As hundreds of incoming freshmen prepare to arrive on Marshall’s campus for orientation, a much smaller group of students is already there, preparing to make their introduction to the university as memorable as possible.
Beyonce Carter is one of a handful of students who is tasked with guiding new students and their families around campus this summer. During the semester, one might recognize her as a social work student, but over the summer, she is known as an orientation leader.
While some students may be working the late-night shift to make money while school is not in session, Carter’s day starts early and – since her face is one of the first to greet newcomers upon their arrival – with a smile.
“I’m very much a people’s person,” Carter said. “I can pretty much talk to anyone and make new friends with anyone, so I think of orientation as a way to do that.”
After making a few new friends and helping them get their day started, Carter heads over to the Performing Arts Center for the first event of the day: the student panel discussion.
Sitting in front of a large crowd of unfamiliar faces may seem daunting for some, but this senior student said she thinks of her position as a platform for simply sharing her story.
“I don’t even see it as a job, you know?” Carter said. “I’m just telling the truth about Marshall. I’m letting them know my experience, so there’s not really many nerves or much pressure that comes with it because it really is my true experience.”
“I really have come to love Marshall, so I want everyone to have that same experience as well,” she added.
The rest of Carter’s day consists of everything from leading students to get their schedules to helping set up their IDs to taking them on a campus tour to her favorite part of the day, the recently added trivia game in which groups compete to find out who knows the most about Marshall.
However, orientation is not just a one-day event for the leaders, as Carter said preparation begins far in advance.
“For student workers working at the Welcome Center, we start making bags and buttons for students about a couple months before orientation even starts, so it’s an all summer thing for us,” she said.
Orientation leaders also spend the time leading up to orientation in training with different resources on campus in order to answer the many questions that come their way when new students and parents arrive, Carter said.
Embodying the university’s values is perhaps the largest part of the job, yet Carter said it’s something that isn’t necessarily taught.
“We’re a big family here at Marshall, so we’re giving them that big Marshall family welcome and making sure they’re ready for the next four years.”
Baylee Parsons can be contacted at [email protected].
