Wayne Community College student Estefani Cota has been accepted into a summer academic program for individuals intending to go into a health field.
She has been admitted into the 2019 cohort of the Science Enrichment Preparation (S.E.P.) Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The eight-week, honors-level academic enrichment program provides comprehensive preparation for the material, pacing, and professionalism students will experience in health professions schools.
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Cota will engage in more than 150 hours of classroom instruction in physics, organic chemistry, human physiology, and quantitative skills/biostatistics; attend classes and seminars on reading speed and comprehension, test-taking strategies, essay writing, and interview techniques; visit local health facilities and network with health care professionals; and shadow a working health professional.
In addition to coursework, there will be educational and career-planning opportunities, service-learning projects, and social activities.
S.E.P. scholars also receive educational supplies, lodging on the UNC Chapel Hill campus, travel expenses, and a competitive stipend.
In notifying Cota, Dr. Paula D. Borden, director of the S.E.P. Program and co-director of the Carolina Higher Education Opportunity Program at UNC-CH, wrote “To date, we have received over 200 applications for 26 seats. Your selection speaks highly of your academic achievements, commitment to community service, and demonstrated leadership.”
Cota will graduate this May from WCC with an associate in science degree. She plans to continue her education through medical school.
She is a member of the Upsilon Chi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, vice president of the WCC Honors Club, Ambassador for the college, and a volunteer with WCC Engage. This school year, Cota was presented a Community Impact Award by North Carolina Campus Compact and an Academic Excellence Award from the North Carolina Community College System.
Last summer, she participated in the Summer Biomedical Research Program at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine.
The S.E.P. Program, which is part of the North Carolina Health Careers Access Program, targets first-generation, underrepresented minority, rural, and/or socioeconomically disadvantaged undergraduates who plan to seek admission into medical or dental school.
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves 12,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 70 college credit programs. WCC’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.