For some incoming students, acclimation to UVA can take some time. That’s what makes summer orientation so valuable, according to orientation leader Casey Anglin.
“I loved my orientation experience,” said Anglin, a rising third-year nursing student from Virginia Beach. “It made me a lot more comfortable and excited about coming to UVA. I wanted to create that similar experience for someone else.”
Anglin met the person who has turned out to be her best friend at UVA on the first night of orientation, while dancing in a Zumba exercise class at the Aquatics and Fitness Center. “It was a really great way to start relationships,” she said.
Lily Roberts, an incoming first-year from Williamsburg, said the orientation experience has built on the good vibes she experienced at “Days on the Lawn” in the spring. It was there where she made the decision to choose UVA over the University of North Carolina and The College of William & Mary, where her mom teaches.
“I went to the exploring-the-arts session,” she said. “I heard about the dance and architecture programs and said, ‘OK, I’m coming here.’ I decided before I even left the session.”
Roberts said the most “impactful” part of Tuesday’s events was listening to orientation leaders discuss their experiences in a forum called “I Am UVA.”