A Special Message for Sophomore Families

The following message to sophomore parents and families was sent to the Parent Programs office from Mary Gerardy, Associate VP and Dean of Campus Life.

———————————-

Dear Sophomore Parents:

Here we are again, at the beginning of fall semester.  This is an exciting and energizing time for us as students return to campus.  Your student has completed his or her first year at Wake Forest and has had the summer for rest and reflection.  What should you expect this year?

Sophomore students across the country have expressed the feeling that they are the “forgotten children” at college.  Their older “siblings,” juniors and particularly seniors, reach significant milestones first, and much more attention is placed on them as they study abroad, engage in internships, interview for jobs, celebrate their experiences at college, apply to graduate schools, and prepare for commencement.  On the other hand, their younger “siblings,” the first year students, receive what feels like an inordinate amount of attention and support.  They are welcomed effusively by faculty, staff, and other students.  Exclusive special events are often planned for them.  This can be difficult for sophomores to deal with, as until recently they were the recipients of this attention and support.  Some sophomore college students nationwide report feeling isolated, lonely, and sometimes without strong connections to their University community.

Since the  mid-1970’s, college and university administrators have recognized and addressed the critical transitional and developmental needs of first year students and have taken steps to provide them with necessary resources, even offering courses such as “College 101.”  The same instinct to support the freshman transition from high school led to movements in support of both transfer student transitions and senior transitions out of college.  Over the past decade there has been renewed understanding that the sophomore year is also a time of questioning and growth.  Students are taking stock of where they have been so far and where they are going.  Wake Forest recognizes this important time in your sophomore student’s life.

For the last three years, the Division of Student Life at Wake Forest has been rolling out our signature My Journey program which is a comprehensive, seamless, holistic student development plan.  We have already implemented special messages for first-year parents and parallel messages for the first-year students, as well as other first year student programs.  We have also implemented special senior class events.

This year, we are rolling out our Sophomore INventure program.  Throughout the year, we will encourage sophomore students to look inward to think and reflect upon the big questions of life.  During the year we will cover topics such as cultural competency, service to others (in the spirit of Pro Humanitate), academic success, gratitude, health and wellness balance, relationships, connections, and taking stock (at the mid-point of the college experience).

I want to share with you one program for your sophomore students that we are very excited about.  On the weekend of October 21-23 (fall break) we will take interested sophomore students on a retreat to think about where they are in their lives today, where they have been, and where they want to go.  We will talk about strategies for charting a path to the future.  There is no charge to your student for this program and sign-ups will begin in September. We will notify sophomore students of this opportunity via email, twitter, Facebook, campus fliers, and other media. Numerous other events and programs are planned for sophomore students throughout the year.

Please don’t hesitate to call on any of us in Student Life if we can answer your questions or provide additional information to you.  Rest assured, we will continue to help and support your sophomore students on their developmental journey through Wake Forest.

Best,

Mary Gerardy
Associate VP and Dean of Campus Life