When you are a First-Year who is living away from home for a significant amount time for what may be the first time can be a difficult adjustment. As someone who is close to her parents, I can attest to the fact that it is normal to feel homesick or be nervous when you’re parents are not around. But, my Orientation Leaders (OLs) truly helped me feel at home.
As a result, I was inspired to apply to be an OL. One of them specifically was very outgoing and, even during second semester, she nearly always waved and smiled at me whenever we would cross paths around campus. As a tour guide throughout all four years of high school, I grew an interest in being able to share the ins-and-outs of a place I wholeheartedly respected with prospective families; I knew being an OL would allow me to do the same thing at SLU.
Yes, OLs are asked to arrive on campus way in advance compared to most incoming or new students, but all of the connections that are made within the OL team during that time period are what make being an OL so special. Additionally, it is rewarding to see your hardwork and commitment from training pay off during the time that you’re helping out Orientees get used to the new lifestyle as a college student, even if they don’t acknowledge or don’t realize that you are.
While I cannot go into depth about the application process itself, I highly recommend applying to be an OL and so do my fellow OLs. Being an OL has truly taught me so many lessons and has introduced me to a diverse group of individuals, who I now consider close friends, whom I may never have crossed paths with had I not applied.