EIU Academic Support Center

RonNesha Harris

ASC: What is your major?

RonNesha: Communication Studies with a concentration in Multimedia.

ASC: When will you graduate?

RonNesha: I will walk at the spring 2016 commencement, and finish classes during the summer.

ASC: What career aspirations do you have?

RonNesha: My dream is to be a TV producer.

ASC: What other plans do you have after graduating from EIU?

RonNesha: After college I plan to start off working in a newsroom or a small television network.

ASC: How did you become introduced to the Academic Support Center?

RonNesha: I was a BOOST student when accepted to EIU. Also, I returned to EIU in fall 2015 after being academically dismissed for a semester. Terms of my reinstatement were that I met with Stephen (ASC academic coach) throughout the semester.

ASC: What were some academic problems you were facing prior to visiting the ASC?

RonNesha: I had low confidence and wasn’t sure if graduation was honestly possible for me. But I had a plan in order. My ASC advisor just helped me follow it and motivated me. When you are down on yourself a little motivation can go a long way. He was there when I needed him and even when I didn’t need him he still had awesome tips to give me on success. Stephen helped me to be a better student. Alongside TRiO, ASC pushed me to be a better person.

ASC: Have your academic habits continued to improve since you began visiting the ASC?

RonNesha: Yes! I’ve stayed on top of everything thus far. I have a pretty busy schedule but school is now first in line instead of last. It feels pretty good seeing As and Bs instead of Ds and Fs.

ASC: Has your GPA improved? How much?

RonNesha: Yes. It went up by .22 (cumulative in one semester)

ASC: Would you recommend the ASC to other students? What would you say?

RonNesha: Yes I would recommend ASC to other students. I think students have this idea that the ASC is only for students who are struggling. I know this isn’t true. I hear people on campus walking and talking about struggling in certain classes and I’m now able to tell the “Hey, you should go over to ASC and TRiO, the staff in those departments can help you with your struggles in studying and writing papers.” I think the bonus comes in with most of the staff also being Eastern Illinois University students or alumni. They are able to share their struggles and help you with yours.

ASC: Are there specific types of students you would recommend the ASC to?

RonNesha: Freshman. If I would’ve had the tools coming into college to be successful my experience would’ve been totally different. The curriculum change from high school to college is so drastic that it can be scary and overwhelming. ASC gave me the tools as an upperclassman.

ASC: Please provide a statement of your overall feelings of the ASC.

RonNesha: I was accepted to Eastern Illinois University through the BOOST Program* (which is no longer around). That’s how I originally became acquainted with the ASC. I had no idea that the ASC would still be present in my life this far into my college career. Thanks to ASC I will be graduating in Spring 2016, an accomplishment that looked impossible in the beginning.

Building Outreach and Opportunity for Students in Transition (BOOST) in its original form is no longer a program at EIU, however a similar program has been developed to support students of similar attributes.

Interview completed 1/28/2016