“Alone we can do little; together we can do so much.”
– Helen Keller
As Global Orientation Leaders the two-week process of guiding and interacting with the new international student populace was quite nostalgic. It reminded each one of us as to how far we have come individually. Considering the fact that all of us are international students too, it was a gratifying experience to watch the new students arrive on their first day, both, anxious and nervous at the same time, but as the day progressed they eventually grew accustomed to their new surroundings.
The new student orientation is a transformative event and is an initiation ceremony of sorts. Students are assisted not just with document check-in, health insurance, tuition payment, etc.; but also, are introduced to the culture at Penn State. They are given an opportunity to communicate with their peers, they are introduced to American culture and etiquette, and are informed about the campus community and resources.
Personally, we enjoyed the experience immensely as it gave us an opportunity to meet people from diverse and varied backgrounds. By the end of the day, we have witnessed friendships struck and blooming, and to know that we have been a part of the process and have had the privilege to witness it all is quite exhilarating.
We also think that involving parents in the whole process was a great move. We found that the parents are pretty anxious, but are hesitant to voice their concerns as they do not want to ‘embarrass’ their children. They were given the opportunity to interact with the international global orientation leaders on two separate occasions- a campus tour and panel discussion hosted by Ms. Wendy. Both these events were informed conversations which gave the parents an ample chance to voice their anxieties.
Also, when it comes to the parents; spending time on campus, meeting a few other students and parents, and helping their children settle in his or her dorm are generally very positive experiences. It also helps them with initiating the process of letting their kids go.
We appreciate that the International Student Support Services involved us students with the process. Our presence not only helped us, but also the freshman, who we have learned, are a lot more comfortable talking to peers rather than someone from the faculty or the administrative office.
For us, the global orientation leader experience was a novelty. The idea of interacting with an international audience was quite nerve wrecking but over the course of time, we have grown more confident. The biggest takeaways are the connections that we have made and the friendships that we have formed not just with each other, but also with the incoming freshman and graduate students across the globe.
The small talk and the short stories that we have shared with each other has led to something larger. Each one of us now believes that we are part of a community and that feeling is priceless!
We are…
- Uzma, Francesca, Verley, Saufi, Madhuri, Tran, and Yi.