We’ve all seen them. We come to orientation all doe-eyed and excited that we are going to be going to college (or at least a new one). When everyone around you is new and have no idea about anything at this school, there is a group of smiling faces in green that always show you how things work: The Orientation Advisors.
This week, Her Campus got to sit down with one of the OAs for this year, Alyssa Costanzo. And her personality alone showed us why she was chosen to be an OA.
At first, it was a struggle getting her away from the tons of people who piled into her room the three different times we went to talk to her. But finally, the third time proved to be the charm. They slowly cleared out and Alyssa turned her attention towards us with a smile.
This sophomore is from Gloversville, N.Y. and at the end of the spring semester opted to give up her summer to help the new students get used to their surroundings and sign up for classes during their orientation.
“I wanted to do something different,” Costanzo says, “At first I was nervous about not having a summer, afraid I was going to miss out on something. But this ended up being the best summer of my life. It was more than just a job; it was a chance to build friendships for life.”
Alyssa was nervous at the first staff meeting, like most people would be, but by the endthe summer she was friends with the other OAs. Most likely because of the retreat that took all 20+ of them out of the city.
Then a month of training where the Orientation Advisors got to get used to the city of Binghamton itself, something not many people get to brag about.
“We did a lot of things you tell yourself you’re gonna do while you’re here but never really do,” she says. “We went to B-Mets games, different restaurants, a nearby beach. It was a ton of fun.”
Then finally the students began to come in and that really livened up the summer in a different way.
From organizing a full on “kan-jam” tournament on the third floor of Cayuga to just being themselves and making friends quickly, Costanzo couldn’t help but say, “Each one of the freshmen is a character.”
But the job isn’t done yet. The OAs still have an Orientation to work in the winter and things to do throughout the summer. So she says these truly will end up being her friends for a long time to come.
“It’s definitely something to get involved with if you get the chance. I’m definitely thinking about being a returner but I also want to get involved in other ways.”