Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community

What’s Your Best Advice for New Students? Orientation Leaders Share Their Thoughts

Wednesday, August 25, 2021, By Kathleen Haley
Share
Students

Welcome to campus as a new student! There’s a lot to learn and experience; take it all in. To help guide you in your new world, orientation leaders are among the many friendly faces on campus who make the transition a little easier.

Here’s some words of wisdom from orientation leaders who have forged their own paths and learned some lessons along the way.

David Anthony Barbier Jr. ’23, of Miami

head shot

David Anthony Barbier Jr.

“There’s no limit to what you can achieve here at SU and beyond. The worst thing someone can tell you is ‘no.’

“With a combination of hard work, an incredible support system and faith in yourself literally anything is possible.”

 

 

 

 

 

Ronald B. Ditchek ’23, of Brooklyn, New York

head shot

Ronald B. Ditchek

“When I was a first-year student, I was very nervous to meet and make new friends. I was so used to my social life during high school and leaving that was definitely a challenge. I got to SU for the Hillel Freshfest program one night, and the people there taught me an important lesson: never be afraid to meet new people because they are on the same boat as you!

“That’s my advice I can give to first-year students, in which people are so willing to connect with you because they are feeling the same way of wanting to make new friends that will help them adapt to a new environment. This piece of advice I took to my residence hall that same night, then to the many organizations I signed up for, then to the classroom and so on. Ultimately, spread your wings out because you’ll never know who you’re going to meet that will end up impacting your life forever!”

 

Tawny Hawthorne ’24, of Chicago

head shot

Tawny Hawthorne

“Don’t be afraid to try things and meet new people. Text people on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, whatever you use.

“Go to the involvement fair. Just try things so that you can find your people and make college the best experience for you.”

 

 

 

 

 

Olivia Henderson ’23, of Atlanta

head shot

Olivia Henderson

“Try not to see things as wasted time or wasted opportunities.

“Instead, be grateful that you were able to experience something and form your own opinion about it rather than always wondering ‘What if?’ or basing your opinion off of another person’s experience.

“Allow everything in college to help you discover who you are and also who you aren’t.”

 

 

 

Riley Wall ’24, of Rochester, New York

head shot

Riley Wall

“Do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. College is a time for personal growth where you can learn a lot about yourself and meeting new people and undergoing new experiences is an excellent way to achieve that.

“Best of luck this semester and throughout your entire time here at SU and most importantly enjoy it!

“Go Orange and Good Luck!”

  • Author

Kathleen Haley

  • Recent
  • Mary E. Graham Appointed Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs in Falk College
    Wednesday, November 29, 2023, By Valerie Pietra
  • New Research on Veterans With Less Than Honorable Discharges
    Wednesday, November 29, 2023, By Vanessa Marquette
  • College of Law Introduces First Joint JD/LLM Degree in Advocacy and Litigation
    Wednesday, November 29, 2023, By Robert Conrad
  • Syracuse Views Fall 2023
    Wednesday, November 29, 2023, By Christine Weber
  • Professor’s Take on Biden Skipping COP28 Climate Summit
    Tuesday, November 28, 2023, By Vanessa Marquette

More In Campus & Community

Mary E. Graham Appointed Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs in Falk College

Mary E. Graham, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Sport Management, has been named Falk College associate dean of faculty affairs effective Jan. 2, 2024. This newly created leadership position reports to Falk College Dean Jeremy Jordan and is dedicated…

Syracuse University Taps Fran Brown, Nation’s No. 1 Recruiter, to Lead Orange Football

The nation’s top recruiter, a member of the 2022 College Football National Championship coaching staff and a New Jersey native, will soon take the helm of Orange Football. Today, Director of Athletics John Wildhack announced that Fran Brown, currently defensive…

Indigenous Studies Researcher Advises the United Nations on Inequalities in Food Security and Nutrition

Mariaelena Huambachano is an Indigenous scholar, native to Peru, with Quechua ancestry, who also lived for many years in Aotearoa, the Indigenous name for New Zealand. There she completed her undergraduate and graduate studies and formed long-lasting relationships with Māori, the…

New Intelligence++ Ventures Initiative

Syracuse University Libraries is launching a new Intelligence++ Ventures initiative, thanks to a generous donation from Gianfranco Zaccai ’70 H’09 and the Zaccai Foundation for Augmented Intelligence (Intelligence++™). The Intelligence++ Ventures initiative is an extension of the Intelligence++ program that launched…

Verizon Wireless Customers First to Access New State-of-the-Art 5G Network at JMA Wireless Dome

With the 2023-24 men’s and women’s basketball seasons now underway, Orange fans with Verizon Wireless can now access the new state-of-the-art 5G system at Syracuse University’s JMA Wireless Dome. Syracuse University is actively working with AT&T and T-Mobile to make…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2023 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.