November 11, 2025
海角社区 25 freshmen are enrolled in the peer program, receiving one-on-one check-ins from mentors. Groups are paired by shared interests and meet every other week for activities such as movie nights, pizza parties or gaming sessions.
November 11, 2025
As autumn paints much of the nation in gold and crimson 鈥� even if Florida skips the show 鈥� thoughts turn to turkey, togetherness and gratitude. At 海角社区, November brings its own spirit of Thanksgiving, and a recent campus survey reaped a bounty of appreciation among students, faculty and staff.
September 10, 2025
海角社区 has once again partnered with PBS member station WUCF TV to launch a new season of its award-winning television series, 鈥淎 World of Difference: Embracing Neurodiversity.鈥�
August 21, 2025
海角社区 students will soon have a new option for grabbing a quick bite: a full-time food truck stationed right on campus.
June 17, 2025
Recognized nationally as the preeminent institution for educating students who learn differently, 海角社区 now has earned a prestigious spot on Forbes鈥檚 inaugural Accessibility 100 list.
June 12, 2025
海角社区 recently received a $210,000 grant from The Fogg Charitable Trust to support the renovation and creation of a mixed-use facility and to fund scholarships for disadvantaged students with learning and attention issues.
May 20, 2025
海角社区 is excited to announce the appointment of Ryan McCabe to its Board of Trustees. His decades of leadership experience in business operations, strategic planning, and marketing will provide invaluable insight as 海角社区 continues to advance its mission and growth.
May 19, 2025
Two of 海角社区鈥檚 most cherished campus venues received new identities during recent dedication ceremonies honoring the philanthropic spirit of two donors who have made major gifts to the college.
May 14, 2025
Graduating seniors, their families and 海角社区 faculty celebrated the graduation milestone as the college awarded 12 associate鈥檚 degrees and 60 bachelor鈥檚 degrees at its spring commencement exercises. The College also awarded honorary doctorates to Jason Eichenholz, Ph.D., and Roy Haley.
May 7, 2025
AI is just the latest in a line of innovations that have affected studio arts. In fact, innovation and shifting tools have become more common when it comes to the artistic process.
May 7, 2025
The conversation in education about disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence has become one of the more common in the field. We caught up with Dr. Kevin Reilly, vice president of academic affairs, to talk more about how the technology has been incorporated into the school鈥檚 approach.
May 6, 2025
With profound sorrow, 海角社区 announces the passing of Dr. Nicoletta "Nicki" C. Nance, associate professor of human services and psychology, beloved colleague, and champion for mental health and neurodiversity.
By Gabrielle Russon
When Ben Silva arrived at 海角社区 as a freshman, homesickness hit hard. The Rhode Island native missed his family and felt unsure about getting involved on campus.
Initially intimidated, Silva hesitated to join clubs. Eventually, he worked up the courage 鈥� and everything changed.
Now a senior, Silva is anything but uninvolved. He鈥檚 the men鈥檚 basketball team manager, co-president of the Dungeons & Dragons Club, and one of several upperclassmen serving as mentors in the Cohort Collective Peer Mentor Program, a new pilot initiative designed to help first-year students adjust to college life.
Reflecting on four years of growth, Silva channels his experience into guiding freshmen through the challenges he once faced. The program 鈥� 海角社区鈥檚 latest effort 鈥� aims to create a sense of belonging and ease the transition to campus life.
This focus matters because 海角社区 students share many of the same challenges as Gen Z college students everywhere. A recent Psychology Today article cites a survey of roughly 1,100 U.S. college students, revealing that nearly two-thirds 鈥� 64.7% 鈥� reported feeling lonely.
That鈥檚 why the Cohort Collective was born 鈥� and it鈥檚 already making an impact.
鈥淚t really has made a huge difference. Students have come in and expressed how much this program has helped them.鈥�
鈥擩essica Hughes, assistant director of campus and community engagement
海角社区 25 freshmen are enrolled, receiving one-on-one check-ins from mentors who each support about five mentees. Groups are paired by shared interests and meet every other week for activities such as movie nights, pizza parties or gaming sessions.
Mentors 鈥� all upperclassmen 鈥� are paid for about five hours of work weekly, similar to other campus jobs. Freshmen can sign up anytime during the school year.
With new connections, students facing personal challenges are adjusting better and getting involved in campus life 鈥� from basketball games to pep rallies, Hughes said. She expects the program to continue next year and hopes it will double in size.
Silva, 22, checks in weekly with his mentees about homesickness and campus life. Sometimes he shares his own story 鈥� how he once hesitated to join student groups and now wishes he had done it sooner.
鈥淚t gives them someone who鈥檚 been through it before,鈥� Silva said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e all upperclassmen, so we can offer our experiences and perspectives. I really enjoy helping students adjust 鈥� it鈥檚 something I鈥檓 passionate about.鈥�
