Anna Russo
Anna Russo is a senior sociology major who became orientation leader at the beginning of her sophomore year. She wanted to be an orientation leader because the orientation leaders during her freshman year had a big impact on her and showed her how to be successful in college. As a result, she wanted to be like them and be a role model for incoming freshmen just like them. This year, she is serving as a orientation coordinator.
According to Russo, the difference between orientation leaders, or OLs, and orientation coordinators is that orientation leaders are the face of the orientation program, while orientation coordinators are the people who work behind the scenes. They are in charge of the orientation program as a whole.
“We plan and run the entire new student program, from recruiting and interviewing orientation leaders to overseeing the events of move-in day and orientation weekend,” Russo said.
Russo reveals that being an orientation coordinator is far more stressful than being an orientation leader. Orientation coordinators spend the entire summer planning orientation leader training and the entire orientation weekend. However, Russo finds being in this position rewarding.
“We have put so much work and effort into both our OLs and our new students, it will be amazing to see it all play out and truly impact the lives of the students,” Russo said.
Russo also claims that the highlight of being an orientation coordinator is the people she works with, such as fellow orientation coordinator Danielle Perez.
“Walking into the office every morning and seeing her, Amber, and Lisa puts a big smile on my face,” Russo said.
Danielle Perez
Danielle Perez is a senior marketing major with an international business minor and is also one of the orientation coordinators for this years orientation. She started her journey as an orientation leader in summer 2017, the summer before her junior year.
She decided to become an orientation leader because she wanted to help incoming students and follow in her orientation leaders footsteps.
“I also remember how I felt as an incoming freshman scared, anxious but excited, and I wanted to use what I felt to help those students who were going to be feeling the same things,” Perez said.
When Perez was an orientation leader, she enjoyed the process of training and the week of orientation. During the training process she made friends with her fellow orientation leaders that she might not of if she did not participate in orientation.
“I liked going through orientation because I thought the activities were super fun and helped me connect with so many other students outside of my own orientation leader group,” Perez said.
Perez explains that as orientation coordinator’s they are responsible for planning and executing all of the orientation activities starting with training for the orientation leaders down to everything that goes into orientation week.
“I like to say that the OCs are the screenwriters, producers, and directors while the OLs are the actors that make the production come to life,” Perez said.
