By Nina Sydoryk ’25
Staff Writer
Four months ago, Mount Holyoke’s Counseling Services launched the pilot program ProjectConnect to address an epidemic of chronic loneliness among college students in the United States. Led by peer facilitators, ProjectConnect offers students the chance to meet others and socialize through planned meetups and activity sessions. The program is now being renewed for the spring semester following a positive reception from students who participated in the fall.
“In a survey we administered at the end of the program, 90 percent of those that responded said they’d recommend ProjectConnect to a friend,” Erica Weathers, clinician and outreach coordinator at the Counseling Services, said in an email interview with Mount Holyoke News. “Our peer facilitators are also awesome leaders and they have expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to co-lead these groups.”
Even before the start of ProjectConnect, high interest resulted in the creation of a waitlist. The original program, which ran for five weeks beginning the week of Oct. 17, 2022, was designed to aid those interested in fostering connections across the many diverse communities on Mount Holyoke’s campus. In the spring semester, ProjectConnect plans to offer groups specifically geared toward international students and students who identify as neurodivergent.
“From a personal standpoint, even though I have friends around campus, having a set time where I knew I would get the chance to socialize in a safe setting made me feel a lot less alone,” peer facilitator Katelyn Anderson ’25 shared. “I can’t speak for the participants, but based on their feedback I would say that they feel similarly. … Mount Holyoke is a great place to be, but just like at any institution there are going to be people who have a harder time meeting new people and making meaningful connections than others. ProjectConnect, while available to people of all kinds of social strengths and weaknesses, aims to help people get a chance to build connections if they are willing to put in the time and effort.” Anderson hopes to serve in the peer facilitator position until graduation.
In an email interview with Mount Holyoke News, Mia Gonzales Jackson ’26 reflected on what she called an “overall great experience [that was] engaging and informative” following her participation in ProjectConnect last fall.
“ProjectConnect was a nice way to get to know students who I otherwise might not have met,” Jackson said. “The activity that specifically stands out to me was an evening where we spent time just writing thank-you notes to significant people in our lives. Taking time to listen and share was a humbling experience I am quite grateful for.”
Jackson affirmed that she could not “think of anything that could improve the program structure; everything was organized well and seemed to flow smoothly.”
Gonzales shared her thoughts on the importance of student effort in sustaining the benefits of social outreach programs like ProjectConnect.
“It is great to get to know a small group of people over a few weeks, but sustaining the relationships requires individual follow-through,” Jackson said. “If a participant doesn’t reach back out after the program is over or even acknowledge their group member(s) when they see them in Blanchard or around campus, the social benefit of the program is lost. … That said, ProjectConnect provides a good basis and a start for creating relationships.”
Despite ProjectConnect’s success, Mia Gonzales brought up a point about the sometimes unsuspecting nature of loneliness.
“I also want to note that people can feel lonely even if they interact with others, so it really depends on the individual. Additionally, it is true that knowing many people does not guarantee social fulfillment — loneliness can simultaneously be extremely familiar,” Jackson said.
She concluded with advice that she believed may be helpful to anyone who struggles with anxiety regarding social interactions.
“It is generally helpful to let go of preconceived social structures and just listen to what people have to share and say in order to attempt to widen one’s social circle; my experience with ProjectConnect definitely reinforces this approach,” Jackson said.
An informational session regarding ProjectConnect will be held in Blanchard 227 on Friday, Feb. 10 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for students who wish to learn more about the program.
