular activities and introduction to HMC culture. The program is free of charge and includes room and board, plus a $1500 stipend. Participants also receive an award worth up to $5,000, which can be used the summer immediately following their first year at HMC to participate in summer research or HMC’s summer math program.

SI primarily targets those who are underrepresented in science, math and engineering (women, first-generation college students and students of color), but participation is not limited to only underrepresented groups.

“By taking Writ 1 during the summer, SI scholars will have a less intense first semester,” said Darryl Yong, associate dean for diversity. “This small group of students will demonstrate leadership by sharing what they've learned--academic skills, disciplinary content knowledge, HMC's culture and norms--with the rest of the entering first-year class.”

Faculty support has been tremendous. Zach Dodds, associate professor of computer science, has led weekly robotics workshops. Other workshop presenters include Ann Esin, Theresa Lynn and Peter Saeta from the Physics Department and Lisette de Pillis, Dagan Karp and Darryl Yong from the Mathematics Department.

Leading the daily Writ 1 classes are Wendy Menifee-Libey, director of learning programs, and Rachel Levy, associate professor of mathematics.

“We know that writing is the one subject that every Harvey Mudd student needs to master no matter what subject they’re going to major in,” said Gary Kelly, associate dean for institutional diversity. “The fact that we have a math professor teaching writing is a wonderful way to emphasize that writing really is the thing that unites students throughout and even outside the core curriculum.”

The development of interpersonal and leadership skills remains a vital element of the SI experience. The program encourages students’ growth in these areas through a variety of interactive activities, field trips, diversity workshops and a community service project. For more information, visit the Summer Institute website.