Making College a Family Affair

• Spanish translators will be available at the July 21 Orientación Familiar designed for students and families whose primary language is Spanish.
• Long-term success for all students depends on holistic support that includes family engagement.
• The Office of Student Belonging highlights parent participation and offers programming that helps to combat isolation students may feel in a college environment.

College is a new adventure for both students and their families, particularly first-generation students such as Allison Chacon-Perez. When she first enrolled as an Anthropology major at Montclair State University four years ago, she brought her mom with her to orientation. While she had her mother’s full support, she found there was a communication gap: Her mother, an immigrant from El Salvador who speaks mostly Spanish, understood about a quarter to half of the information presented on that day, Chacon says.

“Higher education terms aren’t as accessible or easily translated into Spanish,” she says. Even when translated, they may not have the proper context and parents have varied levels of educational experiences.

Today, in her role as Graduate Coordinator for Family Orientation Programs in the Office of Student Belonging, Chacon-Perez gets to help other families fully experience orientation in Spanish with Orientación Familiar.

Clarifying the Transition: Orientación Familiar

Designed for students and families whose primary language is Spanish, Orientación Familiar is an optional, on-campus summer program. Scheduled for Tuesday, July 21, 2026, the program focuses on helping Spanish-speaking families gain a clear, contextualized understanding of the college transition process.

“It’s about demystifying the college experience but also welcoming Spanish-speaking parents to Montclair,” says Katia Paz Goldfarb, Associate Provost for Hispanic Initiatives and International Programs, who will be the keynote speaker during Orientación Familiar. “It is important for them to understand that in this university you have people who speak your language. So, if you’re looking for information or resources, you will get a person who is bilingual.”

Chacon-Perez, who graduated with a BA in Anthropology in January 2026 and is now a graduate student in Sustainability Science, says this is the second year for the Office of Student Belonging to host this event. This year, however, there are two firsts:

• A student-only track focused on belonging, community and safety. Students will have facilitated discussions about beginning their college journey – from expectations to excitement and everything in between, she says.
• Higher-level Spanish trained “social interpreters” will help parents with context to “ensure that they’re getting the accessibility and the resources so that they can fully understand the context of what a university is,” Chacon-Perez says, adding that while some parents may have been exposed to colleges in their native countries, they may be different than a state institution in the U.S.

Above all, Orientación Familiar is about making all family members feel welcome, included and supported and providing students with an immediate sense of belonging.

Key details of the program include:

• Inclusive Communication – Information is available in Spanish for parents, while bilingual resources in both English and Spanish are provided for students who may not read or speak Spanish fluently.
• Interactive Offerings – Key sessions cover essential information and resources. Students participate in separate breakout sessions focused on peer connection, community building, and practical advice for navigating their first year at Montclair.
• Campus Integration – The day concludes with a family mixer and optional rotating sessions, including Campus Tours.

Paz Goldfarb, whose office hosts the Hispanic Student College Institute, another summer program now in its 10th year, says research shows that Hispanic children of all ages often translate, in some cases sensitive information, for parents and that they should be relieved of that burden.

Transitioning to college is a learning experience for parents and students and Orientación Familiar helps relieve the translation burden from students during orientation.

“At Montclair, we speak directly to the parents, and we do it in a language that they’re comfortable with. For students, they can go through the orientation process in English or Spanish.”

From Orientation to Retention: The Power of Belonging

While orientation is the critical first step, Montclair State University recognizes that long-term student success, engagement and retention depend on sustained, holistic support. This is where the Office of Student Belonging (OSB), whose mission is for “all students to feel valued and empowered to succeed” plays a vital role.

By building meaningful partnerships across campus, OSB ensures that the transition process extends far beyond a single day:

• First-Generation Initiatives – Recognizing that first-generation students have unique needs, OSB’s First-Generation Initiatives provides ongoing academic support, financial literacy workshops, and mentorship programs designed to cultivate a highly supportive environment for both the students and their families. Students and parents are provided with a “First-Gen Survival Guide,” available in both English and Spanish.
• Active Family Engagement – Families are encouraged to join the Red Hawk Family Portal. This dedicated platform serves as a primary bridge to keep parents engaged, informed and connected to campus life throughout their student’s academic journey.
• Cohort-Based Programming – OSB coordinates targeted, identity-affirming spaces and cohort-based programs for transfer, international, military-affiliated and first-generation students. These experiences are designed to combat the isolation that can sometimes lead to student dropouts and positively impact retention rates.

By removing language barriers and treating the family unit as a critical partner in a student’s educational journey, OSB, through programs such as Orientación Familiar, ensures that every student not only registers for classes but feels empowered to persist all the way through to graduation and beyond.

“Families support their students by making sure their students are okay as they’re going to college and that way they can succeed,” says Chacon-Perez. “Because they have that support and understanding, then the students themselves will want to succeed. It’s a family affair. It takes a village – or university – to make sure students reach their potential.”

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