Most of us come into Cal Poly through the same process—Week of Welcome, better known as WOW. The Week of Welcome is one pillar of the orientation programs by New Students and Transitions Programs (NSTP) here on campus, in addition to Open House in the spring and SLO Days in the summer. As the final program to welcome our freshmen and transfer students into the school, there are a lot of people that come together to make WOW the best is can be. From E-staff to WOW Leaders, volunteers and other leaders, there are countless roles that go into making WOW a success. Here’s why you should become one of them.
Opportunity for mentorship
Throughout college, there are plenty of opportunities to mentor other students, from taking a leadership role at your place of work to becoming a teacher’s assistant. But one of the best mentorship opportunities is becoming a WOW Leader. After 10 weeks of training during spring quarter and a lot of bonding with the groups around you, the following fall quarter brings an opportunity to mentor and guide the WOWies that you have spent your time building and creating a week of fun activities for. You’re only a WOWie once, but being a WOW Leader or a part of E-staff is a new experience that is sure to be rewarding.
Build a community beyond yourself
No matter what year you are here at Cal Poly, if you’re a transfer or have been here from the beginning, you probably have a few people that come to mind when you think of your community—now imagine if that amount of people tripled during one quarter. Becoming a part of NSTP through becoming a WOW leader or joining E-staff introduces you to students of countless other majors and backgrounds that you may have never met before. Throughout spring training, you get to know those around you, bond outside of the training experience and find a community that will change the way you see yourself at this school. If you don’t believe us, sign up. You’ll see.
Make an impact on other students journeys
Whether you had a terrible WOW experience and want to give others a better experience, or you had a fantastic one and want to make sure they get the same, this is your chance to do it. There are bits and pieces of WOW that some of us liked and some of us didn’t, and joining NSTP is your opportunity to build an experience based off of your own. Every year there are incredible new lessons to be learned just from the incoming students. WOW is meant to be a week that has a lasting impact, with the potential to change what incoming student’s time at Cal Poly looks like altogether.
Gain invaluable leadership skills
If there is one thing we have learned from Cal Poly, it is how to lead in your own way. In the process of becoming a leader, some of us have learned how to be introverted and still lead, or be comfortable with being uncomfortable. If you have ever had trouble with time management, procrastination, public speaking or confidence itself, know that this is an opportunity to improve all of these skills. Not only are these skills invaluable, but they are also reminders that no matter what we know, there is always more to learn. Training allows you to learn from those you train with, and later, those you lead.
Find like-minded people within your training group
At a some point during your time at Cal Poly, classes become more and more specialized based on your major. Because of this, you start to see the same people every day, quarter after quarter. Becoming a part of orientation completely shakes that up. You might find yourself surrounded by sophomores, juniors, seniors or a mix of each from all different majors. Furthermore, training and choosing to become a WOW leader is intentional. Just like every leader you will meet, there is something each of you can offer for the process. Don’t be afraid to branch out.
Become part of a renowned tradition
The Week of Welcome has been a Cal Poly tradition for over sixty years now, and it only gets better every year. Aspects have been changed or updated to fit our school’s goals, like WOW-Rama or the newly begun Cross Cultural Experience (CCE). Together, we all become a part of Cal Poly’s bigger picture, and just like some of us, you can become a part of that tradition and join the WOW family. Be the change you want to see in the program.
Give back to Cal Poly
Each of us spend around three to seven years here in San Luis Obispo. Whether we can see it or not, Cal Poly has given us a lot in just the time each of us have been here. Becoming a WOW leader is a chance to give back to Cal Poly and incoming students who can benefit from the insight of student leaders. If you give it a shot, you just might find that by giving back to the school, you’re giving a lot back to yourself too.
So you want to become a WOW Leader?
Applications are due in March and training starts spring quarter. We’d love to see you out there. If you’ve ever done it and want to tell us about your experience, feel free to share this and comment about what you’ve been through. And for those of you who want to look into it, check out the website here and think about changing your Cal Poly experience by becoming a WOW Leader, E-staff and part of NSTP.