“Badger Ready literally helped me get in the door, and helped me keep going.” Peer mentor Dani Mays shared this quote with incoming Badger Ready students at their orientation on August 22. Dani was one of 13 peer mentors who welcomed seven new Badger Ready students to the program and to UW–Madison. The pool of mentors ranged from current Badger Students, some like Dani who just started last spring, to UW–Madison graduates who started in Badger Ready when the program first launched in 2018. Their commitment to welcoming the newest students is a testament to the program’s power.
The orientation is held twice a year at the beginning of fall and spring terms. New Badger Ready students begin the orientation online, where they learn about campus resources and how to navigate an online class. They have an opportunity to introduce themselves to each other using the Padlet platform, which is integrated into Canvas, the LMS used by UW–Madison. Students report that this online introduction allows them to meet one another without the pressure of doing it face-to-face. Once they meet in person, some of the ice has already been broken.
In the online orientation, new students hear from peer mentors who willingly share their words of wisdom. Most returning adult students have had a break from school and/or did not necessarily have a great experience their first time around. Hearing from those who came before them can help to alleviate some of the fear and doubt many older students have when returning to school.
The Badger Ready Program provides a college degree pathway for adult students who once thought UW–Madison was out of reach. It offers access to our state’s flagship university for returning adult students who have previous academic barriers to traditional transfer admission. Because students in the program are admitted to UW–Madison as University Special students, they do not qualify for traditional financial aid. Recognizing that the cost of tuition is an obstacle for many students, the program offers scholarships to many of the individuals admitted.