EIU Media Relations

EIU’s Freshman Connection program a model of success in higher ed

(Charleston, IL) – Eastern Illinois University’s Freshman Connection program is making waves across the higher education landscape.

EIU launched its Freshman Connection program in 2020, pairing new incoming first-year and transfer students with a peer mentor for their first year at EIU. Groups meet once a week around a meal in the residence halls where mentors provide knowledge and guidance about the academic, social, and financial aspects of life on a college campus. Despite launching in the midst of a pandemic, the program immediately proved vital—fostering connection and support when students needed it most.

"Watching our mentors grow into confident leaders while helping new students find their footing has been one of the most rewarding parts of this program," said Dr. Heidi Larson, coordinator of EIU’s Freshman Connection program. "This is more than just peer support, it’s true community-building, and it transforms lives on both sides of the relationship."

According to EIU Vice President for Enrollment Management Josh Norman, the partnership builds a strong foundation for students’ college careers, and the supportive curriculum and peer-to-peer mentorship ensures that first-year and transfer students will be positioned for future success at EIU and beyond.

“We felt this was a great opportunity to empower students for success and to enhance EIU’s brand for building impactful relationships that lead to degree attainment,” Norman said. “Universities invest so much in recruitment efforts to get students interested and admitted, it only makes sense to invest in post-admission retention efforts that will keep students here and on a guided path to success.”

The program began with a small cohort of first-year students and has since expanded to serve the entire incoming class, as well as transfer students through a complementary Transfer Connection program. In Fall 2026, as part of a leadership initiative through the George W. Bush Institute’s Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program, EIU will launch its newest iteration—Veteran Connection—designed specifically to support student veterans in their transition and success.

According to Norman, mentors grow as leaders, while new students build community and thrive. Since its inception, students who participate in these programs—whether first-year, transfer, or mentors—have consistently outperformed their peers in persistence and retention. “With strong support and meaningful connection, every student has their best chance to succeed,” Norman said.

Peer mentors meet with a group of 3 to 5 new freshman or transfer students once a week at a designated time. The program focuses on fostering leadership skills, personal growth and campus involvement by allowing mentors to take initiative, communicate effectively, and relate to their fellow students. Workshops during mentor training help these student leaders learn the basic skills necessary to become effective and charismatic leaders and to pass those skills on to the students they hope to mentor.

Peer mentors must be at least a sophomore at EIU to qualify and are assisted by a team of EIU graduate assistants who are training to become school counselors. Graduate assistants hold monthly meetings to track progress of the mentorship groups, review upcoming curriculum, and provide additional leadership education. 

“EIU’s peer mentors are taught to embrace a genuine compassion for their fellow students who are trying to overcome challenging circumstances,” Norman shared. “The program also presents at local, regional, and statewide conferences to benefit other schools and counselors seeking a conscious and effective model for implementing a school-based mentoring program that yields leadership training and outreach. We look forward to seeing what else EIU students can accomplish through the program, and to the culture of connectivity it creates here on campus.”

EIU prepares students to accomplish their life goals through a combination of quality academics, personal relationships, and both on-campus and online learning opportunities. For more information about Eastern Illinois University, including its broad array of academic and career readiness programs, or any of EIU's other community-based services and opportunities, visit eiu.edu or call EIU's public information office at (217) 581-7400.