���϶���Ƶ

Orientation 2023: A New Beginning and a Bittersweet End

As hundreds of first-year students arrived on campus to begin their college experience, Nidhi Kumar ’24 and Lucy Specht ’24, M’25 couldn’t help but reflect on their own undergraduate journey.

Kumar, a biology major, and Specht, a medical studies major in the physician assistant 3+2 year program, are this year’s Orientation student co-coordinators. They’ve spent the past eight-plus months and countless hours getting the program off the ground for first years in the Class of 2027.

Not only do Kumar and Specht share the title of co-coordinator, they’re also close friends and roommates. The two have tackled projects together in the past, including organizing a prom in June of 2022 for students who had missed out on the rite of passage due to COVID-19. But planning for Orientation was an entirely different endeavor.

They began their work back in January—compiling check lists and reflecting on previous Orientations to decide which direction they wanted to go in. Things kicked into high gear in April, when they narrowed down several options for the theme and eventually chose Road Trip: Begin Your Character Journey.

“College is a journey from start to finish. You’re going to graduate, but what happens in between is much more important.”

Nidhi Kumar ’24, a biology major and one of this year’s Orientation student co-coordinators

Kumar and Specht’s own Orientation experience was vastly different from the one they planned. They began their college journey during the COVID-19 pandemic, when social distancing and masking indoors were the norm. Still, both of their mentors made a big impact on them. Brianna Lonergan ’21, M’22 served as Specht’s mentor and helped guide her through the program.

“Before my interview for the job of mentor, we sat in the Character U office for two hours going over the practice interview questions,” Specht says. “Watching how my mentor helped me and how the mentors interacted with each other, I wanted to be a part of this.”

Kumar, who is from Massachusetts, credits her mentor—Lynsey Hunt ’22, M’24, a current graduate assistant at DeSales—with encouraging her to pursue a leadership role.

“Lynsey was the first person to say, ‘Hey, you seem like you would enjoy this, do you want to try out?’ Kumar says. “She would teach me the ins and outs of everything at DeSales. She was a great support system and one of the reasons I became a mentor.”

With their Character U journey winding down, Specht will turn her focus to the PA program, while Kumar will continue event planning as senior class president and studying for the MCATs. Both say staying structured is key to time management, and they encourage first years to embark on their own Character U journey.

“In college, you change so much,” Specht says. “The person I was when I came in and the person I am now are insanely different. Character U really helps you gain that confidence because you want to help new students integrate into DeSales culture and DeSales life.”

Adds Kumar: “Take the experience for what it is. Open yourself up and let it happen. The time goes by so much faster than you think. Yesterday, I was a first year. Today, I don’t know how I’m a senior. But I really found my people and really found my place here.”