MadisonBiz helps students find their community

Community helps shape who we are and plays a vital role in one's life. We tend to seek out like-minded individuals, people who make us feel like we belong. The first year of college is a time when big changes are happening, and the last thing any student wants is to feel alone. JMU’s Residential Learning Communities (RLCs) are designed to help incoming first-year students find their community by offering the opportunity to live and take classes with a small group of classmates that share similar interests.

Alex Hale (‘21, ‘22M) was looking for a place where he felt welcomed and supported as he toured colleges and universities throughout Virginia. While visiting JMU, he knew something felt different. “I just felt like the culture fit who I am,” he said. “Everyone was friendly, ambitious and excited about college, but not intimidating. That really mattered to me.”

That feeling only grew once he moved onto campus with peers in MadisonBiz, the College of Business RLC. Hale learned about the program during an admissions open house, when a faculty member mentioned that MadisonBiz offered not only an instant community, but also a guaranteed spot in one of the highly coveted East Campus residence halls. For a student wondering who he might live with and how he might find his people, the idea of starting college with a built-in support network was exactly what Hale was looking for.

“Those first few days were magical. I remember thinking, ‘OK, I belong here,’” he shared. “Everyone around me was social, excited and ambitious. It felt like home within the first week.”

The sense of shared belonging created an environment where everyone pushed each other to grow and strive for the best, especially since they were all taking the same courses and navigating the same transition into college. Study groups and project partners began to form naturally. When someone needed help, they didn’t need to look far. 

“When everyone around you is ambitious, it pushes you to work harder. It made the move into COB coursework much easier,” Hale said. “I had already worked on projects with these people, and we had already built those habits together.”

MadisonBiz also helped Hale narrow down his field of study. As part of the program, students heard directly from faculty and peers from each major, allowing Hale to seriously think about his passions and where he could best utilize his skills and strengths. Although he thought marketing might be a good fit at first, a presentation by a faculty member in the School of Accounting solidified his decision. Hale learned what a CPA certification was and the career flexibility it offered, as well as the strength of JMU’s accounting program. 

“That presentation sold me. I realized I could get a CPA and basically guarantee myself employment and stability,” he said. “The quality of the faculty and the department was incredible.”

After earning his B.B.A. in Accounting and then his M.S.A., Hale joined RSM as an auditor after graduating. Today he specializes in nonprofit clients, including organizations that receive federal funding to support housing, healthcare and other essential services. “I enjoy knowing that I help make sure these organizations use their funds the right way,” he said. “Seeing the people who are actually helping others every day gives me hope.”

Hale credits MadisonBiz with teaching him that work feels different when you build real connections with the people around you. The friendships he formed there demonstrated how much easier it is to ask questions, share ideas and problem-solve when there is trust, a lesson he carries into the teams he works with today.

Looking back, Hale sees MadisonBiz as the foundation that supported everything that followed. It created an environment that felt comfortable from the start, introduced him to lasting friendships and helped him discover the path he wanted to follow. It was the beginning of a college experience that shaped both his confidence and his career.

Hale still keeps in touch with many of the friends he made in those early days. His current roommate lived just two doors away when they were first-year students. Another MadisonBiz friend sits a few cubicles away from Hale at work. Others remain a part of his social circle and are people he says he can still depend on. “The MadisonBiz community has not faded. It has only gotten stronger.”