Office of First and Second Year Experience relaunches Flight Leader program

Building on more than 15 years of student support, Georgia Southern University’s Office of First and Second Year Experience has relaunched and expanded its peer mentorship initiative to help first-time students navigate college life and achieve long-term success.

The enhanced initiative, now rebranded as the Flight Leader program, officially rolled out in August as an integral component of the newly updated FLYT 1001 course, required for all incoming students. An inaugural cohort of 58 Flight Leaders across the Armstrong and Statesboro campuses stepped into this expanded role, serving as approachable mentors and student advocates while providing direct instructional and administrative support to faculty.

“Being a Flight Leader has helped me grow in many aspects of my life,” said Stormee Beall, a geosciences major on the Armstrong Campus. “I am gaining more confidence in leading others, and the more I learn about what resources are here for students, the more I use them myself. This role has opened my eyes to the support system here at Georgia Southern, and I hope it does that for everyone in my FLYT class.” 

The Flight Leaders host weekly office hours where first-year students can learn more about getting involved on campus, find support with common issues and receive referrals to campus resources, as needed.

“Since I am also a student, I can share my own experiences and help them understand things that may feel confusing or overwhelming when starting college,” said Chloe Hatcher, a nursing major on the Statesboro Campus. “I help reinforce important reminders about assignments, events, deadlines and class information while encouraging students to get involved and make the most of their first year.” 

Evolving directly from the University’s long-standing Peer Leader Program, the redesigned Flight Leader framework represents a strategic reimagining of first-year seminar offerings in alignment with Georgia Southern’s Quality Enhancement Plan and ongoing institutional growth.

“In alignment with national best practices from the National Resource Center, this expanded framework allowed our department to study how near-peer mentors impact first-year sense of belonging and academic navigation during a period of rapid institutional growth,” said Emily Tanner, assistant director of First and Second Year Experience. “Operating with 58 student leaders, this phase has provided valuable insight into humanizing high-enrollment seminar classrooms, supporting collaborative faculty environments, and equipping upper-level student leaders with essential leadership and workplace competencies.”

Brandon Long, an academic advisor and FLYT 1001 instructor, said partnering with his Flight Leader Kiyah Williamson-Geddes, an exercise science major, has increased student participation in the course.

“Kiyah has been a phenomenal support system and role model for first-year students in our FLYT 1001 section,” Long said. “She has been very engaging with in-class activities in which we have seen our students take more initiative with each class meeting since day one. She has a bright smile, bubbly personality and makes the class a lot of fun.”

Working with Williamson-Geddes brings a blend of professionalism and enthusiasm to the classroom, which helps bridge connections with students, Long said.

“We’ve been able to naturally bounce off each other with regard to how we’ve facilitated class discussions thus far,” Long said. “My overarching insight paired with her undergraduate focal point has created a cohesive dynamic for us to connect with our class. With the additional slides and activities that I’ve been able to lead, having her as a co-pilot has enriched our content to a special degree. I’m grateful that we were paired together as we navigate the semester to help our Eagles SOAR beyond during their first semester of their first year.”

Additionally, the program earned the International Peer Educator Training Program Certification from the College Reading and Learning Association, a distinction that will formally certify all 58 Flight Leaders as Peer Educators by the end of the fall semester.

“The Flight Leader program would not be possible without the support of campus leadership whose vision and backing made the development and rollout possible,” Tanner said. “This program ensures our first-year students have the peer guidance they need to thrive, stay connected and succeed.”