For the second consecutive year, Stony Brook University student-athletes engaged with middle and high school students as part of the Long Island Latino Teachers Association (LILTA) Summer Programs. The initiative aims to give students a closer look at college life and encourage them to consider higher education.
The program, which took place on campus, saw participation from more than 55 students. It is coordinated by the Stony Brook University and Medicine Community Relations Office and is part of a partnership with LILTA that has lasted nearly ten years. LILTA is a nonprofit focused on increasing graduation rates and promoting higher education among Long Island students.
“We are grateful for LILTA’s partnership and collaboration on this annual visit to Stony Brook,” said Erika Karp, associate director of University and Medicine Community Relations. “We are excited to learn with these students and look forward to this program every summer.”
Arnika Edwards, assistant athletic director for Student Career and Leadership Development, played a key role in organizing visits to the university’s sports facilities.
On July 9, forty high school women attending the Young Women’s Summer Institute visited Pritchard Gym. There, members of the Women’s Volleyball Team demonstrated volleyball skills and answered questions about their experiences as college athletes. Afterward, Dr. Kristin Hopkins, an orthopaedic surgeon who directs the Stony Brook Medicine Women’s Sports Medicine Center, along with Beverley Baptista-Anderson from the Department of Orthopaedics, led a lunch session discussing careers in medicine and orthopaedic surgery.
A separate event on July 17 brought sixteen middle school students to Stony Brook Arena for a mini-clinic led by both Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams. The session included basketball drills followed by a question-and-answer segment. Erika Karp and Kristin Cuomo, community relations liaison, facilitated icebreaker activities before leading a campus tour. Students also had lunch at East Side Dine-In to experience aspects of campus life.
“We hope this year’s LILTA students left campus feeling motivated to pursue a college degree,” Karp said.