ENTHUSIASM SURROUNDS BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE’S EOF PROGRAM
July 2, 2002, Bloomfield, NJ - Enthusiasm is high as the Bloomfield College Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program begins this summer, and for good reason. The Bloomfield College EOF program achieved and exceeded its new enrollment goal.
Fifty students are currently enrolled in the program, and several others have been placed on a waiting list.
Eleanor Davis, the Associate Director of EOF, stated that this incoming class is very enthusiastic about the program. For most of the students, Bloomfield College was their first choice. According to Davis, high school guidance counselors still call the College daily on behalf of anxious students who are hoping to get into to the program.
“There is a very positive energy about this year’s program. I’ve been here three years, and this is the first summer where things miraculously fell into place… this is a blessed program,” said Davis.
The Financial Aid and Admissions departments were a tremendous help to the EOF program. Davis was pleased by the collaborative spirit and stated that, “there is no ‘I’ in teamwork.” This ethic of teamwork has even trickled down to the students.
“I see a sense of family building already,” said tutor/counselor Samia Garcia-Haridi of Montclair.
The Educational Opportunity Fund program receives funding from the state of New Jersey to help educationally and economically disadvantaged students earn a degree. The EOF program provides supportive services including academic, career, financial, personal counseling, and tutoring. Additionally, students participate in workshops and various other learning sessions with the president, vice-presidents, staff, and faculty of the College to prepare them for their collegiate experience.
Last year, Bloomfield College’s EOF program became the first EOF program in New Jersey to award Palm IIIC hand-held computers, which were funded by state grants, to all incoming students. This year, students received a complimentary Everyday Writer, a self-help book that will help enhance their scholastic achievement throughout their college career thanks to Dean Rose Mitchell, Executive Director of EOF.
“This is a good program especially because it helps financially with books and other costs for people who really need it” said Nakkia Range of East Orange.
“This is my first time away from home. The program, the counselors, and the people are nice…it’s good to get a sense of college life before school really starts” said Shakira Johnson of Red Bank.
The EOF summer program began on campus June 29 and will conclude with a graduation ceremony on August 8 for all students who successfully complete the program.
Founded in 1868 as a Presbyterian seminary, Bloomfield College has renewed itself to meet the changing needs of the community. The College has earned national recognition for its innovative, high quality academic and co-curricular programs and for its commitment to serve students from all backgrounds, particularly those who have traditionally been excluded from higher education. Its mission is to prepare students to attain academic, personal and professional excellence in a multicultural and global society.
