Maryland by Julia

Maryland by Julia - December 2016 Scholarship Essay

As she hands me the stuffed bear wearing a Temple University sweatshirt, she says “thank you for making me fall in love with Temple and answering all of my questions about college. I am so lucky that I was in your orientation group and I couldn’t have asked for a better leader.” This is the moment that I recognized the genuine impact that I was able to have on each of the students in my groups throughout the summer as an Orientation Leader. The school accomplishment that I am most proud of is the safe and comfortable atmosphere that I established for incoming college students that set the tone for the rest of their college experience.

Recognized as one of the toughest and most competitive student positions to obtain at Temple, I was initially intimidated by the three-part application process to become one of 35 orientation leaders out of over 300 that applied. I knew that my outgoing personality and passion for helping people reach their full potential made me a competitive applicant, and I was ecstatic when I read the email headline “Congratulations on Your Selection!” Little did I know that my experience would be so much more than facilitating icebreaker activities and escorting students and parents around campus. The best summer of my life consisted of making meaningful connections with my fellow orientation leaders and professional staff, serving as a role model for incoming students, and becoming a confident and resilient leader. I took so much pride in serving as a mentor to incoming students and easing their concerns by answering their questions and making myself available to them even after the orientation process. Through this role, I was able to give back to a community that contributed so much to my personal growth and success.