The newest cohort of Tech’s incoming freshman class arrived on campus with the launch of iGniTe’s summer program. iGniTe is one of three summer programs hosted by Tech, which gives select students the opportunity to take classes, live on campus and get acquainted with college life and fellow freshmen.
This year, the iGniTe program kicked off on June 20th and will run until students return with the rest of campus for the Fall semester. Besides getting in extra course credits and meeting new peers, the iGniTe team and various colleges host socials and academic events throughout the summer to help students acclimate to the unfamiliar and exciting college environment.
The Technique spoke to Tatum Fritchley, rising third-year CE, and Kyler-Adam Cross, rising second-year BME, of the 2025 iGniTe intern cohort. As alumni of iGniTe from years prior, they both chose to return to help guide the very program that shaped their freshman year summer.
“As I was sorting out what I was gonna do this summer, I realized I was gonna be here taking classes, and I’m also part of Wreck Camp, which is another program for incoming first years and transfer students, so it kind of just worked out. And I love iGniTe so much; I just wanted to pour back into the program that really changed my college experience and made it better,” Fritchley said.
While iGniTe provides an opportunity for students to earn extra course credits and jump-start their path to graduation, it also offers a unique chance for them to live, take classes and have fun together in a smaller group. All of iGniTe lives in the Glenn and Towers buildings on east campus throughout those five weeks, bringing students from all different backgrounds close together.
“Doing iGniTe [earns] you 500 friends automatically. The second someone finds out you’re in iGniTe with them, you guys are just friends already. And that’s kind of how the inside of iGniTe works because like the second you see campus, you don’t really know anyone yet. And since all of us are just living in the same place, we kind of all just become friends and know each other,” Cross said.
Fritchley added, “I met so many incredible people that I’m still best friends with to this day, and it was also really cool to meet them before people rushed and people joined all these clubs because I really just met who they are as an individual, not what they’re attached to at Tech. And I think that’s really special because now people are like, ‘How do you know people in this club or this Greek org?’ I’m like, ‘dude, iGniTe!’ We’re all just bonded.”
Now, as interns, Cross and Fritchley work behind the camera as iGniTe’s social media team. They run @gtignite on Instagram and participate in special event planning and support. Other roles in the intern cohort include running Spark, iGniTe’s internal mentor/mentee program, and Guidebook, the scheduling and resources app for events on campus.
The team helps students to get settled into their new summer routines and provide support during the transition to college. For some students, living on campus ahead of the traditional fall semester may be a challenging decision.
“It could feel like a knock when you get your [letter] back, like, ‘Oh, I have to do summer school.’ But I think that Tech just wants to let as many people in as possible, and iGniTe is a great pathway for people to do that. I know a ton of people who opted into summer like I did, and I think once the kids who only got in for summer realized that some people actually chose this, it kind of softens their heart, and they’re like, ‘Okay, let me really dive into this experience.’ It gives you such a leg up in the fall,” Fritchley said.
As iGniTe students start their summers, Fritchley and Cross hope to share some insight into taking full advantage of this special time to explore the boundaries of their social comfort zone without the limitations of the fall semester’s hectic campus.
“Enjoy your independence. I know a lot of people who would go home every weekend, and then they regretted it at the end because they didn’t just enjoy the full iGniTe experience. And in the fall, they won’t be able to go home; they’re busy and just not used to it all. I think learning to be independent helps out a lot. And they’ll also have a lot more fun doing that,” Cross said.
The bond that former, present and future iGniTe students share is a unique one amongst the Tech student body. The iGniTe advisory board, open to all iGniTe alumni, meets throughout the school year to provide input and discuss how to improve the experience for the next summer. Stay updated with @gtignite if you are interested in getting involved.