BEAST: Building Engagement and Access for Students at Tufts
BEAST is a Pre-Orientation program that focuses on the unique social and cultural experiences specific to students who may be the first in their families to attend college, and for students seeking guidance on navigating financial and academic resources at Tufts.
About
BEAST provides participants support by acquainting them with useful resources, and skills to navigate the sometimes complicated social and academic aspects of college life, all while connecting them to members of our community who are instrumental in helping our students succeed. Additionally, we strive to promote the development of self-awareness and confidence among first years and provide opportunities for leadership development to participants and staff members. This program is aimed to empower students and enhance the student experience for those who are first-generation college-goers, from high-need backgrounds, from diverse residency backgrounds, or otherwise seeking such a program. Our peer leaders will help guide and mentor incoming students, connecting them to the wealth of staff, resources, and communities available to them. Using their personal experience, each leader will share their solutions to overcoming some of the pitfalls common to the first year of college.
What to Expect
Our goal for BEAST is to engage students with the resources available to them and the staff and students they can support. As part of this, students will need to understand the structure of Tufts, Boston, and the local community. With that in mind, some events we may partake in include: exploring Boston and its various modes of transport, a financial workshop, and an in-depth discussion with experienced Tufts students sharing insight into their personalized journey as first-generation/high-need. Although the exact details are subject to change, these activities can help give you a sense of our overall objective: enabling students to be their best selves.
Typical Day
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 9 - 10 a.m. | Breakfast in the dining hall with peer leaders |
| 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. | Workshops & Resources on Tufts Campus |
| 12 - 1 p.m. | Lunch on Tufts Campus with peer leaders |
| 1 - 5 p.m. | Fun Social Event on Campus |
| 5 - 6 p.m. | Dinner and Peer Leader Panel |
| 7 - 9 p.m. | Scavenger Hunt |
| 9 - 10:30 p.m. | Group Bonding |
Staff
Raydris Espacia
Pre-Orientation Coordinator
Raydris (she/her, Class of 2027) is a junior from The Bronx studying Chemistry and Medical Anthropology on the Pre-Medical track. At Tufts she is involved in the FIRST Center as a Peer Leader and the Latinx Center as an Intern. She also is a co-captain of Encendido, Tufts' Latinx dance team. She's most passionate about helping FIRST students like herself find their place at Tufts.
Andrés Ruvalcaba
Pre-Orientation Coordinator
Andrés Ruvalcaba (he/him, Class of 2026) is a senior at Tufts University from Prosser, Washington, studying Engineering Psychology with a minor in Computer Science, and will begin his Masters in Human Factors Engineering this fall. He has been involved in community-building and student leadership through the Latinx Center, FIRST Center, and Tufts Ballet Folklorico. He is excited to be a BEAST Coordinator and support incoming students in building community and finding belonging at Tufts.
Contact Us
BEAST
I participated in BEAST my first year at Tufts. For me, it was a very daunting experience to have come from a different state not knowing anyone and feeling like I didn't deserve to be at an institution like Tufts. Yet, the program allowed me to recognize that I wasn't alone in that experience. Through BEAST, I was able to find people going through similar emotions and experiences that I was, which helped us connect as we related to one another. That feeling of solidarity was really comforting as a first-year, and it made it a lot easier to believe that I could find my own space and navigate my identities with the support of others within my community.
Elaine GarcÌa, Class of 2027
My experience doing BEAST as an incoming freshman was incredible. I was encouraged to pursue everything I even remotely considered doing, and that push was what I needed to really commit to chasing my ambitions. I don't think I would have started my club on campus without that encouragement. Building up a community of fellow FIRST students was also vital for making me feel supported as I got started at university.
Juan Garcia, Class of 2027
Coming into Tufts as part of the BEAST program was like a warm hug. The peer leaders and coordinators were incredibly sweet and excited to help as well as have fun alongside us. The program introduced me to a lot of resources and helped me get used to being on campus before the school year started which was definitely a huge advantage. There's no reason why anyone shouldn't participate in Pre-O!