First Year Student Reflection

By: Kelly Alvarado, Manager, First Year Experience Programs

Miguel Robledo, Freshman, Political Science, Brownsville, Texas

 

Your Zag’s story about creating a sense of belonging is unique. First Year Experience Programs (FYEP) is here to listen, support your student by connecting them to resources and challenge them to take the lead in creating their Zag story. Every Zag has the ability to be successful at Gonzaga University because they were selected through the admissions process to belong to our community. Whether your student is looking for assistance in academic tutoring, finding a softball team or ways to serve the community, FYEP will be able to get students on the right path, as long as they are ready to walk the path with us by their side. First Year Experience Programs is a great resource for all new Zags because we believe Orientation is a process, not an event and we are here all year to support your Zag. Stop by Crosby 101, follow us on social media @ZagFirstYear or contact us at firstyearexperience@gonzaga.edu, (509) 313-5501.

 

The department services consist of the following:

• Pre-Orientation Programs
• New Student Orientation
• How to Zag Extended Orientation
• Spark! – Sense of Belonging Workshop
• GUide Core – Peer Student Leaders

 

Freshman Miguel Robledo came to Gonzaga from Brownsville, Texas. He shares how he has transitioned and developed a sense of belonging at Gonzaga University.

No one in my family has attended college in the U.S. As the first to go to college, it has been more enjoyable than I thought it would be. The year has been full of positive growth. I’ve cherished countless memories from this freshman year. Whether it’s playing video games with the boys or hanging out and meeting other people on the weekends, it’s been really fun. Even the study groups are fun here at Gonzaga because everyone is so nice to each other.

I have to admit I was a bit hesitant coming all the way to Spokane, Washington. It was cold and, as a new kid coming to the Pacific Northwest, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was born and raised in deep South Texas. I had to learn how to stop slipping on the ice. I started cutting down the amounts of time I fell on the ice from four times a day to one to eventually being able to master the art of slipping and sliding while walking on snow and ice. I created such strong friendships and bonds with certain people in my residence hall. I know I’m going to have friends and people who I can count on when the going gets tough.

I want to say I learned how to manage my time, but that would be a lie. I’m still working on that aspect of college and every day is always a new day to look forward to a new challenge. There is always something you can do, something you can read, something you can work ahead on. At the end of the day, even if I wake up exhausted and drag my drowsy self over to my work study desk in First Year Experience Programs at 8 a.m. and don’t return to my room until the sun goes down, I love it here.

Gonzaga has welcomed me with these giant open arms. As a first-generation student, I couldn’t be more grateful. I have not had the experience, yet, of meeting somebody that goes to this school that is rude, or won’t try and help when I ask them for anything. I thought it was going to be a really small school in a small city and everyone that went here was going to be very reserved and keep to themselves. Time and time again, my friends come to my aid and help me when I feel down. I can’t go a single day at this school without a huge smile on my face because I know when I get back to my room, boots full of snow, I’m going to have a laugh.

 

Pre-Orientation Programs

Each fall, new students arrive at Gonzaga’s campus, eager to begin the orientation process and their time as a Zag. For some students, the journey begins a few days earlier at one of our optional, fee-based Pre-Orientation Programs that take place prior to New Student Orientation Weekend:

BRIDGE (Building Relationship in Diverse Gonzaga Environments) is hosted by the Unity Multicultural Education Center (UMEC) and is designed to assist students from multicultural and/or first-generation backgrounds with a smooth transition to Gonzaga University and the Spokane area.

First Year Retreat is hosted by University Ministry and invites incoming first-year students to connect with their peers while exploring the transition to college and how to become whole, dynamic and faithful followers of God.

Gonzaga Out of Bounds (GOOB) is hosted by Gonzaga Outdoors, the outdoor recreation program at GU. The GOOB programs are packed full of outdoor fun and adventure, with programs in both Spokane and Montana.

Reality Camp is hosted by the Center for Community Action and Service Learning (CCASL) and provides students with a five-day service immersion experience in the Spokane community, where they will be serving at local nonprofit organizations, learning about social justice and reflecting on their experiences.

Each Pre-Orientation Program provides incoming students with the opportunity to build relationships and connect to new Zags who have similar interests, helping ease the transition into college. The following reflections were written by four students who each participated in a Pre-Orientation Program and give great insight into what this experience is like for incoming students.

BRIDGE – Salvador Gutierrez Barcenas

I originally disregarded the option of attending a Pre-Orientation Program and planned on spending my last week of the summer relaxing at home. Fortunately, my mom, who also knew about the Pre-Orientation Programs, pushed me to apply for the BRIDGE program. As any good and obedient son would, I applied and, not to be biased, but this was the best decision I could have made before entering Gonzaga. BRIDGE has been fundamental in my growth as a student and a person. BRIDGE allowed me to embrace my different identities, embrace other peoples’ identities and ultimately discover that, although I am a person of color and first-generation student, I have so much power on this campus by using my voice. Through BRIDGE, I was able to meet new peers and create long lasting friendships, but it also exposed me to faculty/staff, and allowed me to get familiar with the Gonzaga community. One thing that I love about BRIDGE is that it is more than just a Pre-Orientation Program. Ultimately, BRIDGE is a family that supports me daily and makes sure I am thriving emotionally, academically, socially and as a person.

First Year Retreat – Ava Smith

The summer before my freshman year was one full of an immense excitement and nervousness as I looked forward to the beginning of my college experience. I found myself eagerly awaiting the year, anxious for it to start. I didn’t know how I was going to fit into the Gonzaga student body yet, but I knew that there was a place for me on campus. I was eager to find out what that place was, which was one of the reasons I signed up for the Pre-Orientation Program First Year Retreat, led by University Ministry that consisted of a few jam-packed days filled with laughter and bonding with new friends.

I found myself growing in my faith more than I had even expected, and meeting some of the most friendly, generous and kind people I’d ever met. The retreat’s staff and student leaders were so incredibly warm and welcoming, that within the first fifteen minutes of meeting them, I knew that I had made the right decision. The retreat was amazing, and I met so many people from the small group discussions to night-time bonding with everyone right before bed. Not to mention the peaceful beauty of the Bozarth Mansion, which gave me time to reflect and think about exactly what I wanted to get out of my experience at Gonzaga. I am still close to the friends I met at the retreat, and it gave me a great handful of friendly faces to recognize during my first few days on campus.

Gonzaga Out of Bounds (GOOB) – Madison Smith 

The nervousness, excitement, wonder, anxiousness, sadness, happiness and so many more emotions, were rushing through me as I boarded the plane to head to Spokane, Washington to start my Pre-Orientation Program, GOOB aka Gonzaga-Out-Of-Bounds. I was going to spend four days, with over 50 unknown Zags, in the woods, hundreds of miles away from my family. Is this what independence feels like? I flew up a week early, and my parents would arrive on Friday to start the Orientation activities with me. I remember the feeling as I turned my back to my dad and walked towards my gate – I was officially on my own. I felt a chill of excitement run through my body and a smile form on my face. Even though I felt like I was “on my own” in that moment, little did I know, I would never feel truly alone because of the incredible support that Gonzaga offers and how it would help me in my transition into college.

I arrived in Spokane and I was immediately welcomed by the incredible Gonzaga Outdoors staff. They were holding a huge Gonzaga banner, they were so excited to meet me, and even drove me and a few other “GOOBers” (the nickname for the students participating in the GOOB Pre-Orientation Program) to campus. I had never visited Gonzaga’s campus before, so I was in awe of how beautiful it was – I was also in awe because I literally knew where nothing was, including the residence hall I was supposed to be living in. But, have no fear, because just as I was struggling to find it, a fellow student came to my rescue and walked me all the way to my door. I dropped off my bags and then I was off to the woods.

The next four days were jam packed with white-water rafting, biking, hiking, countless adventures and bonding and laughs and new friends. I chose to participate in GOOB because I wanted to meet other students who valued adventure, nature and being open to new experiences. I found that, and so much more! Thanks to GOOB, I was able to walk into Orientation Weekend with peace of mind, having already gotten a taste of Gonzaga and 50 brand new friends to share it with. Thanks to GOOB, I learned that I could do anything! I could bike 30 miles in one day, I could face my fear of the cold and jump into a freezing glacier lake, I could start a week knowing zero people, and by the end of it, have developed friendships that I know would last a lifetime. It was the perfect way to start my first year at Gonzaga, and I am very grateful for the opportunity.

Reality Camp – JJ Middleton

Over the span of ten minutes, I went from a state of confusion to an eagerness about giving up a week of my summer, just so I could go to school earlier. Frankly, I was ignorant in thinking Pre-Orientation Programs were all about name games and info sessions which, as I learned, could not be further from the truth. It took a lot of persistence from my parents, but I finally read the descriptions and realized that the opportunity Reality Camp provided was, for lack of a better phrase, “super cool!” Throughout the course of the week, I was countlessly pushed out of my comfort zone and challenged to think about things in a different light. I met people at the different sites whose genuineness, happiness and state of well-being inspired me despite lacking things that I take for granted. I was so moved at one in particular, that I have been volunteering there twice a week since school started.

Looking back, my decision to attend Reality Camp was one of the best, if not the best, decision I have ever made. Not only was it a humbling and life changing experience, but within a few hours, I rested assured, knowing I was not going to be the subject of a story parents seem to always tell about students who had a hard time making friends and integrating into college. I might have only known the other campers for a week, but by the end of the week it certainly felt like I had known them forever. These are some of the friends that have made college truly amazing for me, and made Gonzaga feel like a home. 

 

For more information on each of the Pre-Orientation Programs, including dates and registration info, please visit www.gonzaga.edu/preorientation.