The Orientation Team is currently developing their group of orientation leaders for the upcoming academic year. New Student Orientation is a three-day process that introduces incoming first-years to other members of their class, the campus and important information about life at Fordham University with the goal of making the transition to college a smoother process.
The orientation team is responsible for preparing many of the key events that students remember as hallmarks of New Student Orientation, such as the carnival, Glow Rams and the candle lighting ceremony that happens on the day of move-in. While these events are planned during the summer, the orientation team is currently focusing on a more basic step — Orientation Leader recruitment.
Preparation for orientation starts in the spring when the orientation team begins to recruit Orientation Leaders (OL). The team oversees outreach to the student body through extensive marketing through information sessions, flyers and their Instagram, @orient_RH. OLs are responsible for leading small groups of roughly 10 first-years in icebreakers and group activities, as well as directing first-years around campus and providing them with important resources.
“As our application was just released, we are super early on in our recruitment cycle. However, we are hoping to get around 270-300 applicants who are passionate about becoming leaders,” said Aidan Briggs, orientation coordinator for staff training and development.
Applicants must submit an application and complete an interview in order to be considered. Briggs notes that the process is thorough in order to admit students who are good representatives of the university. This year, the team is looking for candidates who can serve as strong role models for the incoming class.
“In our Orientation Leaders, we are looking for eager, excited and passionate students who care about Fordham and embody the school’s virtues,” Briggs explained. “Orientation is a collaborative effort, so we are looking for students who are cooperative and are able to adapt to changes.” Accepted orientation leaders attend training sessions in the spring semester and a week-long training week that directly precedes New Student Orientation.
Jayden Curtis, FCRH ’25, explained how her experience during first-year orientation motivated her to become an orientation leader herself.
“It was my own Orientation Leaders that originally inspired me to become an OL. They welcomed me into the Fordham community and helped me get adjusted during my first few weeks of college. Their guidance inspired me to want to be a positive influence for the new students, and to help them in the same way that my OLs helped me.”
Many applicants, including Curtis, have previously served as orientation leaders in the past and are looking to serve as captains this year. Orientation Captains are responsible for OL training, where they lead a small group of orientation leaders in the week leading up to New Student Orientation.
“We do get a lot of returning OLs, as orientation is an extremely rewarding and important experience that is the highlight of a lot of students’ years here at Fordham. The returning OLs often choose to apply to be captains, in order to take on a little bit more responsibility and lead a group of OLs during training week,” said Briggs.
Curtis looks back on her experience as an orientation leader with fondness and recommends the opportunity to other students.
“Being an OL is a great way to get involved and connected at Fordham, as you have the chance to meet a diverse group of people, learn more about the school and discover new opportunities to be a part of. Also, it is a great way to be involved in something meaningful and to give back to your community. It is so rewarding to see and chat with some of my previous students around campus, and to know I had a part in positively influencing their first moments at Fordham.”
The Orientation Team is currently accepting applications to be an orientation leader through Feb. 26. The application can be found online and questions can be directed to [email protected].
