BATON ROUGE – LSU’s Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes wrapped up another successful summer with it Student Academic Success Program (SASP) which is a summer bridge program designed to help incoming LSU student-athletes transition to the college environment and community.
“Growth and success were the themes of the 2024 Summer Academic Success Program,” said Lauren Barker, a Learning Specialist and Coordinator for SASP. “This year’s 47 students were given the opportunity to grow and get a head start academically, and each and every one of them saw success as a result of their hard work. This program also worked to equip them with the skills and confidence to excel while here at LSU through a variety of workshops and the chance to build relationships with other student-athletes. The time, hard work, and dedication that our tutors and presenters provide in support of our incoming student-athletes is appreciated and paramount to the success this bridge program continues to see.”
The program is designed to assist students in making the transition from their previous school to post-secondary education and help new student-athletes understand the values, traditions, norms, and expectations of the educational experience at Louisiana State University. In addition to completing course requirements, incoming students develop academic skills, hear from relevant guest speakers, and participate in student-athlete development workshops.
The SASP programming provides academic resources as well as the life skills needed for an incoming student-athlete to experience success within the collegiate environment. These workshops help foster self-confidence, leading to student-athletes taking responsibility and initiative for their own growth and development. SASP creates a culture with incoming student-athletes that places a priority on academics, accountability, and integrity.
Student-Athlete Quotes About SASP:
“It helped me not feel alone in the struggles of my summer class.” (Katelyn Holt, Soccer)
“I loved learning all about the different things LSU offers.” (Aurora Gaines, Soccer)
“My favorite part of SASP was learning about the different resources we have and meeting new people.” (Aly Kirkhoff, Volleyball)
“I think it is structured really well and my tutor can help me whenever I need because there are only 5 kids in my study group so it works out great.” (Ryan Costello, Baseball)
“I loved meeting other student-athletes and all the resources around! I was also learning lots of great information on how to be successful at LSU!” (Lexi Zeiss, Gymnastics)