WesBridge Students gather in front of an octopus statue at the Little Theatre of Norfolk before watching “Complete Works of William Shakespeare
Kelsi Dunman|Courtesy
New directors and returning mentor Judah King share perspectives, updates.
The WesBridge Program is an opportunity for freshmen to get a kick start to their college experience. The arrival date for the students involved was Aug. 9, giving them two weeks to get a handle on the program before the start of the fall semester.
The WesBridge program first gained attention for its focus on kickstarting students’ college years, back in the summer of 2021, after the success of its pilot term.
According to an article on the Virginia Wesleyan website, it is designed to ease students into their college education and help them build the skills needed to succeed at VWU.
When asked about her first experience co-directing the WesBridge program Student Success Coordinator Amanda Battle provided information on what to expect when arriving on campus. “When students arrived that Friday the 9, we did some community building activities over that weekend, and then their classes started on Monday the 12,” Battle said.
Some of the activities included a scavenger hunt that would take them to certain buildings to help get a feel for the Virginia Wesleyan campus. “When they went to the Counseling Center upstairs in Batten, they got some Play-Doh for stress relief,” Battle said. This was intended to show students that there can be a place for quiet and peace.
Battle also mentioned that some of the WesBridge team members went out on a store run to help students complete their dorm rooms. “We did a store run for students who might not have transportation to get some supplies that they might need to finalize outfitting their room,” Battle said.
The WesBridge program tries their best to make sure students feel the most welcomed and have fun. “We also did a Bush Gardens trip then hit up a Tides game,” Battle said.
In addition to classes and activities, the article on the VWU website states, “… staff will offer orientation sessions to educate students on financial assistance, academic resources, health services, dining options, employment opportunities, and other aspects of the Virginia Wesleyan experience.”
WesBridge Students pose at CinemaCafe before watching “Deadpool and Wolverine.”
Kelsi Dunman|Courtesy
When asked about how the WesBridge program has changed, returning mentor Judah King said, “I believe the program has improved over the years.” He states that changes such as allowing students to choose subjects and incorporating downtime were examples of how the program has improved.
King has been involved with the WesBridge program since his sophomore year. “I am the only mentor who has been here the longest for WesBridge,” King said. He believed he had gotten a “firsthand view on how the program has changed and evolved from the start to now.”
When King was asked about how some of the changes have reflected the outcome of the program, “I feel like they reflected them positively,” he said.
Coming in early may make it seem as if you are not as smart or prepared as other freshmen arriving later, according to King. “There is nothing wrong with needing additional assistance, whether you are considered smart or dumb,” King said.
The WesBridge program is what students make of it. It can help them as little or as much as they need.
Through this program, freshmen get the opportunity to jump start their college education and further develop their academic skills, so the transition to college can be as smooth as possible.
When asked about their experience helping with planning for the WesBridge program, Outreach and Access Services Librarian Kelsi Dunman said, “It was a seven to eight month planning process for a two week event, we started planning in January.” After seeing students go through the program she realized that the WesBridge students were more prepared for Marlin Nation Orientation.
When it came time for the orientation activities, Dunman said, “We had library resources activity during regular orientation, one of our WesBridge students would be the first one to complete the activity…It was really rewarding to see the actual impact that the program had on them for school.”
This year Virginia Wesleyan University welcomed more than 50 new students to the program.
By Brady King
