Fostering Holistic Transitions: The Role of Social Capital and Catholic Values in a College Orientation Program

This study examines how De La Salle University’s college orientation fosters holistic student transition by cultivating social capital, shaping habitus, and embedding Catholic values. Drawing on focus groups with eleven sophomores and juniors, we analyze peer networks, mentoring sessions, peer interactions, and communal rituals through Bourdieu’s habitus and Stanton-Salazar’s institutional agents frameworks, situated within Ex Corde Ecclesiae and Evangelii Gaudium. Findings reveal that structured mentoring and block activities strengthen relational ties; guided reflections function as “habitus exercises”; and liturgies and faith reflections operationalize solidarity, preferential option for the marginalized, and communion. Together, these practices deepen students’ spiritual purpose, moral agency, and academic integration. Recommendations include formalizing spiritual mentorship and embedding reflective exercises into the curriculum to sustain formation. This study offers a replicable model for faith-centered orientation in Catholic higher education, demonstrating how intentional rituals and mentorship can nurture both intellectual growth and enduring spiritual commitment.