Transitioning to College Life

BOND Program

Beginning Our New Direction

BOND—Beginning Our New Direction—is a pre-New Lancer Day experience designed to support incoming first-year students from traditionally underrepresented communities. BOND focuses on helping students navigate academic and co-curricular resources, build community, and develop essential skills for a successful college experience.

Key Areas of Focus:

• Community Building: Establishing a sense of belonging through peer connections and affinity groups.
• Resource Navigation: Providing guidance on how to locate and access academic and student support services.
• Goal Setting & Success Mapping: Helping students articulate their goals and develop a plan for their academic and personal growth.
• Successful Adjustment: Supporting students as they navigate the academic, social, and personal transitions to college life.
• Ongoing Peer and Faculty/Staff Mentoring: Providing sustained, year-long mentoring relationships to offer guidance, foster academic and personal growth, and create lasting connections.

BOND Peer Mentor program

The BOND Peer Mentor program is designed to assist incoming first-year students from traditionally underrepresented communities in their transition to college and to create an environment that provides support and resources to increase their sense of belonging and engagement with the university, which will result in supporting retention efforts.

Interested in becoming a BOND peer mentor?

Mentors gain leadership development opportunities, networking, and intercultural engagement.

Any current freshman, sophomore, or junior student may apply to serve as a peer mentor.  The qualifications for participating as a mentor include:

• having a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0;
• good interpersonal and communication skills;
• involvement in campus and/or community activities;
• commitment to making a difference in the lives of their mentees, dependability, and a positive attitude.

Students interested in serving as peer mentors are expected to commit to the program for the entire academic year.

If you have any questions, please contact Quincy Goodine at goodineqa@longwood.edu.