Icebreakers and Teambuilding

Sophia Rotondaro, FYE Supervising Teaching Assistant

Beyond Academics: Centering Community & Well-Being in Classroom Culture

Andrea Ybanez

This interactive session explores innovative strategies for promoting holistic student well-being through community-centered learning in first-year programs. By addressing mental, emotional, social, and physical aspects of well-being, participants will discover how fostering a supportive classroom culture enhances students’ motivation, resilience, and academic success. Aligned with the conference theme of Innovation for First-Year College Students in Transition, this session provides practical tools for building inclusive, culturally responsive, and connection-driven learning environments. Through collaborative discussions and a hands-on activity, attendees will leave equipped with adaptable strategies to enhance classroom well-being and strengthen community among first-year students.

First and Foremost: Supporting First-Generation Students in the FYE Classroom

Leo Lachut

First-generation students bring resilience, motivation, and unique perspectives into our First-Year Experience classrooms—but they also encounter hidden curricula, systemic barriers, and social dynamics that can complicate their transition to college.

This workshop invites FYE instructors to reflect on how classroom structure, content, and culture can either foster or hinder belonging for first-gen students. Drawing on 30 years of experience in higher education and leadership in First-Year Programs and Academic Support, the presenter will offer practical, inclusive strategies to engage first-gen students more intentionally—through assignment design, community-building exercises, instructor transparency, and identity-affirming practices.

Participants will explore how to reframe “college readiness” by meeting students where they are, and how to partner with campus resources and peer mentors to create a more equitable and empowering first-semester experience.

Huskies Helping Huskies

Dr. Fany DeJesus Hannon and Angelo Montes

Have you ever wondered why Gen Zs do not ask for help or do not want to ask for help? If you have, you need to attend this session! Join me and one of our Huskies, Angelo Montes as we shared our dream of developing a movement to help our Huskies to ask for help and receive help. You will also be leaving this session with a lesson plan focusing on self-advocacy and the importance of encourage our students to ask and receive help. You will also learn a little bit more about this upcoming movement, Huskies Helping Huskies!

From Helper to HERO: Maximize Your Strengths

Amy McKeon

As higher education professionals, we are the recentering point through the multiple transitions students experience as they move into and through their first year of college. This workshop will provide a foundation of psychological capital and discuss the impact of noticing and strengthening hope, (self-)efficacy, resilience, and optimism (HERO). Leave with four, short lessons which can be utilized together or spread across multiple sessions in the semester. These lessons are useful for students, Mentors… and ourselves. Mufasa says, “Look inside yourself. You are more than what you have become.” So, let’s “go from zero to HERO” and have some fun.

Dr. Bryce Bunting and Dr. Dallin George Young

Description coming soon!

Equitable, Early Access to Purposeful Training for Beginner Undergraduate Researchers

Renee Trueman

Late exposure to hands-on work, data communication, and critical thinking leaves undergraduates minimal time for mentorship and reflection about applying research skillsets to careers. During the session, an exercise will be performed together that engages students in data collection, analysis, and presentation tools so they can prepare to thrive as undergraduate researchers and through graduate school, and a mentee-mentor form for students to voice their learning style and for mentors to detail expectations to enhance the richness of the training experience will be shared.

Student Leadership and Mindfulness to Support Student Transitions and Well-being

Pavan Bolla

This interactive session introduces a mindfulness-based approach to supporting students through their first-year transition. Participants will experience a guided meditation practice that uses natural resonances—like singing bowls and rain sticks—to foster calm, clarity, and connection. The session explores how grounding practices can be embedded into First Year Experience (FYE) programming, mentor-mentee interactions, or classroom routines to promote mental wellness and resilience. Learn how intentional stillness can help students feel more “student-ready” and more connected to their new environment.

Helping Students Build Strong Résumés & LinkedIn Profiles

Amelinda Rossitto

In today’s competitive job market, students need strong résumés and LinkedIn profiles to stand out. This session will equip FYE Instructors with strategies to effectively review and provide feedback on students’ professional materials. Attendees will learn key résumé and LinkedIn best practices, common mistakes to avoid, and how to guide students in tailoring their materials for specific opportunities. Through interactive activities, participants will practice evaluating résumés and LinkedIn profiles, leaving with practical tools they can immediately implement in their classrooms.