This month, I had the chance to relive the magic of Imagine Day through my role as a Senior Orientation Leader. The day began with a 6:30 AM wakeup that was much less painful than expected. All the leaders arrived bright and early to check-in, deck themselves in green face paint, and head over to Wesbrook Field to meet our incoming students.
The excitement was palpable as students began trickling in to learn from faculty and other students about KIN campus life. The day began with a hearty welcome by Dr. Robert Boushel (our O-Prof and Director of the School). This was followed by valuable sessions on ‘Transfer Student Information’ and ‘Experiential Learning’. This portion of the day concluded with a fun lunch outside of Osborne with interesting info booths and student-led chants before the Imagine groups went on their ‘My Campus Experience’ tours.
Two of my favourite moments during Imagine Day included the Transfer Info Session, with Dr. Paul Kennedy and the Kin Advising Team, who led a wonderful and reassuring conversation to get students thinking about how they might make the most out of their UBC degree. Professor Kennedy’s puppy supervising our session was the absolute cherry on top! It was very cool to see everybody mingling outside of Osborne during lunch. There were first-years, transfers, profs, Bodyworks and Active Kids staff, the KUS, Orientation Leaders (OLs), and my Senior OL team… various pockets of the KIN community represented all at once! I also had the best time going up to the roof of Osborne to film our Kin Coaster cheer for @ubckin’s Instagram story. Since attending my own KIN Imagine Day 2 years ago, I have always wanted to see what the sea of green looked like from above – I finally got to live that dream, and the view from the rooftop was everything I hyped it up to be in my head! This is an invitation to all students to volunteer as an OL at some point!
Being involved in Imagine Day has been incredibly empowering and valuable for my own growth. From developing organizational and communication skills to learning more about the importance of flexibility and collaboration, I have gained leadership insights that I plan to carry far beyond my undergraduate degree. The most important lesson I am taking away from this role is to always approach individuals with a curiosity about who they are and what they bring to the present in the moment. I used to think orientations were all about providing ‘words of wisdom’ or ‘helping’ new students find their way. I now understand that acknowledging an incoming student’s unique interests and abilities is one of the most valuable things I can offer them. As someone who loves connecting with others, I cannot describe how rewarding this role was for me. For anyone who shares a similar interest, I would highly recommend getting involved with Imagine Day or any of the other orientation activities that UBC Kin has to offer! Thank you to our leader and KIN Student Engagement Officer, Emily Speidel, the OL team, and the Kin community for such an amazing Imagine Day experience.
– Rebecca Tsow, 4th Year Kin, Imagine Day Senior Orientation Leader