March 17, 2026 — Fifty middle school students from the Poughkeepsie City School District joined faculty and students to trade their weekends for robots, bridges, and secret codes at last Saturday’s Marist Mind Meld. 

The first-of-its-kind event was hosted by Marist University’s School of Computer Science and Mathematics in collaboration with the Marist Liberty Partnerships Program (LPP) and the Poughkeepsie School District. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders came to the Hancock Center for a day of hands-on workshops designed to make math and computing technology come alive.

“These workshops help students understand the question of ‘why do I need to know this stuff I’m learning at school?’” said Dr. Elizabeth Reid, Associate Professor of Mathematics. Reid led the “Building Bridges” workshop, in which students used hands-on materials to construct structures and then tested how much weight they could hold.

“We put together fun, hands-on activities to show them why what they’re learning actually matters,” Reid said.

Poughkeepsie students in the "Building Bridges" workshop. Photo by Tori Hegenauer '27/Marist University.

Organized into groups, students rotated through three sessions over the course of the day: Reid’s “Building Bridges” workshop, as well as “Rockin’ Robotics” and “Cracking Codes." Each workshop was led by Marist faculty and supported by student volunteers from the School of Computer Science and Mathematics.

For Marist students Jenna Iervolino '26 and Lily Nichols '28, the event was a chance to give back.

“We were once there," Jenna said. "Seeing the kids work through all the problem-solving is exciting — anything hands-on always makes the biggest impression." 

Lily echoed that enthusiasm. 

"It's just really amazing to see people come together and having fun with math," she said. Jena and Lily are both also members of Marist's Math Club and Association for Woman in Mathematics.

Melissa Chodziutko leads the Cracking Codes workshop. Photo by Benson Delaney '27/Marist University. 

The Cracking Codes workshop introduced students to the basics of encryption and decryption with a decoder tool that had students unveiling secret messages.

“When I was their age, I went to to college programs like this, and it really got me thinking about what I wanted to study,” said Melissa Chodziutko, Professional Lecturer of Computer Science who led the workshop. “I’m excited to give that back and I hope we can spark some real excitement about cybersecurity.”

Although the student volunteers were there to help teach the middle schoolers, they ended up learning and refining their knowledge as well.

“Being able to teach something really shows that you already know it,” said Wael Shahadeh '27, a Cracking Codes workshop facilitator. “Explaining a concept to someone who doesn’t know it yet depends on your own understanding in a real way.”

Students build bridges as part of a workshop at the Mind Meld event. Photo by Benson Delaney '27/Marist University. 

For Dr. Ron Buckmire, Dean of the School of Computer Science and Mathematics, the day reflected the broader role for Marist in the local Poughkeepsie area.

"One of my priorities as Dean is expanding the connections the school has with the community," said Buckmire. "Collaborating with Liberty Partnerships and the Poughkeepsie School District is exactly the kind of thing we want to do more of moving forward."

LPP has been a fixture at Marist since 1990, serving hundreds of underrepresented students in grades five through 12 across the Poughkeepsie City School District. Funded by the New York State Education Department, LPP is a dropout-prevention and college-access program committed to helping students complete high school, access higher education, and compete in the 21st-century workforce. 

Crystal Parkhurst, who has worked at LPP for 11 years and directed it for six years, sees events like Marist Mind Meld as a natural part of that mission.

"To do all the planning behind the scenes and then see it actually come to fruition — that's awesome," said Parkhurst. "These kids deserve these opportunities, and we're proud to help make them happen."

Marist Mind Meld was designed not only to educate but to open doors. By inviting students onto campus and introducing them to Marist faculty and student mentors, the event serves as a tangible step toward college for students who might not otherwise picture themselves there.

"It's really rewarding to meet students as fifth graders and watch them grow all the way through high school and into college," Parkhurst said. "Graduation is always my favorite time of year — once we see them cross the stage, we know we've fulfilled our goal."

Tori Hegenauer '27 contributed to this article.