Peer Mentors Help First-Year Students Find Their Footing
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�