Freshman year in college can be very daunting –and McNeese is helping freshmen make the adjustment with its new First-Year Experience program. Director Jacqueline Clark says the program offers support to more than 1,000 new students.
“Helping them adjust to every concept that maybe is hurting them or stopping them or is a roadblock. We are there to hopefully educate them and prepare them to get past that roadblock, don’t let it defeat them and move forward to be successful in college,” Clark said.
Clark says the traditional two-day Cowboy Camp orientation is a big part of the First-Year Experience.
“It’s a two-day orientation for the students and it’s very fun, energetic. They get prizes, but it’s also very educational. They get a lot of information to be prepared, but they get a sense of belonging, and they start making their first set of friends,” Clark explained.
The First-Year Experience program is funded for five years with a $2.2 million grant from the Department of Education, and Clark says a portion of that money goes towards hiring student mentors.
“We have 15 full-time mentors who are students. They’re juniors and seniors in their program here at McNeese, and they are
working to help the students,” Clark said.
Students move in August 21st, and classes begin August 25th.
