1 - Why did you want to be Orientation Chair?

When I first came to Mount A, I had a mixture of emotions — being nervous and anxious about moving away from home as well as being excited to make a lot of new friends and to see what my new life would be like. Orientation Week was an exciting and energetic time and all of the events that I took part in helped to take my mind off of the nerves and helped make my transition to living here a lot easier. I wanted to be the Orientation Chair because I wanted to be the one to create this week for new students and to help them feel more at home and part of the Mount A community during this memorable and special week.

2 - What is your favourite memory from your Orientation?

My favorite Orientation memory was when I was heading to an event with a bunch of people from my residence, none of us were really friends yet, and I turned to one girl and asked if we could stick together at the event that night. She said yes, we did, and we are now best friends and roommates until this day. It is normal to feel nervous to not know anyone, but when you open yourself up to others, they may become your friend for a lifetime.

3 - What advice do you have for first-year students who may feel overwhelmed when they get to campus?

My biggest advice for incoming students is to keep an open mind. Yes, it can be scary to move to a new place without your family, but you will soon find that Mount A will be your new home and you will make friends who will quickly feel like family. Be sure to take every opportunity to get as involved as you can since this is a once-in-a-lifetime event for most people. Orientation Week, just like the rest of your years here, will fly by and you don’t want to blink and miss it!

4 - What do you hope students take away from Orientation?

The four pillars that Orientation is based around are consent, consumption, mental health awareness, and diversity and inclusion. I hope that with the events surrounding these ideas, students will be more aware of these different topics throughout their time at university and even beyond. These are important aspects of not only Orientation, but life at university. Aside from these ideas, I hope that students will learn more about the school, make a lot of friends, and find their place here at Mount A.

5 - Where can students get more information about Orientation over the summer?

Students can get more information about Orientation through their MtA e-mail, as I will be e-mailing them throughout the summer. They can also learn more through the monthly Orientation newsletters, which will be sent by e-mail and posted to the website, as well as the Mount Allison Class of 2022 Facebook page, and mta.ca/orientation