“I really wanted to be a friendly face for students when they got to campus,” said Sammy Hentrich, sophomore forestry major. “Coming to college is scary and having that one person you already know can make a big difference between feeling like you belong here or you don’t.”
Six CAFNR students were inspired to make a difference for new students as their first friendly face on campus and began the rigorous interview process last fall. After partner, group and individual interviews, Hentrich, Oliva Gill (sophomore, natural resource science and management), Sarah Riggins (junior, agricultural education), Salma Alamin (sophomore, biochemistry), Harleigh Lewis (junior, agricultural education), and Owen Neely (sophomore, biochemistry) were selected as Summer Welcome leaders.
As Summer Welcome leaders, their responsibilities, student groups and schedules changed every day, offering them the opportunity to communicate with a wide variety of students and parents in different ways.
“I think it’s really cool to get to inform people about what CAFNR is — because many people don’t have agriculture backgrounds. Telling people about the importance and diversity of all the majors in CAFNR, whether it’s biochemistry, animal sciences, etc., is vital because they all relate to feeding people and ensuring we have a healthy and sustainable world,” said Neely. “But it’s also cool and interesting to get to learn about the backgrounds of students and Summer Welcome leaders in other colleges and majors as well.”
Alamin hoped to not only reflect the diversity of CAFNR, with majors that could lead anywhere from a career in medicine to entrepreneurship, but also to welcome diverse students to a place they can call home.
“My favorite part is welcoming other POC [people of color] students to Mizzou,” said Alamin. “I love seeing black and brown students; people wearing religious symbols, and letting them know that Mizzou is a safe space and there is a community for you at Mizzou.”
Summer Welcome is where new Tigers can meet their first college friends, and the leaders help facilitate their groups as they get to know each other and step out of their shells.
“I love getting to see the relationships students build, whether I have aided in that or not,” said Gill. “I had a concerned student at the night party, but I was able to get her talking with another student and then could kind of leave them there, so getting to see those potentially lifelong friendships develop between students is the most fulfilling part of the job.”
The leaders learned it was important to make the parents feel at home on campus as well.
“They’re often scared and worried as well so it’s nice to reassure them that what they’re feeling is normal and everything will be fine,” said Riggins. “It’s normal to feel overwhelmed in this process for students and parents, but I like to reassure them that they’re going to make it.”
While the new students learn how to navigate campus, the Summer Welcome leaders learned how to manage hectic schedules, adapt their plans and take care of themselves so they could give the new students their best.
“As a future teacher I think it’s so vital for me to learn early on how to adapt my plan so that the students are being engaged and are having fun,” said Riggins. “They only get Summer Welcome once and they tell us as leaders all the time ‘this is their day one’ so we have to make that the best we can for them.”
Alamin agreed, and said she learned to match the students’ energy with each day and activity, fitting things like ice breakers and games to what her students wanted that day.
Hentrich learned to put herself out there for the students and be vulnerable and validate their concerns, but also to keep pushing herself to serve them.
“Even if I’ve had a super long day and we get to the night party, it’s important to make sure all my students are doing okay before I go to bed and just push that extra mile to be there for them,” she said.
While calming fears, leading ice breakers and giving information on campus and the Mizzou experience, the Summer Welcome leaders learned how to flex their communication styles to best serve the guests and new students on campus.
“Having one-on-one interactions with students or parents is extremely meaningful and can make more impact than just a presentation, so I’ve learned to intentionally seek out those one-on-one interactions,” said Neely. “Everyone has questions, but they won’t always ask them in the big group, so having those one-on-one interactions has been really special.”
Every CAFNR student who served as a leader this year would recommend the experience to any student in the college.
“You don’t have to be extroverted to apply; we have plenty of Summer Welcome leaders that are more introverted, and while you are people facing all the time it’s important to have those different personality types,” said Riggins. “Not everyone at college is extroverted all the time and they want new students to see everybody, whether they’re 100% extroverted or 100% introverted.”
“It sounds cheesy but making a difference, no matter how big or small, during the biggest transition of these students’ lives is amazing,” said Lewis. “I came from a very small school, and this was a huge jump for me, but I remember my Summer Welcome leader made me feel so comfortable the second I stepped on campus and I’m glad I got to do the same for others.”