Capstone Scholars Program New Student Guide Your go-to guide for all Capstone infomation, expectations and more!
Welcome home to Capstone!
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Welcome to Capstone! By Dr. Patrick Hickey, Faculty Principal Dear Students: It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Capstone Scholars Program at the University of South Carolina. I have had the privilege to be the Faculty Principal for this program for the past 5 years and have to admit that this has been one of the most joyful experiences I have had in academia. Through our program students are challenged, both inside and outside the classroom, to become the best that they can be as they increase their self-esteem and confidence, develop life-long relationships with both students and faculty, and have FUN! One of our life-changing initiatives is aptly named the Capstone Personal Challenge Program. This program allows students the opportunity to better themselves by stepping out of their comfort zone to take on a self-selected personal challenge each semester for the 2 years that they are in the program. The challenge is proposed as one that will create lifelong positive habits and increase selfconfidence. This challenge is created by confronting an opportunity for improvement in their lives, such as a weakness or fear, or by making a positive change, or developing a new skill or habit. In Capstone we provide many opportunities to meet and greet fellow students such as our famous Hot Cookie Fridays, community service, study abroad, undergraduate research, and our speaker/ lecture series. In addition to getting to know each other, these opportunities help you to learn more about our resources and support, but more importantly you will learn more about yourself and in doing so will find direction in life. My staff and I make it a priority to provide support while having as much “face time” with the students as possible. We strive to make the Capstone Scholars Program a place where students feel like they are connected to the University of South Carolina and the local community. As a Capstone Scholar you will learn to live our motto, “Dream Big. Impact the Community. Leave a Legacy.” Sincerely, Dr. Patrick Hickey
Table of Contents Welcome from Dr. Hickey............................................................2 About the Capstone Scholars Program.......................................3 Staff..................................................................................................4 Capstone Student Leaders............................................................5 Fall 2014 Capstone Events............................................................6 How to be a Successful Capstone Scholar...................................7 Track Your Capstone Experiences...............................................9 Capstone Partner Offices..............................................................10 2
Dream big, impact the community, leave a legacy!
About the Capstone Scholars Program
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Our Motto
Dream big, impact the community, leave a legacy! These are the words that guide the Capstone Scholars Program. Capstone Scholars go above and beyond as students and leaders during their time at Carolina. Each of our pillars is an important part of our program. Capstone Scholars leave behind excellent examples of their work and dedication to our program and to the University of South Carolina. Whether Capstone Scholars have created new student organizations or coordinated a group of students to participate in a service activity, our Scholars find ways to leave their mark on our community.
Our Pillars Academic: Capstone Scholars are among the best and brightest students at Carolina, arriving with highly competitive high school GPAs and standardized test scores. The Capstone Scholars Program builds on this academic strength by providing a conversation series, biweekly current event discussions, a handful of specialized courses and peer mentoring focused on each student’s academic discipline.
Social: While studying comes first, a good work/life balance is vital, too! It’s important to make time for socializing outside the classroom. Our program provides several socials a semester, including our famous Hot Cookie Fridays and Gibbes Wednesday lunches, plus our new Mug Mondays.
Leadership: An important part of being a Capstone Scholar is getting involved on campus. Whether it’s within the residence hall, as a Capstone student leader, in Greek life or other student organizations, Scholars find ways to gain leadership skills through participation in extra-curricular activities and trainings.
Service: As Capstone Scholars, we see the benefit and the importance of engaging students in the Columbia community. We have coordinated monthly events, as well as partnerships on campus, that allow Scholars to serve organizations such as Ronald McDonald House, Harvest Hope Food Bank and Pets Inc., to name a few.
Introduction to Our Staff Dr. Patrick Hickey serves as our Faculty Principal for the Capstone Scholars Program and is also a Clinical Assistant Professor for the College of Nursing at USC. Dr. Hickey oversees the program as a whole and enjoys the opportunity to mentor, provide opportunities for undergraduate research and enjoys leading medical mission trips to Latin America. David DeWeil is the Associate Principal of Capstone. David pursued both his bachelor and master’s degrees from USC and now organizes many details for Capstone, including many grant opportunities, admissions, an employability course, News & Views, the budget and much more. Theresa Harrison is one of two Assistant Principals. She primarily works to develop Capstone programming and builds partnerships with offices across USC’s campus as well as off campus agencies. Theresa serves as the advisor for Capstone Ambassadors. Erin Wilson is one of two Assistant Principals. Erin performs much of Capstone’s data assessment and also works with students who study abroad through Capstone’s spring break and Maymester trips. Erin serves as the advisor for Capstone Coordinators. Natalie Rooney is the current Graduate Assistant. She writes the weekly newsletter, posts on all Capstone social media outlets, leads service events, facilitates the Capstone Student Leaders Retreat and assists with other Capstone duties. Our Capstone staff at the End of Year social celebration in April 2014. From L to R: David DeWeil, Theresa Harrison, Natalie Rooney, Erin Wilson, Dr. Patrick Hickey
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Capstone students abroad in Ecuador.
Introduction to our Capstone Student Leaders The Capstone Scholars Program has two groups of student leaders: Capstone Coordinators and Capstone Ambassadors. The Capstone Coordinators assist the Capstone staff with the planning and promotion of our events to ensure our students have a positive Capstone experience. Capstone Ambassadors are fall semester peer mentors to first-year students with majors in the same academic school/college and provide helpful knowledge of their program, classes and any other advice firstyear students may need.
2014-2015 Capstone Coordinators: Administrative Coordinators: Ashley Payne, Damien Maglich Event Coordinators: Samantha Adams, Ginnie Horne, Cassie Coleman, Patrick Cleary Marketing Coordinator: Tom Munns
Fall 2014 Capstone Ambassadors:
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Arts & Sciences (Hard Sciences): Ruchi Desai & Jerry Friedman College of Social Work, Arts & Sciences: Carolyn Chalfant & Mariah Humphrey Arts & Sciences (Pre-Med): Calli Fletcher & Jenny Co Darla Moore School of Business: Erik Brown & Danielle Marek International Business: Claire Maeda & Erik Singleton College of Nursing: Bradley Vincent & Lauren Yarberough College of Journalism & Mass Communication: Katie Oldham & Calli Wasserman SC College of Pharmacy & Pre-Pharm: Katherine Wilbur & Nicole Griffith School of Public Health: Megan LaTorre & Katherine Krapfel College of Engineering & Computing: Felicia Canipe & Jared O’Quinn College of HTRM: Mary Tighe & Caroline Roche School of Music: Claire Bogdan College of Education: Keri Foss
Fall 2014 Capstone Events Calendar Service opportunities: St. Lawrence Place- Tuesday, Sept. 9th, 3:00-5:00 pm Habitat Restore- Wednesday, Oct. 1st, 10:00-noon Project Hope- TBD Hannah House- Nov. (TBD) Carolina Cares Stocking Stuffers-Oct. 27th-Nov. 25th Capstone Conversations (all held in Campus Room): 5:30 pm Wednesday, September 3- President Pastides 4:30 pm Tuesday, September 9- Student Body Executive Board 6:00 pm Mondaty, September 15- Dr. Hickey 5:30 pm Thursday, September 18- Dennis Pruitt 4:30 pm Wednesday, September 24- Capstone Spring Break and Maymester 5:00 pm Tuesday, September 30- Student Success Center, Engagement Speed Circuit 6:00 pm Thursday, October 2- Anissa Floyd, Columbia Opportunity Resource 6:00 pm Tuesday, October 7- USC Connect Orientation 7:00 pm Monday, October 13- Seth Gadsden, Nickelodeon Theatre- Indie Grits Festival 6:00 pm Wednesday, October 29- Celia Galens, Historic Columbia 5:30 pm Thursday, November 6- Office of Fellowships & Scholar Programs 4:30 pm Tuesday, November 11- On/ Off-Campus Information 4:30 pm Wednesday, November 12- Creed and Diversity Day 5:30 pm Monday, November 17- Career Center, Resume Workshop 4:30 pm Wednesday, November 19- Washington Semester 4:30 pm Tuesday, December 2- Capstone Internship Program Social: Welcome Back Sophomore Cookout - Tuesday, Aug. 19th 4:00-6:00 pm, Capstone Office Milkshakes and Matisse- Tuesday, Sept. 24th, 4:30 pm, Study Shack Apple Picking- TBD Hi Wire Trampoline Park- Wednesday, Oct. 15, 4:30-6:30 pm Mug Mondays- Aug. 25, Sept. 29, Oct. 27, Nov. 24, 8:00-10:00 am, Study Shack Hot Cookie Friday- Sept. 5, Oct. 10, Nov. 14, 2:00-4:00 pm, Study Shack End of Semester Social- Friday, Dec. 5th 2:00-4:00 pm, Campus Room Other Capstone Opportunities: Skydiving: Sunday, Nov. 9, 9:00 am - 4 pm Challenge Course: Tuesday, Sept. 23, 4:00-6:00 pm and Wednesday, Oct. 15, 4:00-6:00 pm Note: Dates/times subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the weekly newsletter sent to your USC email address on Mondays at 10 a.m. for updates.
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How to be a Successful Capstone Scholar Involved balance is crucial for success! Choose and complete 1 experience in EACH of the Pillars below per semester. Signature Capstone experiences are REQUIRED only where highlighted in garnet. We encourage you to come to as many events as possible and Leave a Legacy on Capstone and Carolina by becoming a Fellow! Links to report your experiences will be in the Capstone Connections newsletter sent every Monday at 10 a.m.
Leave a Legacy
Become a Capstone Fellow
Capstone Year 2
Impact the Community
Dream Big
Capstone Year 1
* denotes prior approval required: contact Erin at erin.wilson@sc.edu at least 2 weeks in advance
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Academic
Social
-Capstone Conversation -News & Views -Ambassador Events -ACE Session -Academic Department Lecture* -Capstone U290 Course
-Hot Cookie Friday/Mug Monday -Capstone Socials/Excursions -OMSA Diversity Dialogue -Out to Lunch -Eat Like A Pro Etiquette Dinner -Gibbes Wednesday
-Capstone Conversation -News & Views -ACE Session -Mutual Expectations -Academic Department Lecture* -Capstone U290 Course
-Hot Cookie Friday/Mug Monday -Select Sophomore Sept. Events -Capstone Socials/Excursions -Out to Lunch -Eat Like A Pro Etiquette Dinner -GibbesWednesday
Complete ALL the following: -Pass UNIV 101 (or equivalent) with a B or better -Be in good standing with the Capstone Scholars Program -Meet with Capstone Scholar staff -Complete Graduation with Leadership Distinction Orientation -Maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA -Fulfill 16 additional experiences from the Pillars above (be balanced!) -Complete the Capstone Scholars Fellows application
Capstone students go skydiving with the Capstone Scholars Program.
Leadership
Service
Leave a Legacy
-Be a University Peer Leader for 1+ semesters -Study Abroad (for a Maymester or longer) -Conduct Undergraduate Research for 1+ semesters -Complete an Internship or Co-op for 1+ semesters -Serve as an elected organization leader for 1+ semesters -Complete a GLD leadership or service-learning class -Present at Discovery Day or another professional conference
Become a Capstone Fellow
AND complete 1 from the list below:
Dream Big
-Capstone Service Events -Service Saturdays -Student Org. philanthropy -Alternative Break -USC Service Days -Independent Service
Capstone Year 2
-Personal Challenge (1/sem.) -Challenge Course -Emerging Leaders Program -Leadership Conference* -PD Certification Program -Skill Builder Workshops
Impact the Community
-Capstone Service Events -Service Saturdays -Student Org. philanthropy -Alternative Break -USC Service Days -Independent Service
Capstone Year 1
-Personal Challenge (1/sem.) -Challenge Course -Emerging Leaders Program -Leadership Conference* -PD Certification Program -Skill Builder Workshops
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Capstone students at the Emerging Leaders Program graduation.
Track Your Capstone Experiences As you complete different experiences each semester, jot down what you did and the date for your records. This does not replace needing to electronically submit your experiences.
Name of experience
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Date of experience
Type of experience (academic, social, etc.)
President Pastides speaks with Capstone Scholars at his annual Capstone Conversation in the fall.
Capstone’s Campus Partnerships Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) Many of our Capstone Scholars engage in undergraduate research in different fields across campus. We had 23 Magellan Scholars during the 2013-2014 school year alone! For any Capstone Scholars interested in engaging in research while at USC, we highly recommend they get in touch with OUR. Visit their website at sc.edu/OUR for more information.
Office of Fellowships and Scholar Programs (OFSP) Capstone Scholars are often eligible to compete for very prestigious fellowships or scholarships. The Office of Fellowships and Scholar Programs is a resource on campus for students who are interested in learning about their opportunities to earn grant money. OFSP will assist students in the application process to ensure you are the most competitive applicant for the award. Visit their website at sc.edu/OFSP for more information.
Career Center Capstone offers the Capstone Internship Program through the Career Center. Students have the opportunity to apply for internships in our Columbia community to gain experience in their field of study or interest area. Additionally, the Career Center provides resume critiques, job fairs, etiquette dinners and many more services. Visit their website at sc.edu/ career/cip for more information.
Study Abroad Capstone Scholars are encouraged to study abroad at USC, especially through our Capstone-led spring break and Maymester study abroad trips! Capstone Scholars traveled to Nicaragua, Peru and Ghana during the 2013-2014 school year. The Study Abroad Office is also a great resource for any Capstone Scholar looking for a program over a more extended period of time. Visit their website at studyabroad.sc.edu for more information.
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USC Campus Resources USC Police Department Emergency Assistance: 911 Police Dispatch: 803-777-4215
Student Health Services To make an appointment: 803-777-3175 For counseling: 803-777-5223 For Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention and Prevention: 803-777-8248 or walk in Visit sc.edu/shs for more information about these health services and more.
Student Success Center Call 803-777-1000 or visit sc.edu/ssc for all the SSC services or to make an appointment online.
Capstone Scholars Program 13 Gibbes Court Columbia, SC 29208 803-777-4430 (David DeWeil) 803-777-4412 (Fax) www.sc.edu/capstonescholars capstonescholars@sc.edu Facebook: Capstone Scholars: University of South Carolina Twitter: @capstonescholar Instagram: @capstonescholars