Before the fall semester begins, a small group of incoming engineering and computing students at the University of South Carolina move into their residence halls early. They walk around campus before it fills, locate their classrooms before the first rush and sit in a circle with strangers to share stories about being the first in their families to pursue a bachelor's degree.
By the time classes start, they are no longer strangers.
The Summer Start Program at the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing (MCEC) was created in 2021 to ease the transition into college for first-generation students. What began as a three-week pilot with two counselors has evolved into a week-long early move-in experience shaped by former scholars who returned to strengthen it.
Initially funded by first-generation alum Lewis Caswell, the program now admits about 20 incoming students each summer. Participants receive a $1,000 annual scholarship over four years and spend the week preparing academically and socially for the demands of an engineering or computing degree. Now, its leaders are looking for more funding to expand the program’s reach.
Starting with stories
The week begins with “circle time,” a guided discussion when students talk about what brought them to college and what being first-generation means to them.
MCEC Director of Student Engagement Brian McCaster oversees the program and says the variety of student experiences stand out each year.
“Something that I didn't expect about the first-gen population was the diversity,” McCaster says. “You have students from all different backgrounds, and the thing they have in common is that their parents didn't go to college.”
For Grace Ware, a sophomore biomedical engineering major and Summer Start assistant coordinator, the initial conversations create immediate connections.
“Everyone has their own story, but circle time helps you recognize that, whether you have a tragic story or not, other people come from similar or different backgrounds,” Ware says. “It helps to make that close-knit community.”
Organizers say that sense of belonging is intentional because many first-generation students arrive without built-in guidance for navigating academic systems, networking expectations or campus culture.
The classroom and beyond
Each day of the Summer Start Program includes math instruction tailored to students’ placement scores, along with collaborative engineering activities that mirror classroom expectations.
“It really ties them all together as a group,” McCaster says. “Then they are prepared for the diverse instruction styles they will see on campus.”
Ware says the math review eased her transition into coursework. Faculty-led sessions also introduce classroom norms and accountability, helping reduce uncertainty before the first graded assignment.
“Summer Start absolutely helps with math,” Ware says. “We have a math crash course every weekday of the program.”
Throughout the week, counselors guide scholars through campus buildings, tutoring resources and research facilities, including the Student Success Center and McNAIR Center. Counselors also organize visits to the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center, local housing tours, and group outings around Columbia to familiarize students with campus and city life.
Students attend networking meals with corporate donors and industry partners, where they practice professional etiquette and conversation. They create LinkedIn profiles and participate in mocktail-style events designed to simulate career receptions.
Students shaping the program
As early cohorts progressed through college, many returned as counselors. Megan Badinski, a 2025 civil and environmental engineering graduate, founded the MCEC First-Generation club in 2021 to maintain connections among scholars beyond the initial week.
Sandra Weston, a junior mechanical engineering major, joined Summer Start as a scholar in 2023 before she returned as a counselor and helped formalize its leadership structure.
“I found that I really wanted to come back to the program. That was where I had learned the most,” Weston says.
Weston worked with McCaster last summer to establish her program coordinator role and create the counselor candidates training pipeline, which prepares future counselors through structured leadership development. The system allows students to move from scholar to mentor to leadership, strengthening continuity between cohorts.
“I just wanted to create this program where it feeds back,” Weston says.
Ware, who now serves as co-vice president of the MCEC First-Generation club, says the organization extends mentorship during the academic year through study sessions, social events and professional workshops.
“We focus on providing community for first-generation students, so they don't have to do anything extra,” Ware says. “We’re trying our best to provide as much as we can in the most efficient way possible.”
A network that lasts
Sydney Morris joined the program in 2022 and is now pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at USC. She says participating gave her a clearer understanding of what it meant to be first-generation.
“When they asked, ‘What does that mean to be first-gen?’ I thought, ‘Not really anything,’” Morris says. “In hindsight, I realize you do have fewer resources. To me, it means doing something new and upping the standard for your family.”
Morris later returned as a counselor, crediting the experience with helping her develop confidence and leadership skills. For Ware, the program’s support proved critical during difficult moments.
“I think if I didn't have it, I would have dropped out by now,” Ware says.
She says its impact comes from sustained connection rather than a single event.
“It's definitely a helpful program, and I think the biggest thing is the community that you pull from it,” Ware says. “Having that community of people that you can go back to is a big thing, especially in a hard major.”
Growth and demand
The program operates through philanthropic support, including contributions from Give4Garnet, the MCEC First-Generation Support Fund and the Bill Bloking Fund as well as corporations such as ExxonMobil and Boeing.
Bree Bess, MCEC director of development for corporate and foundation relations, says the mission resonates with industry partners who can provide support that the program needs. “We have way more first-generation freshmen come to the college every year,” Bess says.
For McCaster, the long-term goal is sustainability and ensuring that each cohort feeds back into the program as counselor candidates.
“My goal is that by the end of all of this, we've prepared each group to go on and really take ownership of the program,” he says.
For this year’s Give4Garnet campaign, the First-Generation Student program is the college’s primary beneficiary. Make an immediate impact and open the door for first-generation engineering and computing students with your support and generosity.