As first-year students, we all know our Peer Advocate (PA). They are our first connection with Cornell, the energetic upperclassmen who guide us through New Student Orientation, the leaders that start those rousing games of ‘Whiz-Boink.’ As students go through NSO, they recognize the work that their PA puts into their transition to Cornell, but behind the scenes of this transition are another group of great student leaders, the Orientation Leaders.
The Orientation Leader (OL) position is an extraordinary position for students to take on. They are part of the logistical team of NSO, making sure that all sessions are set up properly, everyone is where they need to be, and that all questions are answered. Every year, there are three Orientation Leaders hired to design and facilitate NSO.
 The 2007 OLs for NSO were Julia Kamenetzky ’08, Emily Lewis ’08, and Joey Crowley ’09. After experiencing the impact of NSO as new students and as PAs, each of these students wanted to get involved in NSO in a new way.
“ I was really inspired by the Orientation Leaders from last year's New Student Orientation. I admired their never-ending hard work,” stated Crowley, adding, “I also thought that this would be a wonderful opportunity for me to pass on knowledge that I know to the PAs and help them inform as many people as they can.”
According to Dianne Timm, Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Student Life, students chosen as OLs have at least one year of PA experience and are “natural leaders, have positive attitudes and who are willing to take initiative and can work autonomously.”
Orientation Leaders are assigned to lead a team of ten PAs, building a smaller team community and acting as a mentor to their group. Because of these responsibilities, Timm says, Orientation Leaders are required to be “creative and enthusiastic about working not only with new students but their peers.”
Kamenetzky recognizes the impact that New Student Orientation had in making her feel welcome and comfortable at Cornell.
“The OL role offered me a chance to take on more responsibility as well as share my advice and experiences with new PAs,” she said.
The Orientation Leader position is not an easy one, but the entire staff believes the position is required in order to continuously improve NSO. Timm remarked how important it is to have students help plan the process because it helps make the NSO experience run more smoothly from behind the scenes. They work on the tasks that no one really sees happen, but the ones that make the whole process run more efficiently.
“ I have always enjoyed working in ‘behind the scenes’ positions,” said Lewis, “After seeing the impact I could make as a PA, I wanted to further my involvement as an OL.”
The application process for the OL position is highly selective and occurs in January. Once selected, the OLs jump into action right away to help facilitate the PA application process and move forward with planning for NSO. While the process and work may be strenuous, students chosen as OLs benefit from the experiences they have in the position.
Crowley noted there are also many personal benefits gained from being an OL, “I gain practical experience [as an OL], which is what I believe to be the best way of learning. I also have fulfillment that I am helping others, whether it is with their mailbox combination, finding an academic building, or just doing something to make them chuckle.”
In the end, the Orientation Leaders make a difference in the NSO program both for the PAs and for the new students being welcomed to the Hilltop.
****
For additional information about student leadership positions with the New Student Orientation program, please contact Dianne Timm.
|
