SSTRIDE Connect is a college-level outreach program designed to help college freshmen matriculating to local universities from the pre-college FSU College of Medicine programs (SSTRIDE and Summer Institute) transition to college life.  By creating a connection with campus and FSU COM resources, a community of like-minded peers, staff support, pre-health advising, and opportunities to grow as students and learn about the healthcare field, SSTRIDE Connect helps students stay on track with their academic goals and develop strong self-management skills that will serve them well throughout their career trajectory.

We offer one-on-one “success coaching,” peer mentoring from pre-health upperclassmen, and biweekly meetings on topics ranging from study skills, time management, and personal finance, to self-care for students during the pandemic.

Most of the students in SSTRIDE Connect are coming in from medically under-served areas and communities in Florida. Research shows that medical students from medically under-served areas are more likely to return to those areas to serve as healthcare professionals. However, the path to the healthcare field is challenging, and these students stand to benefit from the mentorship, community, and specialized guidance we can provide.

There’s just one problem: SSTRIDE Connect is only one year old, and we don’t have much funding! We would love to provide some extra perks to the students who join the program this year, such as social events (socially-distanced and online, of course!), care packages for finals week, and prizes for attendance and engagement with the program. But that will only be possible if we receive monetary donations.  Please consider making a donation to SSTRIDE Connect, so we can continue supporting these students as they navigate their first year in college during these challenging times.

Student Testimonial:

“My name is Robert Jones, Jr. and I was a SSTRIDE Connect student in 2019, my first year at FSU. Being a part of this program helped me develop better study habits, gave me useful information about the road ahead in medicine, and even helped me solidify my decision to pursue medicine. This year, I am a student coordinator for SSTRIDE Connect, and I am still learning and acquiring new skills from this program.  I would highly recommend the SSTRIDE Connect program at FSU to anyone interested in medicine.”