The First-Year Experience (FYE) Academic Expo, a showcase of first-year students’ research, philanthropy, creativity and connections, was held Thursday. 

Projects featured mostly focused on degree-specific exploration and hands-on learning.

Students developed and executed a service project for the campus or the surrounding community for the expo. 

Shaquita Renelique, director of the FYE, oversaw the planning, coordination and execution of the expo. She said her role included guiding the overall vision, supporting faculty as they prepared their student groups, coordinating logistics with campus partners and ensuring the event aligned with the goals of the making connections program.

“This year’s expo had our largest participation to date, with more than 1,200 first-year students taking part. The variety of projects was broader than ever, and the energy in the room reflected a level of engagement we’re really proud of. We also streamlined some of our processes, such as the judging rubric and project categories, which helped create a more consistent and transparent experience for students,” Renelique said.

The FYE director said the event was a campus-wide effort, with success often determined by collaborations and support from the many organizations on campus.

Macy Ward, a first-year nursing major from Barton, Arkansas, said she used what she learned from her making connections course to create a pediatric cart for St. Bernards Hospital. Ward and her group themed their project around the children’s show “Bluey.” 

The cart included items like pinwheels, bubbles, coloring books and crayons. Ward said the purpose of the cart was to bring joy to hospitalized children and alleviate some of the dread associated with hospitals, especially during the respiratory season.

Ward said working with her team helped her learn that simple acts, like providing a cart filled with fun items, can significantly improve children’s hospital experiences. 

“I think the thing that I learned the most is something so simple, such as just taking a cart with coloring books and pinwheels, can be so helpful. And so I think one thing that I took away is, whatever you do, wherever you go, you can bring joy in it,” Ward said.

Brinley Bevill, a first-year nursing major from Jonesboro, said her group’s project was about collecting donations for the NICU at St. Bernards Hospital. 

The NICU, established in 2012, provides care for premature babies. The project involved purchasing items from an Amazon list for the NICU, which often faces financial constraints.

“I think that the impact that we had was providing things to people who may not be able to even afford those things, or even the hospital. I know that the hospital is limited on how much they can spend on their babies, like little blankets, pacifiers, things like that. Patients sometimes struggle with the cost of health care nowadays, so I think that collecting items and donating them really made an impact on the NICU, especially the nurses,” Bevill said.

Lily Agee, a first-year student from Paragould and Cross Fowler from Wheatley, Arkansas, both political science majors, said their project was to educate others on voting rights. Agee said she feels like a lot of people are unaware of the history of voting rights.

She also said there was a lot of segregation with voting rights early on, even after the laws and amendments were passed.

Fowler said he realized that his group’s poster could help educate people on the poll tax while helping others register to vote.

Evan McKinney, a first-year majoring in strategic communication from North Little Rock, said his team’s project focused on the following theme: “You can’t be stressed and grateful at the same time.” The project aimed to spread positive affirmations through thank-you letters and cards to individuals who have positively impacted their lives.

McKinney said the goal of the project was to explain the physiological and psychological benefits of gratitude. He said he believes even small acts of kindness can significantly impact others, fostering a sense of community and support among college students.

McKinney said he learned that a little bit goes a long way, and pouring love into students through positive messages and gratitude could be the very thing that gets them through their day. 

Renelique said her biggest goal for the expo was to provide students with a meaningful opportunity to showcase their work early in their academic journey. She said she wanted students to experience what it’s like to participate in research, collaborate on projects and engage with others within the academic community while making the event celebratory and academically enriching.

“I hope students leave feeling proud of their work and more connected to the university. Whether they presented a research project, designed a philanthropy initiative or explored a major-related interest, I want them to walk away knowing they can succeed academically and make meaningful contributions to campus life,” Renelique said.

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