Abigail Ormsby Competes With Georgia Southern University SOAR Team To Win Regional Awards

2014 Mar 20

Georgia Southern's Orientation, Advisement and Registration (SOAR) team earned two awards recently during the Southern Regional Orientation Workshop (SROW) in Clemson, S.C. The 2014 SOAR Team is comprised of 24 undergraduate student leaders who help orient new students and their families to Georgia Southern during the summer SOAR sessions. SOAR Leaders serve as role models for new students by helping them register for classes, preparing them for college level academics and informing parents about Georgia Southern services.

SROW is a regional conference through the Association for Orientation, Transition and Retention in Higher Education (NODA) attended by undergraduate orientation leaders, graduate students and orientation professionals.

More than 2,000 people from 80 institutions across the Southeast gathered at Clemson University to learn about other orientation programs, student leadership, teamwork, diversity and acceptance, student and family transition and to showcase school pride.

Abigail Ormsby from Woodstock, GA competed as part of the 2014 SOAR Team.

The SOAR Team won the community service project for a mid-sized institution for their efforts in donating hundreds of items to the Foothills Alliance Organization, a program focused on providing support for survivors of child abuse and sexual assault. Returning SOAR Leaders Jacoby Carpenter and Sarah Sandbach competed in the undergraduate student case study. Their discussion centered on how they would advise a student who had been a member of their small group during orientation and found herself in an uncomfortable situation later in the fall semester. Carpenter and Sandbach received the award for Best Communication in their case study presentation.

SOAR Leaders Kristina Agbebiyi, Sophia Braun, Jonathan Bush, Drew Whaley and James Woodall presented an educational session called "#SouthernsHospitality," where they discussed the importance of hospitality and customer service in orientation programs in order to make new students feel welcomed.

The professional staff from the Office of Orientation and Parent Programs presented an educational session titled "#JobSearchProbs." During this session, Erin Butler, Logan Franks and Alton Standifer discussed what the job search process looks like for those choosing to go into the field of higher education and presented attendees with tips and tricks to find the perfect position.

The SOAR Team also competed in a banner, t-shirt, song, and spirit competition and proudly represented the University, building relationships with other orientation leaders.

Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers 125 degree programs serving more than 20,500 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered approach to education. Visit: www.georgiasouthern.edu.