Issue date: 6/25/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Irene Miramontes - COURTESY PHOTO Sophomore animal science major April Beverly, sophomore business major Brian Steele and junior accounting major Ashlee Crawford decorate cupcakes for the Wilson House meeting for Aggie Access. [Click to enlarge]

During last week's New Student Conference activities, Clayton Traise, a freshmen history major, attended the Aggie Access lunch, where he chatted with other freshmen, met with Aggie Access mentors and learned more about the benefits of participating in a learning community at Texas A&M.

For many freshmen, the transition to college life may seem overwhelming. To help ease this transition, organizations like Aggie Access provide students with a focused learning and social environment through smaller classes and weekly group meetings with peer mentors.

Traise is one of 300 incoming freshmen who will participate in the learning communities of Aggie Access when school commences in the fall. Coming from his Tomball, Texas, high school, as one of 18 graduating seniors, Traise said he is looking forward to meeting new people at A&M but is also anticipating what Aggie Access has to offer.

"I wanted something that would help me focus my direction at A&M and it looked like Aggie Access would really help me with that," Traise said.

During the lunch, freshmen and parents spoke with the peer mentors - usually sophomores or juniors who had been in the program as freshmen.

Laura Wimberley, the director of Aggie Access, welcomed the freshmen and gave information about upcoming Access events.

"Aggie Access is all about students' academic achievements and how we can connect them to the right resources on campus," Wimberley said. "We seek to connect these individuals with a community of learners and hope to see them grow as individuals."

Freshmen from four colleges: general academics, liberal arts, geosciences and agriculture and life sciences can participate in Aggie Access.

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