From leading new students to their first residential neighborhood meeting to attending the hypnotist event together at Rhodes Stadium, orientation leaders are one of the first faces incoming students see when they arrive on campus. According to Director of New Student Programs Emily Krechel, over 200 applications were submitted this year. There are about 130 orientation leaders. Here are some of the orientation leaders and reasons for why they applied for their position.
SOPHOMORE ERIN ROHDE
What is different about Elon’s orientation experience?
“Even starting with the touring process, Elon does a good job of being intentional about the people that prospective students you’re placed with so that you get some experience with someone who has similar goals to you... I think that intentional welcoming environment is carried to orientation.”
JUNIOR MAHOGANY MADDEN-ROBERTS, Team Lead
What’s your biggest advice for incoming students?
“Go for the full experience rather than just following a certain crowd. This is the time to start over and maybe change your path.”
JUNIOR JD GRANT
Why did you apply to be an OL?
“I love helping cultivate the first-year experience. I know when I came into Elon, my first year was absolutely fantastic and that was because of all the different kinds of safety nets Elon had in place to get to know older students and use them as resources. Since then, I noticed how important relationships are. I wanted to return that favor and provide those relationships to incoming students.”
JUNIOR SOPHIA TEMPLETON
What do you remember the most about your orientation experience?
“I had a really great OL when I was a first-year and I just remember sitting there and listening to her. She was making me feel so much more comfortable and better about my transition coming to Elon and I wanted to be able to make other first-years feel how my OL made me feel.”
JUNIOR CHASE WILLIAMS, Team Lead
Why did you apply to be an OL?
“It was a way to meet new people. My first year was not the most outgoing, so I knew there was going to be a week of training and meet all of these new people.”