There are many moments students look forward to during their college careers, whether it is earning an A on a final exam, studying with friends or simply turning in an assignment on time. Alongside those milestones, however, students also face challenges while working toward a degree, including academic, professional, emotional and financial obstacles.
As they navigate those challenges, students often look for support among friends, family or peers. At times, those resources may not be enough — or may not be available at all — making access to university support services increasingly important.
According to Theresa Bivaletz, the social worker for student support and resources at William Paterson University, the institution takes a holistic approach to education by ensuring students are connected with services that extend beyond the classroom.
“I work with students. Any students, whether they’re main campus students. And I also work with some of our WP Online students. So, I work with students on basic needs support. So, you know, just to give a few suggestions. Like food insecurity, housing insecurity, and financial insecurity, you know, crises that happen, you know, as a one-time thing, and they need to be connected with resources. I also am the confidential victim advocate,” Bivaletz said.
She emphasized that all students — both on campus and online — are encouraged to take advantage of these services, which address more than academic concerns. Among the available resources are the Pioneer Pantry for students facing food insecurity and the Counseling Center for those dealing with stress, demanding coursework or challenges that affect both home and classroom life.
“When it comes to, I guess, you know, things like filing for or applying for public benefits like SNAP or, you know, temporary assistance or rental assistance, you know, we kind of have to turn to our community agencies for that,” she said.
Bivaletz explained that the university frequently coordinates with outside organizations to assist students who may be unfamiliar with available programs or hesitant to seek help on their own. In those cases, student support services act as a bridge between campus and community-based social services.
Beyond institutional resources, Bivaletz said students themselves can play an important role in helping peers access support.
“I think just word of mouth, because, like, you know, as many services as we have and as much as we promote it, you know, some students still, like, you know, they have their blinders on, and they’re not seeing it. But if their friend hears about it and then tells them about it, like, ‘Oh, just go to whatever, you know, center, whatever office, and they can help you,’” she said.
Encouraging peers to seek help can reduce the anxiety, hesitation or discomfort students may feel about using support services. Students can also advocate for these resources through their organizations by hosting mental wellness events or collaborating with campus offices on academic workshops.
Ultimately, the most important step is reaching out. Once that first step is taken, addressing challenges becomes far more manageable.
