The Southern Miss Center for Student Success’ Eagle First and the USM Transfer Student Association (TSA) recently hosted a spring picnic for first-generation and transfer students. Both organizations provided food, which included sandwiches, chips, fruit, cookies, and drinks. And the event also included music and fun activities, some of which called for the use of canvases, rocks, wood cutouts to be painted, and flowers for bouquet creations.
Emily Thornton, TSA advisor, said the purpose of this event was to bring both organizations together.
“They are both very unique populations,” she said. “So, we wanted to give them a chance to meet each other and come and go get to know one another, but also give them both a highlight because sometimes these two organizations are kind of similar.”
The event also kicked off the spring season and allowed the participating groups to showcase their offerings.
Michela Guidali, the vice president of Eagle First, provided general information on the organization Eagle First.
“It’s for first-generation students,” she said. “They can come to our program, we help them and it’s a safe place to make friends, hang out, and get you started on campus.”
Eagle First and TSA are both affiliated with the Southern Miss Center for Student Success, which is located in Cook Library Room 138.
Through initiatives with its six programs, the Center for Student Success aims to help students adjust to life at Southern Miss, to support academic and personal growth from the first day through graduation day, and to assist students in making the most of their time at the University.
The Transfer Student Association is a student organization that helps to connect transfer students and assist each other in areas of need at the university level. It strives to inform transfer students about happenings on campus and engage in both the Southern Miss and Hattiesburg communities.
Through its Transfer Transitions program, TSA matches students with a Transfer Transitions mentor, a student leader in the Center for Student Success who is also a transfer student. Applications for Transfer Transitions are open to be paired with a mentor for the Spring 2024 semester.
Eagle First is a first-generation student organization that focuses on providing students with connections, resources, and support to navigate Southern Miss. The organization’s vision is to cultivate leadership skills among students who share similar ideas and experiences.
For more information on transfer and first-generation student programming and resources, follow the Center for Student Success on their Instagram page as they are in the office @usm_success or Transfer Student Association Instagram page @southernmisstsa.
