Elon Hillel receives award from Hillel International for "Excellence in Breadth."
Elon University Hillel has been recognized for excellence in peer-to-peer engagement for successfully reaching 100 percent of self-identified first-year Jewish students on Elon’s campus by Thanksgiving break.
Elon Hillel’s Engagement Intern program – a cohort of second-year students whose role is to welcome new students onto campus, and into Jewish Life – is focused on relationship-building and fostering a welcoming and inclusive community.
Supervised by Engagement Associate Jennifer Hill, Elon’s interns this year are Samantha Bakal, Samantha Chessen, Olivia Kleiman, Julie Levine, Rachel Fultonberg and Gabe Scherzer, all members of the Class of 2021.
“Students want to find a friend group and support network at college," Hill explained. "We focus on peer-to-peer engagement, because it is one of the best ways for students to connect with one another, and for interns to connect students to others.”
The interns are responsible for reaching out to incoming first-year students even before they arrive on Elon’s campus, and for acting as guides to all things Elon, and all things Jewish at Elon. The interns are held accountable for tracking their interactions as part of Hillel’s comprehensive engagement tracking system (called HEART) to make sure that all self-identified Jewish students are reached.
Hill and the six students successfully expanded and honed the internship, creating programs and opportunities for the first-year students to meet each other. Together, they created spaces and places for discussion about their Jewish backgrounds or simply sharing stories about their experience at Elon. These peer-to-peer interactions in close-knit environments help to initiate a more natural and personal connection, and encourage Elon’s Jewish students to find their place on campus.
“Engaging all 158 members of the Class of 2022 by fall break was a goal I never believed was possible,” Hillary Zaken, Elon’s assistant director of Jewish life for development and strategic communications told Hillel International. “We saw a steady flow of first-year students at our events, from High Holidays and bagel brunches to our ice cream socials and lunch and learn opportunities. Our events this year have been lively and positive, and first-year students have already stepped into student board leadership positions.”
Many first-year students have already found their on-campus home at Hillel thanks to the work of their Engagement Interns.
“When I first came to campus last August I was not prepared to jump right into class and life on campus, so Hillel was a comfortable place where I could meet and connect with people,” said intern Rachel Fultonberg. “I wanted to play a role in assisting current first-year students who feel just like I did.”
Sam Chessen, another intern, shared that “the most successful strategy I have found when connecting with first-year students is to focus on building a friendship.”
First-year student Emma Gellman agreed. "Rachel, my intern, has been a really good friend to me," Gellman said. "She always has a smile and gives me a hug when she sees me. She was really kind and helped me feel like I belonged when I was still getting my bearings. It helped me a lot and I really appreciate it.” Now Gellman is on the Elon Hillel student board, and is exploring ways to strengthen her own Jewish identity and leadership skills.
So what’s next for Elon Hillel’s engagement interns?
According to Hill, deeper connections and more meaningful engagement are the next step. “In the spring the interns are planning on moving away from breadth and into depth," Hill said. "After the interns contact each student on their list again, they will focus on connecting students with each other. “
The Hillel staff and student board are already rolling out a variety of spring programs for Elon’s Jewish students that welcome all students, and create opportunities for them to engage with their Jewish heritage. After all, the Sklut Hillel Center is designed to be a comfortable home away from home for all students on campus – no matter how Jewish they are, no matter how they are Jewish, and even if they are not Jewish.