Inside UB: The First Year Experience

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NASSAU , THE BAHAMAS- Her journey at the University of The Bahamas began as a student, where getting involved in clubs and campus life opened unexpected doors.

From becoming the first Miss University of The Bahamas to building a career in higher education, Nyisha Tilus has turned those experiences into a passion for helping students find their way.

Now, as UB’s Student Engagement Program Specialist, she’s helping new students navigate their first year, making sure the experience goes beyond orientation.

Nyisha Tilus – Student Engagement Program Specialist, UB
“We started in 2022, where we wanted the orientation experience to go beyond just one day or one week experience. For us, it’s about walking them through their entire first year as they transition into a new environment, a new culture. They have family and friends that are going off to university abroad, and for us, we wanted them to know that they can get that same experience, if not better, here, right home, right? And so we’ve been able to do that with the help of students. We’ve been able to engage alumni along on this journey, as well, and it’s just been phenomenal.”

And Tilus believes the transition to university life requires more than academics. That’s where UB’s student services come in, combining classroom learning with experiences that help students grow, both inside and outside the classroom.

Nyisha Tilus – Student Engagement Program Specialist, UB
“We see where the high school culture, where students are able to rely heavily on their teachers, isn’t exactly the same, coming into university life, right? For us, it’s about providing them with the tools necessary to be well-rounded citizens. And so that comes with both academic and non-academic, so co-curricular experiences are important, and wow, that is the focus of student services. It just helps us to create a bridge for this experience outside of the classroom.”

Supporting that approach is UB’s Vice President of Student Services, Joe Stubbs, who values hearing directly from students to strengthen how services are delivered.

For him, it’s about creating a more holistic university experience, one that addresses students’ needs beyond the classroom. And that commitment has already led to a number of new initiatives.

Joe Stubbs – Vice President, Student Services, UB
“Well, what we did this year versus last year, the years before, was we actually implemented an advisement center. And before, students were advised during orientation. What we did was throughout the months of June and July, we had advisors contact students, so they actually got advised, and they got mentored throughout the summer.”

Continuing that focus on student success is first-year nursing student Kaylia Newton. As president of UB’s International and Family Island Student Association, she helps new students feel connected, drawing on her own experience growing up in Eleuthera.

She knows firsthand how important guidance and support can be during the transition to university life. For her, advisors play a vital role in helping students find their footing.

Kaylia Newton – President, International And Family Island Student Association
“Advisors are so important, because they are basically the gap between you and your professional career, so these are, like, the firsthand experience that you’re gonna get in the career or the major that you’re majoring in. So, getting close with your advisor, getting to know them, being in the spaces that they’re also in, I think the university definitely allows for that smooth transition between high school and college.”