For football student-athlete Connor Sullivan, the transition from Loyola Academy High School in Illinois to Washington State University presented its challenges.

"I can't lie, it's difficult," Sullivan said during an early June afternoon inside the Champions Center. "Anytime you move away from home it's going to be difficult, especially how far away I am."

The move to WSU wasn't as far for women's basketball student-athlete Malia Ruud making the trek to Pullman from within the state, in Pasco, but the challenges remain.

Ruud graduated from Chiawana High School on a Friday. The following Monday she was at WSU to begin her college journey.

"It was pack up and let's go," she said.

Sullivan and Rudd were among the 50 freshmen student-athletes who arrived at WSU in June, all with a unique journey that brought them to Pullman. They all faced the challenges any college student confronts in making the transition from high school, and they all participated in Summer Bridge, a program designed to make that transition easier. 

"Our Summer Bridge program is intended to give our incoming student-athletes a strong start both academically, athletically and personally," said Heather Erwin, Associate Director of Athletics, Academic Services and Student-Athlete Development.

Erwin adds that the goals of the program are not limited to one discipline, but all aspects of what the student-athlete will experience during their time at WSU.

"We want them to build confidence in the classroom, get to know their teammates, establish connections with different people within the department, and give them a jump start in the summer to make the transition to fall semester that much easier," she said.

An uncertainty all students face is navigating campus. At the onset of the program, the freshmen participated in a scavenger hunt. Their objective was to locate specific landmarks on campus.

"We start at the Cougar Pride statue and received hints where to go," men's basketball student-athlete Aaron Glass said. "The purpose was to find places on campus. It was super helpful."

"The scavenger hunt which was really beneficial," said soccer student-athlete Emery Streets. "Because it had us visualize the whole campus and find out where everything is."

Another purpose of the activity was for the students to connect with each other, one of several team-building activities that took place during the summer, including a rope course at the Student Recreation Center.

"It would be hard to meet people like this if it wasn't for the bridge program," Glass said. "It was fun to meet new people. It's a family vibe."
That family extended to the class each student takes.

"There are bridge students in my class," Ruud said. "We do a lot of things together, which helps us get to know each other. It will be very helpful once fall comes around because we already know a lot of familiar faces."

The class the students attend assists them in preparing for what's ahead in the fall semester and beyond.

"Being able to take a class allows them to understand WSU systems and how to be a student in a university setting to get them off to a good start academically," said Erwin.

"I know that in-season it becomes a lot, you're taking five classes," Sullivan said. "In the summer you're taking one class. We have tutors, we have academic meetings, we have all these activities lined up for us so that it can replicate the very busy schedule we're going to have in a couple of months."

In addition to becoming part of the WSU Athletics and university community, the student-athletes became integrated into the Pullman community, partnering with the Pullman Boys & Girls Club spending a day with kids at a local elementary school participating in a variety of activities, including arts & craft and games of dodge ball.

"All the activities are designed to give them a holistic experience of what it's like to be a student-athlete," Erwin said, who noted that the event, titled "Field Day," was a highlight for the student-athletes.

Planning for the bridge program is a months-long process beginning in the winter. After the completion of the program, an evaluation process occurs.

"What do we feel like our student-athletes need? What do we feel like they were missing last year? How can we make the transition as smooth as possible?" Erwin said.

"We had a really great group this year," Erwin added. "I really felt that this year there were a lot of different components that student-athletes were learning and building on. They all bought in."

While the program helped prepare Sullivan for life at WSU, it also helped in ways outside the curriculum and what he may need beyond the books and football pads while at WSU.

"One thing I wasn't prepared for was the hills walking campus," he said with a laugh. "I did not realize how many hills I was walking up and down. I need a scooter."