Aloha Yellow Jackets,

As our campus once again comes alive with the energy, excitement, and enthusiasm that students bring to the land of Buzz and the home of the Ramblin Wreck, I welcome you (or welcome you back!) to Georgia Tech!

Let’s start with (re)introducing you to Student Engagement & Well-Being (SEWB). Our purpose is to develop dynamic student leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. We do this by cultivating supportive communities, developing durable skills, and promoting holistic wellness. Our dedicated team of nearly 300 professional staff facilitate and support your journey to achieve your academic goals – whether in the classroom, lab, makerspace, or beyond. We also prepare you to serve and lead in the global workforce of the future.

During your time at GT, you will spend countless hours developing the technical knowledge and discipline-specific expertise that make Georgia Tech graduates among the most sought-after in the world. Equally important, however, are the skills that help people succeed long after graduation. Increasingly, employers are seeking what are referred to as durable skills. Historically referred to as “soft skills” these are the attributes and capacities that are essential for career success and social mobility.

Durable skills include but are not limited to collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, self-awareness, and resilience, Recent research (America Succeeds, 2025) suggests that employers place growing value on these human-centered competencies, even as artificial intelligence and automation reshape the future workplace. In fact, over ¾ of job postings in the US listed at least one durable skill as an essential qualification, while nearly half cited three or more. Communication and leadership were the two competencies in highest demand.

SEWB provides countless opportunities for students to build and strengthen these durable skills through hands-on, interactive, and challenging experiences that extend beyond the classroom. Whether you are establishing a new student organization, participating in community service, competing through a sports club, serving as a peer mentor, or chartering a new non-profit organization, you are developing capacities that will benefit you throughout your career and your life. These experiences round out your academic education and prepare you to thrive in an increasingly dynamic, rapidly changing, and interconnected global economy.

For the remainder of this month's newsletter, let’s highlight a few important opportunities and resources that can help build a foundation for success in the coming year: 

• A Community That Values Freedom of Expression: Mandatory Notifications & Training
• Prepare For Your Odyssey Ahead

A Community That Values Freedom of Expression: Mandatory Notifications & Training

One of our core values is the freedom of inquiry and expression. Every member of our community has the right to share their viewpoints and opinions, as well as question beliefs and ideas — openly and without fear of reprisal. The First Amendment guarantees these freedoms, and at Georgia Tech, we not only enforce these rights – we actively encourage expressive activity as essential to learning, innovation, and a healthy democracy.

But with these rights come responsibilities. Freedom of expression isn’t just about speaking out and speaking up. It’s also about listening actively to others and striving to understand (even if you don’t agree) - especially when their views differ from your own. It’s about being open to new ideas that challenge your assumptions or shift long-held beliefs. It’s also about defending the rights of others to express themselves, even when it’s uncomfortable or even offensive to you.

Please take a moment to watch this brief video and learn more about Freedom of Expression at Georgia Tech, including your rights and responsibilities within our community of Yellow Jackets. (For students who participated in FASET this summer, some of this will be familiar.)

 
If you are a new student enrolling at Georgia Tech for the first time, you will be asked to learn more about Georgia Tech’s community expectations through Perspectives by Constructive Dialogue Institute, an online training program that is mandatory for all first-time undergraduate and graduate students. Nearly 15,000 new Yellow Jackets completed the training in 2025-26. Perspectives encourages students to explore different viewpoints, make thoughtful decisions, build healthy relationships, and contribute to a campus culture grounded in compassion and courtesy. The concepts and ideas introduced through the training can help you build a strong foundation for personal effectiveness throughout your time at Georgia Tech – and contribute directly to honing the durable skill most desired by employers: effective communication.

Prepare For Your Odyssey Ahead

This past summer, I had the chance to watch Christopher Nolans’s creative interpretation of Homer’s The Odyssey – twice. The film captivated me because it reminded me in some ways of the educational journeys we take. We may begin with anticipation or anxiety; the path may be long and difficult – even longer and more difficult than we could have imagined. We may despair, and we may hope. We may have to journey alone at times, but more often we lean on the help of others. And through a process of insight, self-awareness and grace towards self, we can emerge as a wiser, transformed version of ourselves when we reach our destination.

As you embark on your odyssey this year, I hope you will familiarize yourself with the many resources and opportunities available to you at Georgia Tech. The Student Resource Guide (always linked at the top of this newsletter and at students.gatech.edu) can help you identify services that support your academic success and personal well-being, while the Engage and Campus Calendars are great ways to discover activites, events, and involvement opportunities happening throughout the year.

I also encourage you to be mindful about the regular habits that help you thrive. Well-being is the outcome of an ongoing partnership between yourself and your network of support. While GT offers well-trained professionals and a wide range of resources to assist you in times of crisis, distress or worry, cultivating well-being requires an ongoing investment in yourself through your day-to-day choices. Wellness encompasses many aspects of our lives, including our emotional, physical, social, financial, spiritual, environmental, occupational, and intellectual dimensions. Consider what tools you need in your personal wellness toolbox to help you navigate both opportunities and challenges this year.

Finally, make it a priority to build your social support network. Meaningful connections with friends, classmates, faculty, staff, and mentors can help combat loneliness and create a stronger sense of belonging. Finding ways to connect with others can have a powerful impact on your overall success and well-being. Here are just a few ways to get started:

• Participate in Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech (ORGT) adventures;
• Attend events hosted by Belonging & Student Support (B&SS) or the Student Center;
• Join a Registered Student Organization;
• Take advantage of pet therapy days with the Wellness Empowerment Center; or
• Engage in community service.

No matter where you are in your academic journey, please remember that you do not have to navigate challenges alone. The faculty, staff, and student leaders across our campus are committed to helping you thrive both inside and outside the classroom. Student Engagement and Well-Being is here to support your success through resources, programs, services, and opportunities designed to help you build connection, foster wellness, and achieve your goals.

In progress & service,