Wingman Experience

Purpose

As the transition into college is a change and a new experience for most, the wingman experience was built to provide students with a support system and friend as they enter a new chapter in their lives. The wingman experience will include students being partnered up with another student in their major, ultimately achieving certainty that students are NOT alone and feel supported throughout their first year of college.

Key points

Nursing majors paired with nursing majors
MLS majors will be paired with MLS majors

A wingman is there for:

Friendship/ Teammate
Mutual Support
Situational Awareness
Individual Reliability and Responsibility
Study Buddy

A wingman is NOT there for:

Blaming when something goes wrong or for lack of personal responsibility.
Being consistently used as a sound board to navigate “gray area” problems.
Being used to pick up the slack (e.g., keep track of school commitments, projects, activities, etc.)
Personal Counselor/ Adviser
Parent/Guardian

Mandatory for students

Initial meeting

Wingmen meet with each other either in person or on Zoom prior to SLA weekend. In this meeting, wingmen must:

Exchange information (Instagram, Snapchat, UMassD email, phone number, etc.)
Get to know each other! (google form will be created where it is mandatory for students to submit what they have learned about their wingman)
Wingmen are required to meet or communicate with each other AT LEAST twice a month (google form will be sent out for students to record when they meet)

Optional for students

Self-care Monthly Challenges: to be completed in wingman pairs.
A challenge every month for wingman pairs to complete to enter a raffle (prizes TBD)
Participation in SLA events can also count as an entry into the raffle
Self-care directed; promote self-care activities as much as possible.