DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Photo Credits:  Shannon Jayne & The Office of Student Orienation and Family Programs

 

   The Office of Student Orientation and Family Programs has played an important role in my growth here at Stony Brook University. I obtained this opportunity to become an Orientation Leader to assist with the welcoming of students during Winter of 2013 through my time as an Academic Peer Advisor. 

   I went through an intense one and a half day training on what it is required of an Orientation leader and the information we needed to know from different departments on campus. I met the other Orientation leaders and bonded with them slowly. Soon I was thrown into an typical orientation day where I was welcoming students, checking them in, answering their questions, and making sure they into the classes required for their major. 

   I also worked orientation in the summer which requires a two week intense training with indepth information from many different departments and team building exercises. As orientation leaders, we learn how to build relationships with each other, bring each other up and engage in friendly competitions to get our spirits high. We also know a little about each other enough to work as a team while orienting students. We spent the first few weeks of summer welcoming Transfer students and the rest were Freshmen and International students. Freshmen Days and Transfer days require many different sets of skills because due to the different experiences these groups of individuals have.

   The skills I have acquired are communication skills, team work, multi-tasking, quick thinking, and professionalism. But I would have not acquired these skills without my co-workers and friends there to support me. They all, including the professional staff, held my accountable for my job. Every day, I was reminded to be a "duck" and to be ready for any unexpected events in the day. 

   Being an orientation leader has taught me to trust in the people I am working with because we are leaders with a purpose. We want to help students with their transition into Stony Brook University whether they are new to college world or new to the university. We want to help students just like how our orientations leaders helped us.

   

 

 

  

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.