A Warm Welcome

Lauren Courtney ’09 recently served as the head orientation leader at this year’s summer orientation program at Holy Cross, which means she shepherded the incoming class on their first steps toward establishing a successful college career.

For the past three years, Courtney has worked as an orientation leader. When she is shown a 2005 photo of herself during her own orientation session, she stares with astonishment.

“I was so nervous,” she says, with a wide smile. “Honestly, it’s unbelievable to think that three years ago this is where I was, all of which makes me even more passionate telling these incoming students to make the best of all these opportunities to get involved. I wouldn’t have expected three years ago to be where I am now. It’s an entire growing and learning experience.”

Courtney, from Ashland, says she knew she wanted to be one of the 24 orientation leaders just minutes into her own orientation. They looked like they were having fun, and she appreciated their warm welcome to Holy Cross, she recalls.

“I can still remember when I was in the audience in the Hogan Ballroom when the orientation leaders were giving their introductions about themselves and citing the things they loved. It was the idea of being relatable — she likes Disney, he likes humor, stuff like that. I enjoy having a good time and I could see myself helping people become comfortable and making the transition,” she says.

“That was just at the beginning of the orientation — you can imagine how unbelievably enthusiastic I was about the rest of the program.”

It didn’t come as a surprise to Courtney, who is on the women’s track and field, that she gravitated toward wanting to help others before even beginning her first academic year at Holy Cross. A psychology major, she worked as a camp counselor for 11 years and believes that most everyone can be motivated and has leadership potential.

“It’s not always going to be people who surface to the top,” she explains. “Sometimes it’s a matter of finding those students. Brenda [Hounsell Sullivan, director of Orientation, Transition and Leadership] finds the hidden leaders, and I think that’s wonderful. What can they do for this community? What are you motivated by? What do you want to get passionate about?”

Indeed, one of the main goals of Gateways Orientation is to encourage students, who have different interests, to seize the many opportunities available at Holy Cross — inside and outside the classroom.

“There are so many different people with so many stories and Gateways helps them make a deep connection to the College before even beginning their studies,” she says. “It really widens and broadens their experience, and prevents them from just going through the motions of college life.”

Related Information:

• Read more about the Gateways Orientation Program and the 2008 summer orientation leaders