Resource Fair showcases programs available to students

Erica Santiago / Opinion Director

This past Saturday, Oct. 17 at the Biscayne Bay Campus’s Wolfe University Center, the BBC Resource Fair presented future Panthers many of the programs and resources available to FIU students.

Though the fair was meant to be an open-house event for incoming freshman, most of the programs and services showcased during the fair could be of great use to Panthers of all ages throughout every stage of their FIU career.

FIU’s Disability Resource Center provides support for students pursuing their degree while living with a disability- ensuring that every student has an opportunity to achieve their academic goals.

As stated by Stephanie Bello, an Access Consultant for the DRC, the program is “a good continuing support” for students with disabilities who can benefit from an educational experience tailored specifically to their needs via “individual accommodations.”

“If [the students’] education is their goal, we’re here to help them achieve that. We’re the support system that continues to help even if it’s something as simple as the ability to have a digital recorder in class,” Bello said.

FIU’s Career Services at BBC is also available to provide students with a strong support system as the program helps students take the proper steps to becoming career-ready graduates.

“Every semester we have different types of workshops. We help students prepare their resume…students can submit a resume online and we’ll send it back with the corrections,” Iliana Marques, program assistant for Career Services, said. Marques mentioned that the program also helps students create a profile connected to the Career Service website so that they can better utilize their services.

The BBC Resource Fair also showcased programs and amenities that are unique to the Biscayne Bay Campus. BBC’s Wellness and Recreation center features programs one wouldn’t find at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus. Along with fitness classes, the Wellness and Recreation center boasts an Olympic pool as well as services in kayaking and paddle-boating.  The center also hosts a swimming club known as Poseidon Panthers and a program called Learn to Swim where Panthers can take classes to be more proficient in the water.

Another popular service offered only at BBC’s Wellness and Recreation center is their bike sharing program known as Bike by the Bay. Students can rent out bikes and gear to ride to classes around campus or to simply enjoy a relaxing ride by the Bay.

The BBC Resource Fair was a great event to assist future Panthers in becoming acquainted with the services the campus can provide but it would have also been a great experience for more seasoned students who simply see the campus as a routine commute. There are many programs, services and opportunities around campus that can enrich a student’s experience at FIU and it would be shame to not take advantage of them when possible.