Starting college can be an adjustment for students who are away from their families, friends and familiar surroundings. Meeting new people and building friendships can also be challenging when entering a new environment.
Going through a stack of connection cards at ProjectConnect.
| Contributed by Destiny Sanchez ’27 |
To help students make those connections, ProjectConnect brings small groups together through weekly meetings focused on building relationships and creating a sense of belonging on campus. The program provides a structured setting where students can interact with their peers outside of the classroom.
Karen Flanagan, the program’s adviser, explained how the initiative helps students adjust to college life and form new friendships.
“ProjectConnect is a peer-led program that helps students build relationships and strengthen their sense of belonging,” said Flanagan.
Peer-led groups are a central part of the program and are often run by former participants who complete training to become mentors. Groups typically consist of four to eight students who meet for five hour-long sessions.
Meetings include icebreakers, activities and guided questions designed to help students get to know one another on a deeper level. Rather than relying on brief introductions, the sessions give participants time to learn about one another through conversations and shared activities.
The small-group format also gives students opportunities to participate in discussions and become familiar with others over multiple meetings.
participants have several opportunities to continue conversations and build on connections made during earlier sessions.
When asked how the program measures success, Flanagan said it involves helping students feel that they belong on campus and showing them that making time for relationships is an important part of well-being.
The continued involvement of former participants as peer mentors is another indicator of its success. According to participant feedback, 95% of students said they would recommend the program to a friend, while 88% said they would like to continue spending time with someone they met through the meetings.
These responses provide insight into how participants view their experiences and whether they want to maintain the relationships formed during the sessions. Freshman Cole Gentry spoke about the experience of leaving behind familiar friendships and starting college.
“Something I took for granted was, I’ve been friends with the same kids my entire life,” said Gentry.
His experience reflects one of the many adjustments students may face when transitioning from high school to college. Junior Destiny Sanchez, president of the s.w.e.e.t. peer educators and a program facilitator, participated during her freshman year. After enjoying the experience, she decided to become a mentor.
“That kind of led me to learn more about s.w.e.e.t., and now I’m here as the President,” said Sanchez.
As president, Sanchez said her responsibilities include making sure students feel comfortable speaking up and maintaining a safe environment. She also encourages students to participate in discussions rather than remain quiet.
“I make sure everyone is participating,” said Sanchez. “I try to shift [conversation] where it’s easier for them.”
Sanchez said she was initially skeptical about the program and questioned whether the conversations would make a difference.
“I didn’t think that the conversations we had really would have an effect on me,” said Sanchez.
However, her experience changed her perspective and encouraged her to continue participating.
“[Project Connect] helped me out so much that I wanted to continue going,” said Sanchez.
Students interested in participating can look for announcements on the s.w.e.e.t. peer educators’ Instagram account, @shu_sweetpeered, or check their university emails for more information.
