Mathew Vicenti ’28 is a first-year college student from Longmeadow, Massachusetts, who wants to study Managerial Accounting and Finance. Kris George ’27 is a sophomore transfer student from Dubai who prefers Digital Marketing. They came to Bryant University with different backgrounds, goals, and experiences — but many of the same anxieties.

Like all college students starting out in a new place, they wanted to feel comfortable in their surroundings and to know where to go — and who to go to — if they needed support. Most importantly, they wanted to find friends.

Vicenti and George discovered all of that, and more, through Bryant’s Multicultural and International Leadership Experience (4MILE) program. Held before move-in day, 4MILE (The “4” is short for four milestones: cultural immersion, academic success, social networking, and career preparation) is a week-long cultural immersion and leadership program uniquely designed for incoming international and domestic multicultural students.

“On paper, it sort of looked like summer camp,” George admits. “But it was such incredible resource, and a really good introduction to the university.”

“It was about throwing yourself all into it, 100 percent,” he adds with a grin.

“All in” is an appropriate way to describe the 4MILE program, as the entire university, from academic affairs to student activities, helps students learn more about their home away from home through resource fairs, workshops, and advising sessions. “I think the most important thing the students learn is they they're not alone — that there are so many people here for them,” notes International Student Integration Coordinator Angela Hickman, who helped to coordinate 4MILE alongside Toni Baisden and Brandi Gbemisola, director and assistant director of Bryant's Intercultural Center, respectively.

Vicente and George first connected with each other when their 4MILE cohort, “Team Extravaganza” — named after the university’s annual award-winning, Multicultural Student Union-produced fashion and culture show — engaged in a simple ice-breaker game and each member was asked their favorite color.

“I think we were surprised how much we both liked purple,” Vicenti laughs. And that’s how their friendship was born.  

Over the course of the week, their bond with each other, and the rest of the cohort, strengthened as they got to know each other through games, activities, and sessions.

“I love to talk a lot,” Vicenti admits. “Our 4MILE counselors were always noticing that I would just start talking to anyone.”

“When I saw how much he was talking, I felt like, ‘Ok, it was alright for me to talk too,’” recalls George with a smile.

 

A visit to the ropes course  saw the 4MILE students realize they could do more than they thought possible — especially when they worked together. “There was a lot of us challenging each other, but also a lot of us looking out for each other and cheering each other on,” Vicenti remembers. “There was a lot of ‘You got this!’”

“I think one of the big things we learned is that it’s okay to try new things and explore, because you have a community watching out for you,” says George.

One of the keys to the 4MILE program are the counselors — the majority of have been through 4MILE themselves — who become friends and guides for the first-year participants. "I found so much love at 4MILE, from my counselors, from the other students, from the organizers,” notes Sir  Davin Clark ’25, a 4MILE alum who returned as a counselor for the third time this year.

“When I came to campus, was greeted by people that looked like me and had similar backgrounds,” he remembers. “It was like a home away from home.”

Clark’s 4MILE counselors went on to become invaluable mentors, he says, always there to answer questions and offer support. “I want to be that for incoming students. I want them to know I can be a resource and a friend for them both in the program and after,” says Clark.

“The foundation of 4MILE is trust, teamwork, and mutual respect. Once you have that, you have a foundation for everything.”

For Vicenti and George, their counselors, Andrea Cortes ’26 and Tovianna Reid-Robinson ’27, were an important bridge to college life, and life at Bryant. “It was really good to have someone our age to turn to and relate to,” reflects Vicenti. “They could tell us about their experiences they were going through just a year ago.”

As the semester officially starts, the pair is excited to pursue their individual interests — Vicenti is excited to join the university’s chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization while George is trying out for the rugby team (Vicenti has already promised to go to the games to cheer him on) — but the friendship, and foundation, they’ve formed at 4MILE remains.

“No matter where you’re from, or what you want to do, you should do 4MILE,” says Vicenti, who aims to be a counselor next year. “I think the biggest thing I learned is that the Bryant community is there to welcome you with open arms.”