Jump Start program continues to build community, connections for first-year students

Jump Start program continues to build community, connections for first-year students

A Northwest Missouri State University peer mentoring program, now in its fifth year, continued this fall to assist first-year students with acclimating to college life and promoting campus resources.

The program, as its name implies, is designed to give students with similar interests a "jump start" by introducing them to resources that will help them transition to college. Students move onto campus early and participate in a variety of community-building activities, information sessions and skill workshops to support their development.

Jump Start students also meet Northwest faculty, staff and upper-class students to address topics such as wellness, safety, classroom expectations and student involvement. 

In recent years, Northwest has expanded the program and connected students with other areas on campus that can assist students throughout their entire college careers. The program is offered through the University's Center for Engagement and Community Connection, and this fall's cohort comprised 33 first-year students with 23 students serving as their peer mentors.

The program also aims to increase success and retention rates among its participants. Since launching in 2022, Jump Start students have returned to Northwest at a rate of 84 percent, and 66 percent of the students who participated in the first cohort had completed their degrees by the end of the spring 2026 semester.

The program also aims to increase success and retention rates among its participants. Since launching in 2022, Jump Start students have returned to Northwest at a rate of 84 percent, and 66 percent of the students who participated in the first cohort had completed their degrees by the end of the spring 2026 semester.

"One of the biggest things Jump Start does is give students a community of friends before the semester even begins," Dr. Shay Malone, assistant vice president of institutional excellence and global engagement at Northwest, said. "It can be hard to navigate a new campus, get involved, meet people and deal with all the challenges that come with your first year of college. Jump Start gives students a buddy and a support system before classes even start."

Jump Start students are paired with sophomores, juniors and seniors who serve as peer mentors during the program and throughout their years at Northwest. In addition to educational sessions, students participate in social activities including scavenger hunts, movie nights, breakout sessions and group dinners.

Jaysa Saunders, a freshman human services major from Kansas City, Missouri, said her favorite part of being a mentee was making connections and sharing ideas with others.

"The benefit has to be surrounding yourself with new people and coming out of Jump Start with a fresh understanding of what college should feel like, and not just what it should be like," Saunders said.

Jump Start also helps students find their classes prior to the first day and get acclimated to the physical campus.

"Participating in Jump Start opened me up to getting to know more about campus than I already knew," Saunders said. "It introduced me to new people and helped me get adjusted to new surroundings as well."

Lilly Hallmon, a junior mass media: multimedia journalism and social media management major from Independence, Missouri, has participated in the Jump Start program every year during her time at Northwest. For the past two years, she has served as a mentor and was a mentee her freshman year.

"What inspired me to return to the Jump Start program as a mentor after participating as a mentee was realizing the benefit I had from the program and wanting to share that experience with someone who is now coming to college," Hallmon said. "I wanted to help someone the way that I was helped and also to grow as a leader in the program."

Hallmon said getting to be a part of someone's journey as a peer mentor is not only rewarding but has shaped her real-world leadership skills.

"Jump Start played such a large role in my Northwest experience as it's what helped me transition from high school to college seamlessly," Hallmon said. "Through the support system, the ability to meet new people before school even started and helping me learn different resources around campus, I have been set up for success by the Jump Start program. My mentor helped me get involved and find what I was looking for in college, and now I get to do that with my mentees."

Jump Start is made possible with support from the Missouri College and Career Attainment Network, the Kansas City College and Career Attainment Network's College Completion Project and a Kauffman Foundation grant.

For more information about Jump Start at Northwest, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/connection/student-support/jumpstart.htm.