Running Start Students Confront Isolation

AUBURN, Wash. — Running Start students at Green River College find it
difficult to connect to their community as they navigate online learning, in
isolation from campus.
Several Running Start students interviewed for this story share that opinion.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the college was forced to go online in March
of 2020.
This left almost 2,000 Running Start students completely isolated from their
college’s campus and facing additional challenges. They lost connections with
staff and peers and the motivation to succeed.
A study performed by California State University found that “remedial
students that participated in extra-curricular activities performed better
than non-participants.”
With frequent closures of on-campus services, the college began offering
online services to keep students involved but Running Start students like
Caleigh Butts feel it is not enough.
“As much as Green River College tries, I still don’t feel connected to anyone
or anything,” said Butts.
Not only do students feel disconnected on a social level, but on an academic
level.
With limited access to in-person instruction, the classroom connection is
lacking between Running Start students and their peers and professors.
“It’s extremely hard,” said Georgia Huyser, another Running Start student. “I
know no one in my classes [personally] so I struggle to get help on
assignments.”
The isolation from a traditional in-person classroom proves to also take a toll
on the students’ motivation.
“Teaching is meant to inspire and help people grow,” said Ethan Nelson, the
last Running Start student to be interviewed. “It’s difficult to want to grow
when your teacher and classmates are just names on a screen.”

The college reopened Feb. 7 for additional face-to-face instruction.
“Our hope is that this will help their students get more involved and begin to
build connections once more,” said Kendall White, a Running Start advisor.