By Valentina Toro
Features Editor
For many multilingual students, finding a sense of belonging on campus can be just as challenging as keeping up in the classroom.
At the university, a new initiative is working to change that through SOAR, which stands for Support, Opportunity, Achievement and Readiness, a program within the Center for Academic Success and Advising Services designed to support students academically while helping them build community.
“We want to make sure to give them a safe space to come and build that community and meet other people just like them who might be having the same struggles and barriers and share those experiences,” Kristin Feliciano, graduate intern for CASAS, said.
SOAR focuses on multilingual students and works alongside existing English Language Learner resources to help students navigate both academic and social aspects of college life.
Feliciano said many multilingual students face challenges that extend beyond coursework.
“A lot of the time, those students face language barriers, which not only affect them academically but personally,” Feliciano said. “A lot of the times, it affects their college experience. So, they don’t feel like they can connect with others and build community.”
Those barriers, Feliciano said, can make it harder for students to fully engage on campus or access the support systems available.
SOAR was created to help bridge that gap by offering a welcoming environment.
“We want to make sure that they have a place where they feel supported,”Feliciano said.
Although still in its early stages, the program is expected to offer a mix of academic and social programming.
Organizers plan to collaborate with campus offices to introduce students to available resources while also hosting events.
“We definitely want a mix of fun and creativity as well as an opportunity for them to advance and become successful personally, academically and socially,” Feliciano said.
One of the program’s biggest challenges is reaching students who may not be aware of the support available.
“Our number one goal is to bring students in,” Feliciano said. “We want to meet all these great, amazing students and be there to support them.”
SOAR is designed to serve as that entry point, helping students connect with resources that can support both their academic progress and overall college experience.
Organizers say out-reach and consistent programming are key to building that connection.
Beyond recruitment, the program’s long-term goal centers on advocacy and inclusion for students.
“We want to make sure that they have a community to come to and a safe space and make sure that we’re advocating for them,” Feliciano said.
For Feliciano, the program is also shaped by her own college experience and the importance of feeling connected on campus.
“I think back to my own college experience and how much I would have loved to be able to meet new people and get involved, making sure that we have those supports present so that these students have equal opportunity to academic success at Southern,” Feliciano said.
