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June 13, 2008
Orientation Leaders introduce Class of 2012 to college life
Fourteen student leaders help incoming students join the Bryant community.
Sarah Dolny ’11 (Shelton, CT) will never forget how inspired she was by Bryant’s Orientation Leaders (OL) when she came to campus as a first-year student last summer.
“It was clear that each OL genuinely loves Bryant,” says Dolny. “They were honest, accepting, and helpful with everything from explaining to me where everything was to helping me register for classes.”
Now she will serve as an OL for the incoming class.
“I jumped at the opportunity to share my enthusiasm about Bryant,” says Dolny. “I’ve had some amazing experiences and opportunities during my first year.”
 
(Photo on the left) Sarah Dolny ’11 (Shelton, CT) and (photo on the right) Kristin Munger ’11 (Hopkinton, MA).
Over the next two weeks, Dolny and her 13 fellow Orientation Leaders will meet more than 800 students from the Class of 2012 during four, two-day orientation sessions.
The program will give the incoming students – and their parents – a firsthand introduction into campus life, and each student will leave campus with their class schedule for the fall semester. For many of the students, it will be the first time they spend a night on campus.
Like Dolny, Kristin Munger ’11 (Hopkinton, MA) said her Orientation experience was unforgettable. “I had so much fun, and those two days helped me feel more comfortable with the idea of coming to Bryant,” she says. “I became an Orientation Leader to show off my school and get the parents and students excited about the opportunities at Bryant.”
Ryan Letourneau ’11 (Holden, MA) says Orientation helps the students understand that they are not the only ones who might be feeling anxious about starting college.
 
(Photo on the left) Ryan Letourneau ’11 (Holden, MA) and (photo on the right) Kelly O’Connell ’09 (Whitman, MA).
“Everyone is just as nervous as you are,” says Letourneau. “It is important for students to realize that college is a clean slate. It doesn’t matter where you are from or what you have done, it matters where you will go and what you will do.”
Kelly O’Connell ’09 (Whitman, MA) remembers being a bit uneasy about starting college. Those fears were quickly allayed when she began interacting with her fellow classmates.
“My goal is to help make students and their parents feel comfortable and teach them about all the things Bryant has to offer,” says O’Connell.
Meghan Aloisio ’10 (Gloucester, MA) says she wanted to become an Orientation Leader because of the positive impact the program had on her. The “Can We Talk” skit put on by the Orientation Leaders about topics such as switching a major, a changing relationship with parents, or roommate issues helped address some of the concerns she had. The students also had the chance to ask the OLs questions about college life.
 
(Photo on the left) Meghan Aloisio ’10 (Gloucester, MA) and (photo on the right) Scott Twardowski ’11 (Rehoboth, MA).
“Some of the questions my classmates asked were things I was also thinking of, and it was great to get a student’s point of view on the things I was concerned about,” says Aloisio.
Scott Twardowski ’11 (Rehoboth, MA) adds, “Orientation is very important because it introduces students to initial challenges like how to communicate with a roommate or living away from home.”
Jessica Komoroski ’11 (West Islip, NY) encourages students to come to Orientation with an open mind. “College is about discovering and defining yourself,” she says.
Jessica Komoroski ’11 (West Islip, NY)
As the students drive off campus at the end of their second day, Komoroski hopes they feel prepared and excited about their first semester.
“Orientation can be the starting point for a lifetime of opportunities and future successes,” she says.
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