By Elyse Wainscott
EL CAJON, Calif. – Pop music and singing filled the room. Craft supplies spilled out on tables covered with pink and red table covers. Cookies, brownies and candy were placed on a table to the side of the room.
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Grossmont College’s First Year Experience (FYE) program held Cupid’s Craft on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. This event allowed students to take a break from classes to create Valentine-themed crafts to give to friends, family, or partners, enjoy snacks and socialize with peers.
Jordan Cummings, a student and FYE peer mentor at the college, was at the event and attempted to make an origami heart for Valentine’s Day with the help of her friends.
“It’s a way to relax. I think that students, especially myself, are always focused on studying, doing homework, and you kind of neglect hanging out with your friends and forgetting you have a social life,” Cummings said. “These events encourage you to stop and take a breath and to actually see people every once in a while,” added Cummings.
The goal of FYE is to help first-year students navigate college and build community at Grossmont with the help of fellow students, known as peer mentors.
Sarah Macaraeg was one of the peer mentors who hosted Cupid’s Craft. Macaraeg said she hoped students had fun and enjoyed the experience this event created.
“I wanted to host this event not only to share and spread the Valentine’s Day spirit but to also give a warm welcome back to the students,” Macaraeg said. “From my experience, and I can probably say this for a great chunk of students’ experience, coming back to school can feel stressful and overwhelming after being out of school for so long.”
These events intend to make spaces for all students, but mostly for first-year students, to socialize with new people, enjoy free snacks and destress from classes.
For some first-year students, it can be challenging to make new friends and these events hope to help students with that. According to the National Library of Medicine, a 2019 study revealed that 26% of college students felt lonely, with the highest rate among first-year students.
Events such as Cupid’s Craft attempt to create spaces for first-year students to socialize without the pressure. The event’s location also matters when encouraging students to join in the community. For example, this event was at the college, which allowed students to drop by for a few minutes between classes and other responsibilities.
“We encourage them to get involved in the community, meet new people, and enjoy the activities that these events have to offer,” Macaraeg said.
Cupid’s Craft and other events planned by FYE foster a sense of community among students with enjoyable and engaging activities. Events such as Cupid’s Craft matter to the campus community to help reduce loneliness and stress in first-year students at Grossmont College.
The program held similar events last semester to engage the community at Grossmont. For example, there were K-pop trivia, movie nights and other crafty events. Peer mentors in the program make and host these events.
“It’s a great way to have fun and have the chance to share this experience with fellow students,” Macaraeg said. “I believe it is important to allow yourself to have fun while being in college, and this is a great way for first-year students to experience the college community at its best.”
