“Oh, the Leader You Are!”: Orientation and Residence Life Staffs Hold Information Sessions

by The Cowl Editor on November 15, 2018


Campus


 

Orientation leaders become a close-knit group.

by Kyle Burgess ’21

News Staff

While their classmates and peers were busy soaking up the summer sun beachside and unwinding from a demanding academic school year, the members of Residence Life and orientation leadership staffs set out to help welcome Providence College’s largest class to date as the newest residents of Friartown. 

Over the course of June advising and registration days, in addition to fall orientation, Orientation Leaders (OL) and Resident Assistants (RA) alike took part in various team-building activities. These activities allowed them to make friendships to last the course of their tenure at PC and beyond as they assisted the class of 2022 in adjusting to college life.

In the blink of an eye, those dog days of summer have transformed into the crisp, autumn months, and with the change in seasons comes the return of the application process for potential members of the 2019 orientation and Residence Life staff. 

To acquaint returning staff members and potential rookies to the changes made in the process of this year, as well as what to expect in the year to come, both departments held information sessions marketing their respective positions.

“We’re not looking for leaders to fit into a specific mold,” explained Leslie Heller ’02, director of Orientation, Transitions and Leadership at PC. “We seek applicants from different class years, majors, backgrounds, and personal experiences.” 

Heller also shared the College’s intentions to field their most diverse staff yet as they look to fill all 175 leadership roles of the orientation and Residence Life staff. 

Additionally, one does not need leadership experience to apply as an OL or RA as candidates are selected to complement the strengths of one another.

While participants in summer and fall orientation leadership take on many responsibilities in acting as ambassadors of the College, the perks to joining this talented and inclusive organization are also numerous. 

“Orientation has been the greatest experience that I’ve had while at PC,” recalled Orientation Coordinator Allison Schmidt ’19. “Not only did it help me to develop my leadership skills, but it has also given me friends for a lifetime. It is something I already miss very dearly!”

Work as an RA is equally rewarding, as Evan Mastroianni ’21 puts it. “This position makes you feel as though you are truly connected to the school more intimately than normal students are,” Mastroianni noted. “It gives you the opportunity to act as a resource and model for the student body to help others succeed at every level in college life.”

Applications and recommendation forms can be found on the MyPC Portal and are due Friday, November 30 by 4:30 p.m.