Auburn University’s Tiger Excellence Scholars Program participants thriving, becoming leaders

GEAR UP Alabama students participating in Auburn University’s Tiger Excellence Scholars Program (TESP) report experiencing higher cumulative GPA’s, an increased feeling of connection to campus life, and more. Jasmine Prince, assistant director for Inclusive Excellence Initiatives, who oversees the TESP program says, “What our numbers say is that our students understand not only our commitment to ensuring they’re successful academically, but also that they’ve made a personal commitment to ensure their own academic success. We play a role in that, but it’s a lot of individual work on their part.” The program continued its successful support and outreach throughout the pandemic by implementing innovative virtual programming such as virtual mentor check-ins and virtual community nights.