Jayda Groth (’28) of Harrison Township shares her experience as an incoming first-year student, attending the MSU Ignite summer bridge program and preparing for the transition to college life.
Becoming a Spartan: How Michigan State’s Ignite Summer Bridge Program helped me prepare for the upcoming school year
Picking Michigan State University as my home and schooling for the next four years was easy. As a legacy student, I have been surrounded by green and white my entire life. However, Michigan State’s campus is huge, the number of majors to pick from is overwhelming, and the thought of moving hours away from home has become a nostalgic reality. I grew up rooting for MSU at every event, yet I had no idea what it was like to be a Spartan. As confident as I was in my decision, I needed some help to calm my nerves and prepare for the upcoming school year.
At the beginning of the summer, I received an email from MSU Ignite. It was an opportunity to live on campus for a week with other first-year students. I would attend a three-credit class that worked towards my major and got opportunities that made my move in the fall incredibly easier.
The application process was simple, and the excitement I received from the Ignite team upon my acceptance made any ounce of stress completely worth it.
During my week up at State, I lived like a MSU student. I stayed in Owen Hall and ate at Shaw’s cafeteria. We walked to class as a group, and got to attend and participate in tours, interview panels, and activities set up for us throughout the week. Alumni came to speak to us about their experience at Michigan State and their current career paths. We were given opportunities to ask current students questions about student life and organizations. I got to work in a real-life class environment and participate in a group project that was presented in front of teachers, staff, and family. We were introduced to student resources like the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center and Digital Scholarship Lab. My new friends and I could walk and shop Grand River with our upper-level student leaders and participate in student traditions such as painting The Rock. Tours were set up for us of iconic and historic buildings, such as Spartan Stadium and the Olin Health Center. I left Ignite with both knowledge and experience on what it is like to live as a Spartan.
When I arrived at McDonel Hall, my home for the school year, I had an extensive understanding of Michigan State’s campus. I moved in with three credits under my belt, connections to teachers and staff, and an easy stomach. Ignite took any nerves I had and replaced them with a sense of confidence and security. The thought of attending a university with over 42,000 students created mental blocks that almost deferred me from even applying. Doubts about making friends, being away from home, and living independently clouded any sense of reason in my brain. For me, Ignite was like a trial run, and I couldn’t be happier with how it went. The program answered every question I had about student life and gave me a giant head start going into freshman year. It sounds a bit cheesy, but I really did make lifelong friends and mentors. Ignite was created to help students, and it went above and beyond my expectations.
Becoming a Spartan is an honor, and the Ignite program demonstrated what it means to continue the Michigan State University legacy.
By: Jayda Groth