Penn State Berks Biology Ahead Program Sets Students Up for Success

By Samantha Bower, Penn State Berks

Pictured above: The 2026 Biology Ahead cohort welcomed 13 students from across Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, and Iowa. Photo courtesy of Samantha Bower

This summer, Penn State Berks hosted the second cohort of its Biology Ahead bridge program for incoming students interested in majoring in biology or another related life science. The goal of the program, which ran from July 5 to July 31, is to enhance academic preparedness and create a support system for its diverse student group.

Biology Ahead is a free program spanning four weeks. During that time, students live on campus; prepare for rigorous math and science courses; get to know their professors, staff members, and fellow students; and learn about the surrounding Berks County community through hands-on learning and service projects.

This year’s cohort welcomed 13 students from across Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, and Iowa.

Preparing for college life

This fall, 44% of the incoming class at Penn State Berks is composed of first-generation college students, meaning their parents or legal guardians did not complete a bachelor’s degree. As a result, many of these students do not know what to expect when they come to college. The goal of Biology Ahead, along with its sister program Engineering Ahead, is to ease its participants’ journey through that transition.

“Being part of this program was eye-opening. It made me realize that I needed to prepare more for the college journey ahead,” said Shania Gouin, a first-year biology major from Reading. She signed up for the program to boost her math skills and she connected with faculty and staff who will help her all throughout her college journey.

During the summer, Biology Ahead students were able to forge one-on-one connections with faculty and staff in a relaxed environment.

“The program helped us get familiar with new faces, and because we were living here, I was able to learn where everything was on campus,” Gouin continued.

Students in the program are majoring in biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, and forensic science, and several aspire to attend medical school. As a result, they are all bracing for demanding coursework — but have said the program has helped them prepare academically for the road ahead.

“Despite having graduated from high school only a few months ago, the rigor and structured curriculum of the Biology Ahead Program have prepared me in ways that make high school feel like a distant memory,” said Mary Lin, a first-year biochemistry and biology major from Reading.

Students attend workshops on study skills, time management, and career planning. The program also covers such subjects as undergraduate research and career exploration.

“In addition to the personal growth I experienced, Biology Ahead gave me a strong foundation for future college STEM courses,” added Adrian Park, a biochemistry and molecular biology major from Great Neck, NY. “The program exposed me to concepts and experiences that increased my confidence in pursuing science at a higher level.”

Ryan Hassler is the coordinator of Biology Ahead and a teaching professor of mathematics at Penn State Berks. In addition to Hassler, more than 20 Penn State Berks faculty and staff supported this year’s program by sharing their time and expertise.

Peer mentorship strengthens student experience

The program’s impact is also reflected in the program alumni who returned to mentor the incoming students. This year, two Biology Ahead alumni served as mentors, helping guide the incoming cohort through the transition to college life: Paula Florez, sophomore biochemistry and molecular biology major, and Ismaer Franqui Segarra, sophomore biology major.

Franqui Segarra stated, “Being a mentor was such a rewarding experience. It was amazing to watch the student grow and improve throughout these weeks, both in terms of academics in class and socially with each other. I’m very excited to see how they put these experiences to use going into their first semester.”

Getting to know the Greater Reading area

In addition to their coursework, students also got to know the surrounding Berks County community through service projects and hands-on learning opportunities. Visits to local industry complemented time on campus.

They first visited SPL, formerly Suburban Testing Labs, in Reading. SPL is an environmental facility that specializes in analyzing water, wastewater, soil, and solid materials. Next, they visited Teleflex, a surgical and medical instrument manufacturing company in Wyomissing.

They also visited Douglassville Veterinary Hospital, where they learned firsthand about suturing, bandage wrapping, and dental extractions, and Willow Run Farmstead LLC, a family-run, sustainable farm located in Fleetwood. Students also spent a day at the University Park campus networking with faculty, staff, and students from the Penn State Eberly College of Science.

The Biology Ahead students also did service work in the community. They volunteered at the Helping Harvest Community Kitchen, a local food bank, and provided mentorship to Youth Volunteer Corps (VOiCEup) of Reading and participants in the Reading Recreation Commission’s Playground Summer Program.

They also engaged in an environmental service project facilitated by Jayné Park-Martinez, assistant teaching professor of science at Penn State Berks, whose research interests include stream restoration. With Park-Martinez’s guidance, Biology Ahead students were tasked with helping to develop a plan to address significant erosion affecting the 568 Bridge in Douglassville. The bridge runs over the Allegheny Creek and will require physical restoration as well as the planting of new vegetation.

Biology Ahead students were also introduced to local forests and wildlife, conducting stream studies at Nolde Forest State Park and then mentoring elementary students as they conducted stream studies across from campus at Gring’s Mill Recreation Area.

Feeling prepared for the road ahead

Now that the Biology Ahead students are halfway through the fall semester, many have said that the program helped them prepare for college. They’ve added that what they loved most about the program was making connections.

“The best part of the program was being able to make new friends for when college starts and all of the different activities that we were able to do,” said Jay Wiese, a biochemistry and molecular biology major from Blairsburg, IA. “The program has prepared me for college by being able to start building my support network.”

The support provided through Biology Ahead continues through a first-year seminar in the fall and a STEM persistence seminar in the spring, providing ongoing academic, professional, and peer support throughout their first year.

With the completion of a second successful year, Hassler commented on how proud he is of this cohort.

“These outstanding first-year students have built a collaborative learning community where future scientists and healthcare professionals learn from and inspire one another,” Hassler said. “Their curiosity, critical thinking, and dedication to academic success have been evident throughout the summer as they explored the life sciences, engaged in hands-on learning experiences, served the Berks County community, and prepared for the challenges of college.”

This year’s Biology Ahead Program received funding from the Penn State Equal Opportunity Planning Committee and the Barnes & Noble Penn State Grant Program.

To learn more about how to support the Biology Ahead Program or for additional information about the program, contact Hassler at 610-396-6127 or RSH14@psu.edu.