First-years
September 18, 2025
First-years LEADing the way
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...
October 10, 2024
Classroom space stretched for large first-year class
This fall, Goshen College has seen a spike in the number of first-year students with the enrollment of 201 first-year students compared to last year’s 156. After five consecutive years of classes numbering less than 200, the college must now figure out how to accommodate these extra students in the classroom. GC has many classrooms of varying sizes to meet the needs of classes as some need more space than others or need to be held at a certain location or time. This new class has presented several challenges in order for GC to meet those needs. To find appropriately...
September 19, 2024
PIN implements new ICC curriculum
Goshen College’s Prevention Intervention Network is a program that seeks to equip bystanders with tools to prevent and intervene in the context of sexual violence. PIN was created in 2014 by a driven group of students and associate professor of sociology Kendra Yoder, current co-advisor. Each year, PIN members collaborate to present sexual violence preventative training for first-years in their Identity, Culture, and Community classes. This year, PIN implemented a new curriculum for their bystander training. PIN co-advisor, Emily Hahn, who also serves as program director for interpersonal violence prevention, education and advocacy, created this new curriculum over the course...
September 9, 2021
GC welcomes new first-year class
Ben Cerceo used to be an extrovert. But after finishing his senior year of high school online, he arrived at Goshen College worried he had lost his “social battery.” “I didn’t really talk to anyone my senior year,” the first-year from Seattle, Washington said. Due to the pandemic, his classes were all virtual and most of his communication happened online. Cerceo, who has been a declared elementary and special education major since second grade, admitted: “I felt really unprepared for college.” For students like Cerceo, the pandemic amplified the already challenging transition to college life. “This is a...
September 12, 2019
First-year student enrollment down; not a trend
Nearing the end of peak admissions season last spring, Goshen College predicted the coming year’s first-year enrollment numbers would be down. They were right. With a first-year undergraduate student count of 160 students this fall, there is a notable size difference compared to last year’s first-year class numbering 200 in total. Dominique Burgunder-Johnson, vice president for marketing and enrollment, said that the source of these low numbers can only be traced back to the admissions office itself. “We had a lot of significant transition in our admissions office in the fall,” Burgunder-Johnson said. “Three out of our five undergraduate admissions...
September 5, 2019
A guide to Goshen for new students
It’s a new school year, you’re in a new place, and you have some free time. What is there to do? Goshen is no Chicago, but an afternoon off campus is worthwhile if you know where to go. Here’s a quick guide to some of the best spots for eats, art, and activity in the Maple City. Hungry? Maple Indian Cuisine is a Goshen classic. On Main Street, satisfy your flavor needs with traditional North Indian recipes. Check out the buffet on Saturdays for the full experience. But be careful. With food this good, you can expect to eat too...
September 6, 2018
First-year class brings energy and excitement to campus
As the new academic year begins, Goshen College welcomes the class of 2022, a group of 200 students representing 31 states and 12 countries. Fifty-one transfer students have also joined the campus community. This year marks the first time in over a decade that the college has seen two consecutive first-year classes with 200 or more students, a testament to the work admissions staff has been doing since 2014 to increase enrollment. However, this year, the first-year class enrollment dropped by 15 students. Last year, GC welcomed 215 students. But that drop in enrollment doesn’t deter the admissions team’s excitement...
September 28, 2017
Community Engagement Day
Goshen College first-year students participated in the 19th annual Community Engagement Day last Wednesday, September 20. This event, part of Goshen’s Identity, Culture and Community (ICC) course, sent nine sections of students across Elkhart County for a day of service at various locations, including the Boys and Girls Club, Greencroft, Habitat for Humanity, and even the Elkhart river, where students canoed and collected debris. In general, the ICC course hopes to teach students to think about their identities, learn about cultures and build community, while also providing a general introduction to college life and a place to ask questions. It...
September 21, 2017
Incoming class largest in 8 years
Goshen College this fall welcomed the largest incoming class since 2009, with a total of 215 full-time first-year students and 55 full-time transfer students. That represents a 16 percent from the incoming class last year, according to Jodi Beyeler, director of communications at Goshen College. The total enrollment at Goshen College, or overall headcount, is 950, which is up 9 percent from last year. That figure including adult, graduate and traditional students, according to Beyeler said. Allie Gordy, a first-year student from Elkhart who is studying nursing is excited to “meet new people, and [experience] the dorm life.” The number...
September 15, 2016
An in-depth look at the first-year class
For the second year in a row, Goshen College’s incoming first-year class has seen tremendous growth. In 2014, 159 first-year students enrolled at GC; in 2015, there were 176. With the start of the 2016 fall semester, the number of first-years jumped to 185. While these numbers indicated growth in enrollment, they also mean a change in dynamics for the campus. Adela Hufford, dean of admissions, said of the class of 2020, “We’re pleased not just with the size, but with the quality.” These new students bring more than just the numbers that represent them; they bring unique backgrounds and...