Emerging Scholars Academy

First year students can join the Emerging Scholars Academy and become part of a learning community cohort.

About Emerging Scholars Academy

ESA is a nine-day intensive summer bridge program and cohorted learning community that includes:

Classic and STEM tracks

Each program track (STEM and Classic) is designed for 15 students who plan to attend at least one class in-person in the fall.

Summer bridge: Aug. 10-20, 2025

Early move in to campus housing
- Exclusive ESA Living Learning Community
FREE personalized math prep course
Behind the scenes tours of campus
Exciting outdoor Alaska field trip
- Ride the train from Denali National Park & Preserve to Fairbanks
Friendships and support that can last throughout your time at UAF and beyond

Fall semester

FREE General Education Class (GER)
- Intro to Psychology or
- Intro to American Government & Politics
FREE College Success Skills Course
- Embedded tutoring & key strategies for academic success

Spring semester

FREE General Education Class (GER)
- Writing in the Sciences (200-level)

Living Learning Community

Want to move into your dorm room two weeks early, make friends that will last throughout your time at UAF and take free courses taught by handpicked instructors? The SSS Emerging Scholars Academy is a Living Learning Community that sets you up for success in your first year of college.

Learn more about ESA Living Learning Community

ESA contacts

Misti Hopkins

Lead Advisor

mlhopkins2@alaska.edu | 907-474-6404

Schedule an appointment with Misti

Learn more about Misti Hopkins

Misti Hopkins is currently coordinating the Student Support Services Emerging Scholars Academy and is a SSS Classic Advisor. She is the former UAF North Star Middle College Coordinator helping roll out a new high school on the UAF campus. As the former I-AC Upward Bound Program Manager and Academic Coordinator, she worked closely with college-bound students at Effie Kokrine Charter School and Lathrop High School and spent several weeks off grid with them at Howard Luke's Spirit Camp each summer for five years. She also oversaw I-AC's National Science Foundation Gaalee'ya STEM Project. She worked for the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Alaska Native Education Program in four elementary schools as a Cultural Liaison and taught kindergarten and 5th grade at Fairhill. She began her time in Fairbanks in 2006 as a Development Director for Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) where she implemented the AmeriCorps Summer of Service program. Her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with a focus in Management and minors in Sociology and English from Appalachian State University have been beneficial in her work in the education field. She grew up at Fort Bragg in North Carolina as a military dependent with her family roots in the Blue Ridge Mountains of SW Virginia, where her grandparents were farmers and coal miners. Her mom was a first generation college student at Radford University and her family has now been transformed through their educational pursuits. She is a mom to a UAF senior and Barnette Magnet School student.

Eligibility

You qualify if you meet the following criteria:

Incoming first-year student for upcoming fall semester
Intend to enroll in a bachelor’s degree program
Place into WRTG 111X (preferred)
Join the Student Support Services program
Plan to attend UAF in person for upcoming fall semester

Benefits

SAVE more than $2,000 in tuition!
EARN eight to nine free credits, including General Education Requirements.
Move in EARLY to on campus housing (early move-in is pro-rated).
Make FRIENDS that can last throughout your entire college career!

Cost

There is ZERO cost to the student! ESA is a federally funded program offered exclusively by Student Support Services.

Apply

If you are an incoming first-year student for the upcoming fall semester, consider applying for the Emerging Scholars Academy on the UAF campus.

Timeline


Application checklist	Deadline
Be admitted to UAF for fall semester	June 15
Complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)	Submit ASAP
Apply for SSS	June
Apply for ESA	June-July
Participate in ESA nine-day intensive	Early August (intensive completed the week before the first day of fall semester)