GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – For Daeton McGhee classes at the UW- Green Bay, are starting a bit early.
“It’s just always better to get ahead start to get familiar with the campus that way I’m not walking around lost,” he said.
He’s in a university program, called Jump Start.
“So I know that way I’d be able to meet people easier instead of walking around with 5,000 kids trying to make new friends,” he explained.
That’s the purpose of the program, to give students of color a jump start ahead of the school year, and make incoming freshmen more comfortable on campus.
“The Jump Start program is only for first-year multi-cultural students,” said Rosa Serrano.
She tells FOX 11 as the campus climate continues to change, Jump Start can benefit freshmen.
“I think the reason that it’s needed is that first, the majority of our multi-cultural students are first-generation college students.”
According to the university’s website, there are more than 7,000 students on its Green Bay campus, and 90% of them are white.
Serrano says only 725 students, making up about 10% of the population, are minorities.
“We’re getting a lot more students of color on campus a lot more multi-cultural students and this week serves to prepare them for their life at UW-Green Bay, whether it’s connecting them to resources, getting them around campus.”
Jump Start is a program focused on helping students adjust to their first days of school. It’s why one student says after being in the program herself, she came back years later to be a mentor.
“If I wasn’t in Jump Start I wouldn’t know where I was going, who to talk to or anything so definitely all of that was really helpful,” said Jada Davis. She’s now a mentor for Jump Start.
“When they’re coming to campus they’re pretty nervous so why not make their transition easier?”
An easy transition, to get students more involved.
“We’ve noticed they’ve been more involved on campus and becoming RAs (residence assistants) or taking student leadership roles or just being more involved with our office and seeing them succeed,” Serrano said.
The Jump Start programming started Sunday and is filled with workshops and campus tours for the students.
The official freshmen move-in is set for September first.
