Connected and Flourishing

All new students entering the College will encounter a thoughtfully curated first-year residential experience designed to foster successful navigation of the personal, social, and academic developmental milestones unique to the first year.

Through the support systems in their new homes, we foster a sense of belonging and community by engaging students in an exploration of self and community, on-campus programming, and opportunities in the Hartford community. These opportunities are intentionally designed to provide students with meaningful experiences. They become introduced to and familiar with campus resources, establish connections and a sense of belonging while extending their learning outside the classroom.

Each residence hall functions as a network of care for students, connecting them to a Peer Support Network, Community Peer, a member of the Residential Learning Community Team, and senior Student Life team members. 

Community Peer Mentors include:

1. Residential Advisors (R.A.s) within the first-year residential communities are student leaders of the Bantam Network Residential Learning Community that live on the same floor as their residents to foster community and maintain safety/wellbeing in the residence halls.
2. Promoting Respect for Inclusive Diversity in Education (P.R.I.D.E) Leaders are student peer mentors of the Office of Multicultural Affairs that serve within the residence hall creating intentional opportunities for students to take ownership of their college experience, build strong peer connections, and learn about resources on campus and in the broader Hartford community.
3. First-Year Seminar Mentors (Teaching Assistants within the first-year seminar classes) are student leaders of the Trinity Plus Advising Center that offer additional support to first-year students within and outside of their first-year seminar courses.
4. Wellness Ambassadors are student leaders of the Counseling and Wellness Center (one Ambassador assigned to each first-year residence hall) who will create wellness events throughout the year to help promote mental wellbeing and ensure awareness of campus and community resources.

Professional Staff include:

1. Residential Life Coordinators (RLCs) work to foster an inclusive living and learning residential community that contributes to students’ academic achievement and personal growth. They are responsible for supervising residential student staff including Residential Advisors.
   • Pieta Okonya – RLC for first-year residence halls
2. Student Life Deans and senior staff members provide a second tier of support for students in the residence halls, develop and support programs that foster student development, and seek out feedback about students’ experiences and ensure responsiveness to concerns. Deans are assigned to each residence hall as follows:
   • Maria del Carmen Flores – Jones and Goodwin
   • Rob Lukaskiewicz – Elton
   • Ann Reuman – Trinity
   • Roberta Rogers – Jackson and Cook A & B
   • John Selders – Funston and Smith

The Residence Hall Team fosters student personal development by empowering them to attend to their needs holistically through education, advocacy, and referrals to appropriate resources. Members of the campus community can consult with the Residence Hall Team to assist with referring students to appropriate resources.

Members of the campus community can contact the Office of Student & Community Life via email at [email protected] if they are unsure of a student’s residence hall. The specific resources offered by each Community Peer Mentor can be found below.

Orientation kicks off the year, and RAs and P.R.I.D.E. Leaders will host floor meetings to establish norms and expectations throughout the year. First-year students will be invited to participate in the residential curriculum programs, incorporating fun and engaging elements to make the residential community a vibrant space to facilitate the transition to college while encouraging personal growth and social interaction. The P.R.I.D.E. leaders, in collaboration with RAs, First-Year Seminar Mentors, and Wellness Ambassadors will facilitate regular community experiences throughout the academic year revolving around education, academics, and community building. Deans and members of the Bantam Network Residential Learning Community Team will be present to foster connections and serve as additional resources for first-year students. Each semester, there will also be special invitations for students to participate in on-campus and off-campus activities in Hartford.

Resident Advisors are student leaders within the Bantam Network Residential Learning Community. RAs are present on each floor of each residence hall to connect with residents and foster their growth in alignment with the residential curriculum. The residential curriculum focuses on the holistic growth of residential students through the learning goals and outcomes of community engagement, personal development, and career development/academic success.

RAs will be a source of ongoing and responsive care for first-year students as they host intentional programming each month that aligns with one of the three learning goals of the residential curriculum. In tandem with programming, RAs will make consistent efforts to build rapport and meaningful relationships with their residents as individuals and as a floor-wide community, so that students will have the experience of belonging to a home away from home.

Beyond programming and connecting, RAs play a significant role in maintaining the safety and comfort of students in the residence halls by participating in a nightly on-call rotation throughout the academic year. RAs on-call will conduct rounds in each building of their neighborhood and offer assistance to students as needed, which may require them to collaborate with campus partners, as well.

First-year RAs are supervised and supported by Pieta Okonya (she/her), the Residential Learning Coordinator that oversees the first-year residence halls. Please reach out via email at [email protected] or [email protected] for support, questions, or resource referrals related to the First-Year Neighborhood.

P.R.I.D.E. Leaders

First-Year Seminar Mentors

Wellness Ambassadors