Catching Up With UArts First Year Guides
March 3, 2020
Making the transition from high school to college can be an intimidating experience. Luckily, UArts’ First Year Guides (FYGs) make that transition a lot easier. FYGs welcome new students to the UArts community at New Student Orientation, where they are assigned a group of incoming students. The FYGs reach out to their assigned group throughout the semester and participate in First-Year Student programming, which helps freshmen with the transition from high school to college. In addition to these responsibilities, FYGs serve as UArts Day leaders to ensure UArts Day is a success. We interviewed a few of the FYGs to ask about their experiences in the program and the advice they have for students who are interested in leadership opportunities on campus.
Many of the FYGs we spoke to chose to apply to the position after their own positive experiences during Orientation. Chae Harris ’22 (Music Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology) told us that she applied because the FYGs made her feel welcome on campus her freshman year. “There were always people outside clapping for us,” she said. “They made [the orientation experience] a lot easier for me."
Other FYGs applied because they were drawn to the leadership opportunity. “You get to be that person that people look up to,” Nick Steinman ’20 (Painting) told us. “Being in charge of 25 new students was a challenge, but a great challenge, in terms of being able to get to know everybody and [being] confident [in] making a lot of new friends.”
A large part of the FYGs’ role includes fostering relationships with freshmen during First-Year Student programming by keeping in touch with their assigned group, so we asked FYGs what advice they would give to the incoming class of 2024. “Everyone is as embarrassed of themselves as you are,” said Christina Carelli ’21 (Acting). Carelli continued that “you can find really good friends at Orientation” by bonding over those shared experiences.
Steinman agreed. “Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Don’t be afraid to say what you feel,” he said. “Be aware of who you are and where you are. You know what you’re good at. You know why you’re here.”
FYGs not only impact first-year students’ experiences, but they also impact each other’s lives, forming bonds that last beyond their time at UArts. When asked about her favorite part of being a FYG, Kashmir Reed ’22 (Musical Theater) highlighted the connection with other FYGs and Campus Life staff. “Everybody that works in Campus Life is so great. Everyone here is so dedicated.”
Marchaina Roscoe ’20 (Music Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology) said the position allowed her to get “to know new people with different backgrounds and perspectives. It helped to open my mind more and learn through the lens[es] of other experiences.”
"You know what you’re good at. You know why you’re here.”
Becoming FYGs also gives students valuable transferrable skills to take into their careers. Carelli told us that she plans to teach in the future, and the mentorship skills she learned as a FYG will help her reach her career goal. Being a FYG is “a great way to learn how to build connections and have conversations with people you wouldn’t normally [interact with].”
When asked what advice he’d have for anyone who wants to be a FYG, Peter Hoefler ’22 (Musical Theater) told us, “Really just be yourself and showcase your personality [during the interview process]. They’re looking for people who can represent this school and be a leader. You don’t have to be super-extroverted; leaders come in all shapes and sizes.”