Club Helping Fellow Transfer Students Find Their Place at ESU

With new faces, new routines and a new campus to navigate, transferring colleges can often feel like an intimidating adjustment. At East Stroudsburg University, the Transfer Student Hub is helping ease that transition, providing a support system for students who are finding their way in unfamiliar territory.

The club, which is made up of both transfer and non-transfer students, gives new transfers a space to connect, build relationships and ask questions about everything from academic resources to campus life. But more than just an orientation resource, its members say it is a community that understands the challenges transfer students face.

"Transferring from one institution to another can be a challenging time socially and academically," said Assistant Professor of Early Childhood and Elementary Education Erica L. Greer, Ph.D., who serves as an advisor to the club along with Instructor of Early Childhood and Elementary Education Anu Sachdev, Ph.D.

Though Greer and Sachdev play important roles as club advisors, it is the dedication of its student members who are at the heart of the group's efforts, Greer said.

"The students in the Transfer Student Hub work to make the process supportive and open by providing a space to assist and guide," Greer said.

For club president Nicole Carlo, having a support network made all the difference when she transferred to ESU.

"If I didn't have that support system, I don't think I would've been able to do it on my own," said Carlo, an early childhood and elementary education major.

After a smooth transfer experience which she credited to ESU's admissions office and a helpful transfer advisor who discussed financial aid options and credit transfer with her, Carlo joined the Transfer Student Hub in fall 2023 as treasurer. By spring, with encouragement from Greer, Carlo stepped into the president role.

Carlo and her fellow club members now focus on giving back to new transfer students, helping them feel comfortable and confident as they adjust to their new environment.

"You can transfer in and find that friend groups have already been established," she said. "Having this club as an outreach program helps new transfers connect with students their own age and who are going through the same things they're going through."

The importance of finding one's place is something Mikayla Fluck, a senior early childhood and elementary education major, understands deeply. When she transferred to ESU, she was drawn by the reputation of the College of Education but knew she'd need more than academics to feel at home.

"I wanted that campus experience to live away from home and meet new people," Fluck said.

She's now involved in Greek life and multiple honors societies, but her path to belonging was bolstered by clubs like the Transfer Student Hub, where she found both resources and friendships.

"I want to make sure that new transfers feel welcome and have a shoulder to lean on or answer any questions they may have," she said.

Senior Connie Howland, one of the club's traditional students, said she wanted to be a part of the Transfer Student Hub for the same reason she's majoring in early childhood and elementary education as well - to help others.

On Greer's suggestion, Howland attended a meeting of the Transfer Student Hub and found that when students had questions, she often had the answer.

"I remember I answered a question about financial aid that even Dr. Greer said she didn't know, so I said I'd be happy to come back anytime you need," Howland said.

The Transfer Student Hub meets on the last Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. via Zoom. New members are always welcome and can find more information on WarriorLink.

Students considering transferring to ESU can find information on how to apply, course equivalency, scholarships and more at esu.edu/admissions/undergraduate/transfer.

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