Students are eligible if they have completed at least two semesters at IU Bloomington, maintained a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.3 and completed the class “Peer Mentoring and Leadership in Orientation.”
Students who want to be orientation leaders will be required to be on campus from May 26 to July 23 and will be provided housing, a meal plan and an hourly wage of $7.50. Orientation leaders will work 30 to 40 hours a week and are not allowed to take summer classes.
The Office of First Year Experience also offers a program assistant position. These students run program check-in and answer phone calls and emails. Program Assistants will not be provided housing or a meal plan, but earn $8.25 an hour, are allowed to take summer classes or work a second job and work 30 hours a week.
Daniel Chang, a sophomore studying accounting and finance, said being an orientation leader last year was one of the best experiences he has had while at IU.
“I have the ability to impact so many people in a positive way, and I met so many new students, which only made me even more excited for the upcoming year,” he said.
Leyla Rashid, a student coordinator for the First Year Experience Programs, said being an orientation leader was different than she thought it would be, and through the process, she discovered the point was to make new students feel at home.
“We’re usually the first faces they see here on campus, and although it’s an exciting time, it’s nerve-racking,” she said. “We’re here to calm their nerves, but also prepare them for the next phase of their lives.”
Elizabeth Pekar, one of the student coordinators for the 2015 OTeam and 2014 program assistant, said she enjoyed how no two days in a row were exactly the same, and spending the summer in Bloomington was an awesome experience.
“Joining OTeam expanded my network and I am now friends with people I probably never would have met without the experience,” Pekar said. “Even though I wasn’t an orientation leader, I gained leadership and public speaking skills and am definitely more confident just overall.”
Rashid said that from being a member of the OTeam, she learned not everyone comes from the same background, beliefs or lifestyle, but that you can easily connect to anyone you meet.
“We knew the basic roles of our jobs, but we didn’t know what each day would look like, what we would have to know or even when everything would fall into place” she said. “But through trusting our teammates, we grew as role models and we were able to effectively welcome more than 7,000 students to IU.”
Rashid said she was originally overwhelmed by the size of the team, but over time, she grew comfortable with everyone and gained many professional skills.
“Our team balanced each other out in ways we found throughout the summer,” Rashid said. “I gained a sense of belonging on the team, as well as confidence. Seeing a student’s face after you affirm all their hopes and ease their troubles is truly priceless.”
