College is the beginning of many new experiences. Difficult challenges such as living on your own, sharing a room, deciding a major, and meeting new friends aren’t always as easy as they seem.
By scrambling over rocks on an 8.8 mile hike, canoeing eight miles down a river, and helping preserve trails in the Shenandoah National Park, 20 incoming freshmen chose to jumpstart their college experience in a positive way.
Elon’s Discovery Program, a first-year summer program of the Office of New Student Orientation, familiarizes incoming students with Elon’s campus and helps them develop leadership and team-building skills before they begin in the fall. This year, the program was led by student facilitators Stephen Rusterholz ’12 and Sarah Baig ’12, advised by Emily Ivey, Director of Orientation, and Denard Jones, Associate Director of Admissions.
On June 21, 2009, within minutes of arriving on campus, the new students quickly learned how to trust and depend on one another while participating on the Elon Low ropes Challenge Course. Here, they learned concepts that would bring them together for a positive week.
Discovery’s traveled to Luray, Va., in the Shenandoah Valley and conquered the trails of Old Rag Mountain. Accompanied by their student facilitators and advisors, the group hiked nearly nine miles, working together through a rock scramble to a 3,291 foot summit, where they encountered some of the most beautiful scenery Virginia and the East Coast has to offer. Participants also strengthened communication skills during an 8 mile canoe ride down the Shenandoah River and explored the history of the local Luray Caverns.
Amidst developing leadership and teamwork skills, the Discovery program served the local community, removing invasive plant species near the Appalachian Trail in the Shenandoah National Park. Students remove plants that are not native to the area, pulling Oriental Lady’s Thumb, Japanese stiltgrass, garlic mustard, and cutting bittersweet vine.
Helping preserve the park’s native plants proved to be important, as only days before Discovery, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Virginia first lady Anne Holton volunteered with youth groups pulling the same plants. Their help was a part of Obama’s national campaign “United We Serve.”
Beyond adventures through the wilderness and service, student facilitators sat down with the new students and guided them on discussions of various topics, ranging from involvement opportunities, the Elon Honor Code, academic rigor, and being an active contributor in the Elon Community.
“I was amazed at how everyone was willing to help me on the hike,” said Brittany Wheatley, a new student from Delaware. “I knew that the hike would be challenging, but with all the encouragement I got from everyone, I learned the value of working together.”
Despite only spending one week with each other, the students gained trust and formed friendships that would last forever. “While at dinner the first night, I sat down next to someone I had never met before, we introduced ourselves, and a week later we’re great friends. Being put in a situation like discovery brings people closer together,” said Bill Powers of Cary, N.C.
“Discovery was a great way to not only challenge yourself but to make close friendships with a group of people that will last a lifetime,” said Melissa Deaton of Elon, N.C.
Determination, and pushing through obstacles, helped each participant realize that even though college is a significant transition, they have 19 other new friends who will be a support during their transition.
For these 20 freshmen getting ready to start a new chapter in their life, Discovery helped ease worries about roommates, forming friendships, and learning about academic expectations before coming to Elon. In a way, their first glimpse at college life was a discovery, through leadership, service, discussion, and teamwork.
The program not only helped jumpstart the journey into college, but pointed the students in a direction that Elon will continue to guide them through their next four years at the University. A new chapter started, but the rest of the book has yet to be written.