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THRIVE ORIENTATION

Thrive Orientation is a transition program for incoming First-Year students to help them build a community and familiarize themselves with the University of Richmond through a multicultural lens before New Spider Orientation (NSO). This track connects multicultural students to resources and opportunities that they can use to support their wellness, growth, and experience at UR. Participants will also be introduced to faculty and staff that specifically support the multicultural student experience, so they are aware of the network of support available to them around campus.

"SPECIAL" PEER MENTORSHIP

A unique component of the Thrive Orientation program is the one-on-one peer mentorship participants receive. Every student that enters the program is paired with an upper division student that will mentor them throughout their entire first year experience. Although every student is paired with an Orientation Advisor(s) when they participate in NSO, NSO Orientation Advisors (OA) support a larger group of students, are only responsible for supporting students through NSO, and may not understand the nuances that come with the multicultural experience. 

The Thrive OAs also serve as peer mentors, which are also known to participants as "Specials" and vice versa, because the relationship between our peer mentors and participants is just that, special. When a student is paired with one of our OAs, they have someone that they go to for support and guidance throughout their entire first year. Our OAs understand the nuances associated with the multicultural experience at a predominantely white institution (PWI) and college in general, because they've lived it themselves. 

WHY IS THRIVE ORIENTATION SO IMPORTANT?

Transitioning to college is challenging for anyone. A student typically comes to college alone where they're immersed into a new environment surrounded by people they don't know. Well now let's put on the added layer of being multicultural, at a school that is primarily populated by other students that do not look like you. The Thrive Orientation program helps make that transition a lot easier. 

Students that participate in Thrive Orientation do not just leave with information, they leave with connections, friends, and a network of support. Students reported that their participation in the program made them feel more connected with UR and felt more equipped for NSO and the college experience overall in comparison to their peers that did not participate in the program. Additionally, when students finish Thrive Orientation, they also have the opportunity to participate in the Thrive Community program that is designed to support multicultural students throughout their entire experience as a student at UR.

HOW TO REGISTER

Incoming First-Year students are welcome to register for the program by using the link provided on the right side of this webpage. Registration for Thrive Orientation closes on July 1st.

Community

THRIVE COMMUNITY

Students that participate in Thrive Community will have access to activities, sessions, and identity-building experiences that will allow them to discover who they are and the value their ethnic background adds to the UR community. The program will also allow students from different racial and/or cultural communities to connect with each other. Students participating in this year-long program will gain a network of peers that they feel comfortable with continuing to build a relationship of understanding and support.  

**Prior participation in Thrive Orientation is NOT required.

Success

THRIVE SUCCESS

Thrive Success is a post-graduate preparation program for junior and senior multicultural students. This program helps participants develop skills that will benefit them after they graduate from UR, while also building connections with alumni, graduate programs, and employers. Students can expect workshops on topics like graduate program applications, resumé building, interviewing skills, etc.

However, we believe that there is more to the post-graduate experience than graduate school and career building. Which is why this program also helps participants develop life skills that they will need to succeed after college. These include workshops and discussions on financial literacy, house rental searches & applications, and personal community building.