In PSYCH 430: Survey of Social Psychology, I learned about the importance of belonging as a core motive of social behavior.  It is the fundamental psychological process that drives our cognitions (thoughts), affect (feelings), and behavior in social situations. It is human nature to want to belong. I understood the feeling well when I took this course. I had just found my community after a first-year experience that left me feeling lonely. I was a part of the Capstone Scholars community, a two-year program for high-achieving students, but I did not have any friends in the program or in my residence hall. I showed up to events alone hoping not to stand out. Therefore, three years later when I was presented with the opportunity to start a new peer leader group to plug those students in and create the sense of belonging I was missing my first year, I took it. I now look at the result, the Capstone Scholar Host Team, and see it as one of the most fulfilling achievements of my undergrad career.
       When I started my Capstone Scholars internship, I had many conversations with my supervisor about the culture of the community. I had become heavily involved in different leadership capacities in the community before I felt truly plugged in. Before then, I was nervous to show up to events. We started looking at participation numbers and saw room for improvement. We brainstormed ways to increase attendance at events, and after several brainstorms, came up with the idea of Host Team. The Capstone Scholars Host Team would be a leadership team of 5-7 second year students in the program who would go to events “undercover” to greet, talk to, and hang out with students who come to events alone. It was a rather simple idea, but it has shown to be mighty in action. 
       I have seen it build a sense of belonging for the students that show up to events alone or those that show up clinging to a roommate. We have heard students tell our Host Team members they came to an event because one of our team members invited them at a previous one. We have had someone at each event ready to pull people into conversation. When I reflect on our team, I think to a dance floor metaphor that was shared with me by a mentor. They said that every dance has those under the disco ball having fun, those on the outskirts that are swaying back and forth, and those on the wall who will never dare touch the dance floor. As leaders in a community, it is our job to pull as many people as we can into the center. Host Team is my attempt. It is a way for me to encourage people to get off the wall and in the doors because the “dance” is our community, and it is those in the center that feel the greatest sense of belonging. 
       Artifact one is the training I developed for our first-time Host Team members, and I draw specific attention to our discussion on the power of a “hello”.  Saying hello and starting up a conversation with someone is one of the easiest ways for someone to feel noticed and welcome. That is the goal of Host Team and that is how you build a sense of belonging. 
       An unexpected benefit that I did not anticipate was the community we built as a team. One of my Host Team members shared with me that she pursued this leadership opportunity because she personally wanted to feel a greater sense of belonging in the Capstone community. After only one semester on the team, she came back to tell me that the team has made her feel that much more a part of the community. Therefore, while building her own sense of belonging, she built it for others. In fact, almost all of the team members told me in their 1on1s that one of their favorite parts of the experience was the team we had selected and the meetings they had to get to know one another. They enjoyed being on the team. 
       Creating a sense of belonging is powerful, and I look forward to working in a field like Higher Education and Student Affairs that recognizes it. The Capstone Scholars office is starting to closely track the number of students in the community that do not attend any events. My hope is that with initiatives like Host Team, that number will continue to shrink each semester. It applies to the university culture as a whole and the colleges within. Article two is a collage of my notes from my PSYCH 430 class and my career applications. Ultimately, I have learned that if we want students to succeed, we have to welcome them into a community and create a sense of belonging. It can start with a hello.