By Rebecca Dow

Path 2 Graduation (P2G) is a program offered at SMCC that aims to guide and aid students during their time attending, primarily during their first year by providing support and resources to ensure that students keep on a productive path during college. I was involved with Path 2 Graduation during my freshman year at SMCC, which involved taking a P2G themed FIGs class (which is an introductory class, mandatory to all new students) as well as attending a certain number of events during the year such as bowling get-togethers, workshops, coffee meet-and-greets and the like.

The financial benefits one may expect to receive by becoming involved with P2G can be as high as one thousand dollars or five hundred dollars per semester in scholarship money. In addition to having resources to plan for the future and scholarship, members of the group are also assigned a success coach to whom they can go with any questions or concerns on their current progress in school, and their plans for the future. When I regularly met with my coach, she helped me iron out the kinks in my decision regarding what major I would pursue here at SMCC.

I found speaking to my coach to be a very helpful act, as sometimes I am simply in need of a second opinion, and support in the form of educated suggestions as to how I can maximize my academic potential. Additional information on the group, as well as instructions on how to apply can be found at the following link: https://www.smccme.edu/academics/success-programs/p2g/ . When it comes to time management help and aligning one’s courses to aid in his or her future career, it does a lot of good to participate in programs such as this.