First-year angst? Trouble with your classes? Lock yourself out of your Prospect single because you left your ID in your room? Junior Advisors (JAs) are there to help you (though you should probably call CSS for the last situation). This year marks the JA program’s 100th birthday. The Record looks back at the century-long history of JAs and celebrates its triumphs.
JAs are juniors who live on the same floor as a group of first-years, helping connect them to campus resources and supporting them in their transition to life at the College. At least two JAs are assigned to each entry, generally composed of a floor or group of floors in a first-year dorm. Entries convene weekly on Sunday evenings for snacks and bonding, and JAs organize events like entrywide competitions and formals. One recent notable entry event was East College and Fitch’s “Screw Your Roommate” formal, in which first-year roommates were set up as dates for the event.
The JA program has been a unique aspect of the Williams experience for generations. The program began in 1925 and was created by President of the College Harry Augustus Garfield, Class of 1885, to help “guide and aid the new men by precept and by advice,” according to a Record article. Williams Hall, part of Frosh Quad, opened for student occupation in 1912. According to the 1925 issue of the College’s yearbook — the Gulielmensian — the first occupants moved into Sage Hall on January 1, 1924. Later that year, 108 first-year male students and their JAs moved into the building. Since then, the program has played an important role in facilitating community spaces for first-years.
In addition to serving as first points of contact, JAs have historically contributed to fostering inclusion and community among first-years who may have felt left out in certain spaces. In a 2004 oral history from Special Collections, Wendy Hopkins ’72 discussed her role as a JA to the first co-ed class in 1971. “We were there to guide and support our freshman charges,” Hopkins said. “I think for us that amounted mostly to providing social opportunities for them.” Several student organizations at the time prevented women from joining, so JAs would host parties in first-year dorms for the female students.
Over the past decade, the JA program has undergone several changes. In 2022, JAs were compensated for their work as residential life leaders for the first time. This shift was due to years of previous JA classes’ advocacy for compensation from the College for their work, according to a Record article. This financial compensation replaced the previous additional housing points that JAs would receive for their work. Despite this, the program has seen a significant decline in applications over the past decade, leading to reconfiguration of the entry system, with many entries composed of two JAs and approximately 30 first-years.
In March 2024, a majority of the Junior Advisor Advisory Board (JAAB) — a now-defunct group of former and current JAs elected to train and guide the current class of JAs — resigned. In interviews with the Record, the outgoing JAAB board members said they felt insufficiently supported by the College, especially following the death of a first-year student, Toby Woods ’27.
Resigning members said they felt unprepared to support first-year students in the wake of the tragedy while also making space to process and take care of themselves. As a result, the College created a new JA selection process, shifting leadership responsibility from students to administrators. Amid the JAAB resignations, the College formed the JA Program Working Group to evaluate ways to improve the program and make the role more sustainable for students. The Group was co-chaired by Dean of the College Gretchen Long and Senior Associate Dean for Administration, Finance, and Strategy Jeff Malanson. Professors, coaches, and current and former JAs at the College also served in the group. In April 2025, the group presented its recommendations to the Board of Trustees.
Despite these significant changes, the JA program continues to attract juniors who are passionate about supporting first-year students and giving back to the College community. Many current JAs said that they chose to become involved in the program because of their own positive experiences as first-year students. “My JAs were a very important part of my adaptation to Williams… [They were] a big support system for me,” Rafa Delgado Carpio-Rivero ’27, who serves as a JA to Sage 1, said in an interview with the Record. As an international student, Delgado Carpio-Rivero hopes she can serve as a mentor for other international first-years at Williams. “My goal is to have been able to foster a community of support and a sense of belonging,” she said.
Similarly, Peter Refermat ’27 chose to become a JA to help first-year students feel at home at the College. Refermat said that serving as a JA has strengthened his connection to the campus community. “As you get older, it’s easy to feel disconnected because everyone you know is starting to graduate, so I feel very lucky to be able to connect with the freshman class,” Refermat said.
Vivian Johnson ’27 also decided to become a JA because she found mentors in her first year through the program. “I wanted to be like them,” she said.
Celebrating the anniversary is in the works, according to Dean of First Year Students Christina Walsh, who helps train and oversee the JA program. “Efforts to acknowledge and celebrate have been spearheaded by Alumni Engagement,” Walsh wrote in an email to the Record. “For this year’s JA Jackets, we had them specially embroidered with ‘Celebrating 100 Years.’”
Walsh expressed that they hope the JA program will continue to evolve to meet the needs of the College community. “I think the program has to prioritize the benefit of the experience to both the JAs and to the frosh,” Walsh wrote. “We have achieved a stable equilibrium in this regard. I think we will continue to grow the personal and professional development of this leadership role, and also make sure that the program is proactive in anticipating the ever-changing trends and needs of new students.”
One hundred years later, the JA program still serves as a crucial part of the Williams experience and has helped generations of first-years find a home at the College. The application process for next year’s JA program will begin in December 2025 — sophomores, are you next?
