On Friday, April 13, students who were admitted to Elon from all over the world will come to campus for one reason — Phoenix Fusion.
Phoenix Fusion is a two-day event that focuses on diversity on Elon’s campus. It gives admitted high school seniors from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to learn about the diversity of the campus, academic programs and student life. Students who attend the event have the opportunity to spend the night with a current student, tour the campus and participate in various activities.
According to Greg Zaiser, vice president for enrollment, and Natalie Garza, director of diversity recruitment and senior associate director of admissions, around 90 percent of the students registered for this year’s event will spend the night with a current student on campus.
This year, between 90-100 students have registered for Phoenix Fusion. This is more than the past five years, which have seen a range of 50-85 registered students.
“Elon is a primarily white institution, and an event like this can help to increase diverse populations by promoting the great resources, programs and students we have on campus for all students,” Zaiser said. “We will always seek to become a more diverse campus because that makes education stronger.”
Zaiser believes it is important to hold events such as Phoenix Fusion to connect students from diverse backgrounds with other students they can relate to. Garza says that Phoenix Fusion is always an event enjoyed by the students, faculty and staff.
“Admissions events are very energizing. It’s fun to get to see and talk to students whose applications we have been reading over the last several months,” Garza said. “It’s exciting to share this community with students and families who are equally excited about Elon.”
Even with events such as Phoenix Fusion, some students feel they are out of place when they start at Elon in the fall. But Zaiser and Garza both agree they try to be as transparent as possible with students regarding Elon’s diversity.
“The invitation lets them know it is a diversity and inclusion-themed event. We also let them know that while they will see many forms of diversity during this visit, this isn’t the entire campus community,” Zaiser said. “They will see that while their host may be a student of color, students of color are not the majority on campus.”
But despite that fact, Phoenix Fusion is an important time for students to connect with other students and begin their journey at Elon.
“Many students end up finding their roommates during this event. Because diverse populations aren’t the majority at Elon, it is important for these students to make connections and build community. This is one way to make that happen,” Garza said.
The deadline for accepted students to enroll at Elon in the fall is May 1. Both Zaiser and Garza agree that Phoenix Fusion can play a role in whether or not a student decides to come to Elon.