Summer Connections

 

Does your life matter?

Are you having trouble putting the pieces together?

Have you thought about who you are and how you can make a difference?

Then come to Furman’s Summer Connections program this summer (June 22-July 1, 2012)!

To help you explore these and other questions as you prepare to enter college, Furman University’s Center for Vocational Reflection is offering a fun and inspiring ten-day residential program for incoming freshmen.  We will gather a group of thoughtful, mature, and open-minded students who are willing to be stretched beyond their individual comfort zones.  Guided by experienced Furman teachers and mentors and stimulated by new friends of different backgrounds, participants will learn to be more appreciative of their own “life stories” as they discover that discernment of personal vocation yields authentic and unique human beings.

 

What are students saying about the Summer Connections program?

We have provided some comments from last year’s Connections participants (students in Furman’s Class of 2015) below:

“This program was completely unforgettable and the best thing I could’ve done this summer!  In ten days, I’ve made amazing friends and learned so much about myself.  Thank you all!”

“This was the perfect way for me to prepare for college because I was forced to ask myself the important questions, like who am I and what do I believe in.  Knowing these things are crucial to the path we take during college.”

“Overall, this was an amazing experience and it is something that has positively changed my life forever.”

“This program opened my eyes to the needs of the world and the depths of my being.”

“A wonderful experience that taught me more about myself and my beliefs than anything else ever could.  I would recommend it to people of every walk of life.”

“The program was INVALUABLE in helping me gain confidence in building my first relationships coming into college, some of the friends I made in this program I’m sure will carry on through my years at FU.  It also quelled my fears as it pertained to college in general and made me feel very comfortable on campus and in the city of Greenville.”

 

Program Description

Summer Connections offers four primary resources for exploring vocation: faith, personal assessment, creative expression, and community engagement.

During these ten days, each participant will be challenged to grow spiritually, intellectually, physically, and socially through a variety of classroom, individual, small group, and community activities.  A morning theology class will help students identify, examine, and work within the beliefs of their own faith traditions.  In addition to the study of theology and ethics, students will have the opportunity to explore vocation through personality assessments, journaling, artistic expression, movies, and other creative and meaningful activities.  A significant community service project in an urban context will bring classroom and personal learning to life as participants consider what it means to include others in the journey of vocational discernment.

As an introduction to the program, participants will be expected to read a book or a few articles, which will be mailed to students prior to the program.

Note: The program is Christian in orientation, but nonsectarian.  We welcome participants of any faith perspective and tradition.  No attempt is made to indoctrinate or change the religious beliefs of students.  Students are simply offered ways to use their beliefs in discovery and analysis of their individual life’s goals and meanings.

 

Application Process

We invite all incoming Furman freshmen to apply for our Summer Connections program.  An online application is below.  Incoming freshmen are able to apply once they have accepted their offer of admission to Furman and paid their security deposit.  Incoming freshmen will receive additional information on Summer Connections, as well as other summer programs at Furman, via mail and e-mail once they have been accepted to the university.

This year’s Summer Connections program is June 22-July 1, 2012.

For additional information or questions regarding Summer Connections, contact the program director, Eric Cain, at eric.cain@furman.edu or 864.294.2511.


SUMMER CONNECTIONS APPLICATION

  1. Please complete the application below. Once you have completed the application, click the "Submit" button and the application will be e-mailed to the Center. You will receive an e-mail confirmation that your application has been received, and is on file in our office, within two (2) business days.
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BASIC INFORMATION
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  13. Furman Acceptance (select one below)
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ACTIVITIES & INVOLVEMENT
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GOALS & PERSONAL STATEMENT
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SUMMER ORIENTATION INTEREST
  1. Would you consider participating in the Furman Summer Orientation (Summer O) program before the Summer Connections program begins (June 21-22, 2012)? (We can assist you in registration with this session, if you are accepted as a participant in the Summer Connections program.)
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REFERENCE
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  6. By indicating "I Agree" in the following box, I agree to allow the Center for Vocational Reflection at Furman University to contact the above reference, if needed, regarding my application for the Summer Connections program.
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VERIFICATION
  1. By indicating "I Agree" in the following box, I verify that the information completed in this online application for the Summer Connections program is accurate, to the best of my knowledge. Furthermore, by submitting this application, I verify that I have been offered admission to Furman University as a freshmen to begin in the fall term of 2012 and have paid my security deposit to reserve my space in the incoming class.
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