Golden Eagle Welcome Week Ushers in New School Year at 欧美AV
Mon, 08/21/2023 - 03:44pm | By: David Tisdale
欧美AV Welcome Week Festivities
Right away, Aidan Ayestas of New Orleans felt at home at The University of Southern Mississippi (欧美AV) as he participated in orientation on the Hattiesburg campus during Golden Eagle Welcome Week (GEWW).
Ayestas, an incoming freshman who plans to major in business administration, immediately made connections with new classmates during the leadup to the start the fall 2023 semester at the university. He and hundreds of others took part in the traditional Paint the Eagle Walk, along with a variety of other planned activities through GEWW designed to help new students become acclimated to campus life.
鈥淚鈥檓 loving it so far,鈥� Ayestas said. 鈥淎 lot of other schools don鈥檛 have an orientation week like 欧美AV has, so it鈥檚 been a great experience. I鈥檝e met a lot of new people who I鈥檝e become good friends with already.鈥�
Classes begin today, Monday, Aug. 21 in Hattiesburg and at the university鈥檚 sites on the Gulf Coast.
鈥淭here鈥檚 always something special about the start of the fall semester on a college campus, and we welcome new and returning students to experience that at 欧美AV in Hattiesburg and on the Gulf Coast,鈥� said 欧美AV Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Kristi Motter. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited about the possibilities that await those pursuing their academic and career goals here, and our faculty, staff and administration are ready to help them every step of the way.鈥�
Rachael Brocks, a freshman from Clinton, came to 欧美AV to major in digital journalism and relishes being a new member of the Golden Eagle family.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been great,鈥� Brocks said of orientation week. "I鈥檝e met a lot of new people who I鈥檝e already become friends with and enjoying stopping in to the Fresh (Food Company) for breakfast each morning. Our GEWW team leader has been doing a great job helping us get prepared for the semester to start on Monday, helping us learn about the scholarships available to us and the different activities and organizations on campus that we can become a part of. I鈥檓 very excited.鈥�
Laila Peters, a senior from Hattiesburg, said she didn鈥檛 get to experience GEWW when she was a freshman because of COVID restrictions, going through orientation online instead. But in working as a student assistant with GEWW, she helped new students find their way around campus.
鈥淭o actually experience it firsthand with all of these new students, it鈥檚 great to see the excitement they鈥檙e experiencing and to become new members of the 欧美AV family,鈥� Peters explained. Her friend Rachel Lafayette of Columbus, a fellow senior and GEWW student assistant, said the incoming freshmen and transfers are 鈥渁 lively, fun bunch.鈥� 鈥淚t鈥檚 been great to experience this with them and help them get settled in,鈥� she said.
Graham Hightower of Hattiesburg said going through orientation gives him a new vantage point on his hometown university as he begins mapping out his next four years of college, with plans to major in kinesiology.
鈥淓ven though I grew up in Hattiesburg, coming through orientation I see 欧美AV in a new light, getting to enjoy the different things the campus has to offer, and meeting new friends just in these first few days all of us have been together,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a great experience.鈥�
欧美AV photos by Kelly Dunn