Those students who in the past transferred from CVTC to Eau Claire, who are still attending class at Eau Claire are being asked to be mentors. The mentors meet with future, or first semester transfer students from CVTC to help ease transition.

“That’s just one way the grant is helping to fill the gaps,” Pearson said.

CVTC transfer student Jenna Goymerac transferred to Eau Claire a year ago after just one semester at CVTC. Goymerac said she had an easy time transitioning without this grant.

“I think I had an easy time with the transfer because I already knew people who went to the university,” Goymerac said. I was a good student in High School so academically I knew I would do well in college.”

The biggest challenge Goymerac had was figuring out how to register for classes and different tasks on MyCampS. This is wear friends came in to help her navigate her way through that process.

Adviser to non-traditional students and transfer students Bonnie Isaacson coordinate events and programs going on. Isaacson described being a transfer student at a new school, like moving to a new city where you don’t know anyone. You want to make new friends, figure out how to get around town, and know where all the best places to eat and hang out at are. Isaacson thinks that this grant will help transfer students find all these things right here on campus.

“This grant is helping transfer students get familiar with the resources and get acquainted with the campus and UWEC community,” Isaacson said.

The hope is that after the year that the program keeps going forward with all the things we have put in place.

Debbie Goff, the main author of the grant came up with the idea for it because she waned to do more for the CVTC transfer students and transfer students in general to help prepare them for student and academic life here on campus.

“The number of students we got this semester had very positive comments about the grant,” Isaacson said, “and those mentors said, ‘Boy I sure wish we had a program like this’ and I think that that says something about this program.”