Nigel Turner Jr., a sophomore from Raytown, Missouri, majoring in biochemistry, served as a Summer Welcome Leader.
Q: How did you get interested in being a Summer Welcome leader?
A: I got interested in Summer Welcome because I’m doing research on campus for the
summer, and I wanted to do something outside of that for variety. Then I found the
Summer Welcome program and saw how fun it looked, and the community it built, so I took the
risk and applied.
Q: What was your favorite or most rewarding part of your work this summer?
A: I think I can speak for most Summer Welcome Leaders when I say that the most rewarding
part of the summer was making connections with students in your group. It’s so rewarding to be
able to answer specific questions or concerns after finding out that your student group has the
same dorm you did, or a student has the same major as you.
Q: What was the most challenging part of this summer or your biggest learning experience?
A: Honestly, the hardest part of summer was student groups. I spent most of my time during
the year interacting with others in small groups, so actually leading a group and facilitating those
interactions was a very big change. It wasn’t difficult after I got out of my head about it though!
Q: How has your time in CAFNR prepared you to be a good Summer Welcome Leader?
A: My time in CAFNR had prepared me by making sure that I know a lot of faculty around
campus that are great resources. When I couldn’t answer specific questions about research or pre-health advising, I could give my students contacts to people that could help them out.
Q: What advice would you give another CAFNR student who was interested in becoming a Summer Welcome Leader?
A: The biggest advice is just to believe in yourself. Honesty, I walked out of my first interview feeling like I bombed it and wouldn’t get another one, but I ended up making it! The biggest thing to remember is that they’re looking for a perfect team and not the “perfect person”. Even if you don’t feel like you’d be perfect, you don’t have to be perfect to be part of the perfect team!