UMW’s LaunchPad Program Propels Students to First-Year Success

UMW’s LaunchPad Program Propels Students to First-Year Success

University of Mary Washington first-year student Crow Sindelar spreads out glitter pens and neon highlighters on a table in the Cedric Rucker University Center and begins plugging this semester’s courses into a new day planner.

“It’s helpful to review your syllabus and expectations so you can track assignments, midterms, and finals – and make it aesthetically pleasing,” said Crow, a sociology major who color-codes classes in the calendar with sparkly blue, purple, green, and pink ink. “I want to stay organized and manage everything in college.”

That’s the goal of LaunchPad, a new series of events helping incoming students transition to UMW by building executive functioning and social skills critical for college success. Supported by a Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grant, the four-week program, which concluded last week, offers a crash course in syllabus organization, time management, campus involvement, and using computer tools like Canvas and Microsoft Office.

“College is one of the biggest transitions these students have faced since kindergarten, and they’re navigating it on their own without their parents,” said Melissa Jones, associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students. In her role, Jones leads New Student Programs and co-created LaunchPad with UMW First-Year Experience Director April Wynn. “We want them to know they’re not alone,” Jones said.

Wynn, an associate professor of biological sciences, said LaunchPad emerged from conversations with faculty who noticed students needed help adjusting to post-pandemic college life shaped by new technologies, including discussions around using AI in the classroom.

“These students are part of the Chromebook generation and often have little experience using Microsoft products,” said Wynn. LaunchPad meets them where they are, she said, helping them build the confidence, community, and skills they need to thrive academically and socially.

After seeing the success of another donor-funded initiative, Soft Landings, a pre-arrival program for UMW students with autism spectrum disorder, Jones and Wynn, along with Assistant Director of New Student Programs Lillian Lester ’20, secured a $5,000 Impact Grant, which covered peer mentor stipends, day planners and supplies, workshops, outreach, and more.

While LaunchPad is geared toward first-year students, Jones said they hope to plan it around the fall senior class meeting in the future to provide a refresher for soon-to-be graduates. “They’ll need these skills for the workforce, and it aligns with Life After Mary Washington,” she said.

First-year sociology major Jasper Hocker learned about the program from a pamphlet handed out at Orientation. He worked with sophomore peer mentor Eliot Suh, a business administration and accounting major, to print his syllabi at UMW’s Center for Career and Professional Development. “I mostly used Google products in high school, so I’m hoping to attend the Microsoft sessions,” Jasper said.

Lucy Rabung, a first-year psychology major, texted her peer mentor, Lauren Spagnuolo, in a panic after receiving syllabi for five different courses.

“Starting college can be overwhelming,” said Lauren, a sophomore psychology major and disability studies minor, who remembers a peer mentor guiding her as a new student. “I wanted Lucy to know she didn’t have to do it all alone.”

She encouraged Lucy to attend a LaunchPad session, where she helped her break down each syllabus and record due dates in her planner.

“If not for these resources, I’d feel like I was struggling,” said Lucy, whose family and friends at other institutions have been impressed when she’s told them about the program. “Everyone at Mary Washington has made me feel welcome and cared for.”

UMW’s Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grants program is made possible through donors’ gifts to the Fund for Mary Washington. These gifts are vital to the University’s ability to improve the student experience and support faculty, providing crucial flexibility to respond to emerging challenges and seize opportunities as they arise. When alumni, parents, friends, faculty, and staff give to the Fund for Mary Washington, they are choosing to be part of a community that is committed to giving back and making the world a better place – enabling students to make positive change through programs like the Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grants.

– Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04