This past Monday, I took a day off of my summer break to return to campus not as a student, but as an Orientation Leader (Program Guide) for incoming freshmen.
A 7 a.m. crew call for Program Guides seemed excessive but surprisingly necessary, as the new students began trickling in soon after I arrived despite the event's official start an hour later. While sleepy eyes and wide-mouthed yawns were prominent among them, I could tell that they were excited to be here, especially since they were part of a rather exclusive group: The World Scholars Program.
At my university, incoming freshmen can apply to a four-year, comprehensive study abroad program. What makes it so unique is that no other US institution offers a longterm undergraduate membership that paves the road to achieving global citizenship, along which you go abroad both the fall semester of freshman year and either semester of junior year. Another plus is having the chance to share your integrated experience as a Program Guide during your initial time abroad with the newest class of World Scholars before they themselves travel...which is precisely what I got up oh-so-early to do.
Before the Orientation's opening remarks session, I sat down with some students. Even this early on a Monday morning, they were keen on asking about dorm accommodations and academic expectations. As I relayed my wisdom of making sure to invest in decent raingear—and always keeping that windbreaker or umbrella in your backpack just in case you get caught in nasty weather mid-trot to your next class that's a 10-minute walk away—I couldn't help but feel nostalgic.
At this time last year, I was sitting in the same seats they were sitting in, posing the same questions they were asking. I can't exactly read minds, but having embarked on this special journey a year ago, I can gauge what these students were thinking, and perhaps even feeling.
Many of the thoughts and emotions they're experiencing pre-departure are universal of what all other incoming freshmen are feeling from right now up through their first days on campus. They're nervous, yet excited, to have a fresh start to the next chapter of their lives. And although these new World Scholars won't have the traditional freshman introduction since it'll be spent internationally, they're still just as new to the college lifestyle as their domestic classmates.
It takes courage to make any sort of longtime commitment beyond the limits of personal comfortability, and I commend all incoming college freshmen for that.
Although I won't burden you with a session-by-session of the day's events, I'd like to mention that it was a Monday well spent, with many activities devoted to the Program Guides getting to know the students (as we'll be aiding their transition to home campus next spring semester), and the students themselves getting better acclimated with each other as they'll soon be traveling together. For instance, a World Scholar informed me that her study abroad destination's cohort (a group of 50 kids) already made plans days earlier through social media to grab dinner after Orientation to hang out and start planning their weekend travel getaways while abroad. Others discussed their passion for reducing environmental degradation in their hometown or their goal of being a UN delegate within the World Bank Group with me.
Despite having known these students for less than a day, I can already tell where many of their values lie. Whether it's forming strong interpersonal relationships, focusing on achieving academic success, ensuring positive self-care while away from home or even just the best places to grab broke-college-student grub, they represent just a small fraction of their graduating class's exceptional young adults across the globe.
In a time when it's so urgent to solve the evergrowing number of global issues filling newsfeeds every day, I have faith that these individuals and their classmates around the world will change the way we live for the better, and forever. And with smiles just as bright as their minds, I'm proud to have had the opportunity to interact with them, even if only for a brief time.
So on behalf of the Class of 2022, I wish the Class of 2023 the best of luck in their endeavors and great success in whichever road of life they choose to pursue.
