For many first-generation college students, the transition from high school to higher education can feel like stepping into a completely different world. But at Goshen College, a new summer bridge initiative, known as the Leadership, Engagement, Academics and Development program, is helping students take that leap with confidence, community and purpose. 

Launched in summer 2025, the LEAD program welcomed its first cohort of incoming first-year students for a three-week intensive experience designed to ease the transition to college life. Funded in part by the Lilly Endowment grant, the program specifically serves students who are first in their families to attend college.

“The program was created to meet the unique needs of first-generation students,” said Michelle Blank, Academic Success Director and director of the LEAD program. “We wanted to focus on academic preparedness, building a sense of belonging, and introducing them to GC’s values,” she added. Students got a start into a four-credit college course called Academic Voice, engaged in daily co-working sessions and took part in field trips and workshops. They got to explore Enviromental Learning Center of Goshen College Merry Lea and walked through the Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Chicago.

Jesse Loewen, an Academic Success Center Associate Director of Academic Success and former participant in a similar program called SALT in 2013, was one of the key voices advocating for LEAD to become a reality.

“In my time working within the ASC, I repeatedly said we needed to get a summer bridge program going again, so at least I was a strong voice about this need,” said Loewen. His role extended beyond logistics. He said, “I sat with students, joined them in class, ate lunch, gave presentations, held them accountable, coached them, and much more … breaking down a barrier, helping students understand the transition from high school to college, speaking into being a student of color.”

Loewen also said, “You can see it on campus. You can see LEAD students walking around with confidence.”

That sense of belonging is exactly what Isacc Hernandez, first-year success coach and co-founder and staff member of the LEAD program, hoped to cultivate. He said, “Belonging is huge, and it was a massive factor in my early college failures and later college successes.”

Hernandez continued, “When I felt I didn’t belong, my motivation, attitude, confidence, belief. were all low and the outcomes weren’t great. On the flip side, when I felt connected, seen, heard, valued, supported … I really believed in myself.”

The students didn’t just take classes and field trips, they practiced managing their schedules, and navigating systems like Moodle. “It was very intentional,” said Hernandez. “We previewed each week with them and helped them build time management strategies they’re now using in their fall classes.”

For student leader Justin Dambruck, a senior exercise science major, the experience was equally transformative. “My role was to be a bridge between the students and faculty or staff,” Dambruck said. “I tried to support them however I could academically, emotionally, or just by being there to listen.”

Dambruck said the most rewarding part was watching students grow into their college identities. He said, “Watching them grow, manage their time better, and thrive in ways they hadn’t expected … helped me develop better organizational skills and taught me the importance of planning ahead.”

Participants also visited a predominantly Black church in Elkhart, attended a South Bend Cubs game and gathered for a Sunday meal at a staff member’s home. These events weren’t just for fun, they were deliberate community-building efforts rooted in GC’s values.

From the start, the program was a collaborative effort involving multiple departments across campus, including the ASC, Student Life, the Center for Community Engagement and academic faculty.

“This was something that when the greenlight happened, we knew would be a collaborative effort,” Hernandez said. He emphasized that important roles in the program were played by the ASC; Cyneatha Milsaps, executive director of CCE; Chandler Buchfeller, associate dean of students; Kortney Stern, assistant professor of English; Angela Fisher, head of research and instruction librarian; and Robina Summers, assistant professor of education.

Looking forward, staff and leaders hope the LEAD program becomes a permanent fixture at GC. “It’s not just about giving students a head start,” said Loewen. “It’s about helping them believe they belong here, that they can lead, and that they matter not just as students, but as whole people.”