NODAC 2013.
This past week, I attended the national orientation conference in San Antonio, Texas. Yes, there is an annual conference for us folks who give our lives our to the world of orientating, transitioning, and retaining new students. And you thought being an orientation leader was just a college thing. Nope!
It was my first time attending the national conference and meeting orientation professionals from all over the country (with representation from some other countries as well)! Looking back, it's hard to believe that it was over 10 years ago that I first served as a Peer Assistant (PA) at Rhodes in the summer of 2002. That first experience as an orientation leader led to a second summer as an Orientation Coordinator (OC), a third summer as the orientation intern, and a realization that a career in the field was my calling. Eleven years later, I'm finally working full-time in an orientation office charged with providing superior transition programs for our incoming new students every year.
But back to the conference...
I can't say with certainty that this was my first visit to San Antonio but since I cannot recall with specificity when I may have been there before, we'll go with it as my first! We stayed in a beautiful hotel around the corner from the Alamo and the River Walk. Sadly, I spent almost the entirety of my time in the city in the conference hotel attending sessions. But I did venture out on the River Walk for dinner each night and appreciated being a tourist for a brief time.
The conference was good for both my professional and personal soul. I was lucky to re-connect with some of my grad school friends and meet many newer graduates who came after me. Our CSAA network is strong and I'm lucky to be part of this wonderful group.
Looking forward to Orlando next year!
Cheers.
It was my first time attending the national conference and meeting orientation professionals from all over the country (with representation from some other countries as well)! Looking back, it's hard to believe that it was over 10 years ago that I first served as a Peer Assistant (PA) at Rhodes in the summer of 2002. That first experience as an orientation leader led to a second summer as an Orientation Coordinator (OC), a third summer as the orientation intern, and a realization that a career in the field was my calling. Eleven years later, I'm finally working full-time in an orientation office charged with providing superior transition programs for our incoming new students every year.
But back to the conference...
I can't say with certainty that this was my first visit to San Antonio but since I cannot recall with specificity when I may have been there before, we'll go with it as my first! We stayed in a beautiful hotel around the corner from the Alamo and the River Walk. Sadly, I spent almost the entirety of my time in the city in the conference hotel attending sessions. But I did venture out on the River Walk for dinner each night and appreciated being a tourist for a brief time.
Aside from sessions, one of my favorite moments of the conference was attending the Authors Luncheon sponsored by two publishing companies. Everyone in attendance picked up the five books above FOR FREE and the authors were all present to give a brief overview of their story in the hopes we would select their book as the next common reading book on our campuses. Each story was so completely different from the next. From a farmer who teaches leadership and sustainability in an urban setting and the daughter of a political figure in Cambodia who survived the the Pol Pot regime to a former solider, a businessman turned social activist, and one of the West Memphis three who spent 18 years in prison for a crime he was recently acquitted of, the stories we heard were powerful.
Even the trip home included some adventure as the Dallas airport was temporarily shut down as President Obama and Air Force One landed right before our eyes. Very cool to see in person (even though it created a slight delay in getting home).
The conference was good for both my professional and personal soul. I was lucky to re-connect with some of my grad school friends and meet many newer graduates who came after me. Our CSAA network is strong and I'm lucky to be part of this wonderful group.
Looking forward to Orlando next year!
Cheers.
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