In student affairs, in belonging work, and in storytelling, there has always been a quiet tension. We design programs, we build spaces, we create initiatives, and we measure outcomes. We often separate these efforts into categories so we can manage them, assess them, and improve them. We talk about engagement, retention, access, and success as if they are distinct goals that can be addressed one at a time.

Every year during Week of Welcome, I say something that might feel a little uncomfortable at first: belonging is not something that just happens to you. And I say that knowing full well that institutions have a responsibility to create spaces where students can show up fully as themselves. That responsibility is real. It matters deeply. It is something I have built my career around, thinking about spaces, shaping them, asking who they are for, and who they might still be leaving out. But there’s another truth that sits right alongside it, and it’s one we don’t always say out loud. You have a role in your own belonging.

Aaniin… Boozhoo.

If we’re going to talk about belonging theory, we might as well talk about it through the most unexpectedly profound case study of our time: Schitt's Creek.

Around this time of year, many campuses are deep in planning their First-Year Experience (FYE) programs such as mapping out orientations, Week of Welcome events, and the countless details that shape a student’s earliest moments in college. These efforts are not simply logistical exercises. They are cultural and relational investments that influence how students see themselves, their campus, and their future. KEY POINT: This is the true introduction to a student on what it means to be a college student at your school! Mission, vision, values, tradition, etc.