Designed to foster connection, belonging and care, Break Buddies pairs students with ������Ƶ faculty and staff hosts for a shared Thanksgiving meal and experience. The initiative responds to national data and CAS student feedback indicating that feelings of loneliness and isolation often increase during university breaks, particularly for out-of-state students, international students and those without close familial ties.

“These moments of disconnect can significantly impact student well-being and academic persistence,” Collins said. “Break Buddies was created to ensure students feel seen, supported and connected during a time that can be especially difficult.”

Through the program, faculty and staff hosts opened their homes and shared a Thanksgiving meal with matched students, creating space for conversation, mentorship and community during the November break.

The initiative aligns with ������Ƶ’s HealthEU pillars of community and social well-being, as well as Academic Affairs’ commitment to mentoring and relationship-building. By centering relationships and care, Break Buddies reflects a simple but intentional approach to supporting student well-being during vulnerable moments in the academic year.

CAS received strong interest from faculty and staff, while student participation was more limited. In response, CAS plans to modify future iterations of the program by increasing student agency in the matching process, including offering students more choice in selecting hosts. These changes are intended to build trust and increase participation over time.

Matches were made successfully, and hosts and students gathered throughout Thanksgiving week to share meals and meaningful experiences.

Participant feedback highlighted the program’s impact on students’ sense of belonging and connection to the ������Ƶ community. Student reflections, though brief, emphasized feelings of ease, welcome and connection. One student shared, “I had a great time!” after spending Thanksgiving with their faculty host and other students. The experience also created opportunities to connect with faculty mentors and peers, strengthening the student’s sense of belonging at ������Ƶ.

Faculty feedback reflected similar sentiments. One host shared that living abroad had made holidays away from family especially difficult, even when those holidays were not personally celebrated. The host described being able to provide that experience to an international student as meaningful and expressed a desire to continue creating opportunities for connection.

Early reflections suggest the program strengthened relationships across campus while offering students a sense of stability and care during a period that can feel isolating.

Building on the pilot, Chacon Villalobos plans to expand Break Buddies with additional programming and resources.

“I am excited to see Break Buddies grow to include future workshops and events focused on navigating family dynamics, identity-based challenges and self-care during academic breaks,” she said.

Chacon Villalobos also plans to develop a digital toolkit, which may take the form of a newsletter or web-based resource hub. The toolkit will include tips for coping with homesickness and stress, journaling prompts, mental health and academic planning tools, and reflections from CAS staff and peer leaders.

Looking ahead, CAS hopes to increase student participation and expand the number of matches during future breaks, continuing to build a culture of care, trust and connection across the ������Ƶ community. CAS also plans to extend Break Buddies to other academic and holiday breaks.

“Break Buddies reflects our belief that well-being is built through relationships, not just resources,” Collins said. “When we intentionally create spaces for connection, especially when students may feel most alone, we strengthen both individual well-being and our campus community.”

The project aimed to support individuals and families experiencing homelessness during the winter months and holiday season. Scholars designed handmade cards for encouragement and stuffed care packages for community members that included a toboggan and glove set, hand warmers, chapstick and a non-perishable food item.

This initiative aligns with one of the goals set by the new ������Ƶ Academy team: a renewed commitment to integrating community service into the ������Ƶ Academy experience. Using ������Ƶ’s HealthEU Dimensions of Wellbeing to guide her efforts, Melissa Chacon Villalobos partners with members of the ������Ƶ Academy team to integrate intentional well-being into their programming with scholars as a key part of her role as the coordinator for well-being.

“Integrating service into our overall framework reflects our commitment to holistic Scholar development and their well-being,” said Emily Wiersma, director of the ������Ƶ Academy. “As the coordinator for well-being, Melissa plays a key role in supporting intentional service experiences that help Scholars connect community engagement with their own well-being skills they can carry with them well beyond ������Ƶ Academy.”

Chacon Villalobos was also a part of the fourth cohort of ������Ƶ Academy when she was in high school, bringing firsthand knowledge of the impact service had on her career journey/trajectory.

“Participating in service during summers at ������Ƶ Academy ingrained service as a part of my core values early on,” said Chacon Villalobos.

Assistant Director Briston Whitt, also has a rich history with the program. As an ������Ƶ alum, Whitt worked with the ������Ƶ Academy as a mentor throughout her entire collegiate career. During her first year as a Summer Mentor, Whitt recalls supporting the Scholars as they volunteered with Twin Lakes Retirement Home and held a food drive outside of Walmart for families.

“Now as a leader in the program in a different capacity, I want to ensure our scholars are exposed to the valuable benefits of community service as well,” Whitt said.

It was this collective understanding of how service can shape identity, leadership and belonging that led Whitt and Chacon Villalobos to coordinate the opportunity for sophomore scholars.  In reflections following the project, Scholars emphasized the value of helping others not for recognition, but because service, no matter how small, can positively impact someone’s day, week or even year. Others described it as meaningful, enjoyable experience and a reminder that supporting their community plays an important role in emotional, community and purpose well-being.

The ������Ƶ Academy is a college access program supporting local first-generation and/or Scholars from limited-income backgrounds as they prepare for and persist through higher education. The program begins working with scholars at the end of their freshman year of high school and continues support and programming until college graduation. Housed within ������Ƶ’s Center for Access and Success, ������Ƶ Academy advances the Center’s broader strategies of equipping scholars and their families with tools, relationships and opportunities to support success throughout their education and beyond.

This project builds off a pilot service project scholars participated in during the Summer Academy as part of their well-being activities and community service experiences. Their summer project included a park cleanup experience with Burlington Parks and Recreation.

General feedback from scholars indicated that 79% were satisfied with their community service experience.

“I found community service at the park to be very fun, but it also helped out the community,” shared one scholar.

These examples marked the beginning of a renewed, ongoing commitment to community service, with more opportunities planned for scholars. Chacon Villalobos is working to establish a student-led community service club to support sustained involvement and further integrate well-being into ������Ƶ Academy programming starting in 2026. The goal is to equip Scholars with skills to maintain and advocate for their well-being and the well-being of others throughout their academic journeys and beyond.

Key benefits of community service include connection and belonging, general mental health and happiness, career exploration and advancement, and fulfillment. Program leaders hope that scholars will experience long-term benefits from service participation and carry a commitment to well-being into their future academic, professional and personal lives.

To learn more about ������Ƶ Academy’s key programs, visit their website: /u/academics/access-and-success/elon-academy/