From August 19 to 30, the Conestoga community welcomed new students across campuses and virtual platforms for fall orientation activities ahead of the start of a new academic year.
Student volunteers, pictured here at the college's Milton - Parkhill Drive campus, played a vital role in fall orientation activities, which included welcoming students and running various events.
Fall orientation featured more than 250 volunteers and student ambassadors, and over 200 employees across nine campuses who were joined by Conestoga alumni in welcoming new students, answering questions and running events.
Campus locations were decorated with bright signage and balloons, and included live entertainers, food and booths from various academic programs and services throughout the college, as well as external partners and agencies, to introduce students to support and educational resources available. Accessible Learning, Athletics & Recreation, Conestoga Students Inc. and Talent Hub -- Career Services were among the Conestoga service areas present.
New this term, campuses featured entertainment, food trucks and a food security collective initiative which provided informational postcards and fresh fruit to give new students a boost towards maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle.
“You really get to feel so much energy and excitement not only from new students but also from an enthusiastic body of staff, volunteers, student ambassadors and our college partners,” said Kendy Sandy, Student Engagement orientation coordinator.
“We feed off each other's energy and create this really vibrant social atmosphere where connections are made, knowledge is built and new experiences are made.”
T-shirts were also available to all employees to help create a welcoming environment, and a virtual welcome event was held August 23 to provide students with vital pre-orientation information to help with the adjustment of arriving on campus.
In addition to experiencing campus activities, orientation is also a time for first-year students to reflect on their new beginnings and goals for the year ahead.
Grace Arseneau, a new student from Guelph, Ontario entering the Tourism -- Destinations and Travel Management program at the Waterloo campus, commented on why she chose Conestoga.
“It’s pretty local to me. I’m in Guelph right now and a lot of my co-workers study at the Conestoga Guelph campus, and they all love it,” said Arseneau, who added that she chose her program as it aligns with her passion for travel.
“I like traveling and I like learning, so I am excited to learn about that.”
To complement the in-person events and activities, online academic orientation sessions also helped students prepare for classes and set the stage for a strong start in their programs.
“On behalf of the student engagement team, I want to extend our gratitude to all our community and college partners -- support services, faculty, employees, orientation volunteers, student engagement ambassadors and the team -- who made fall orientation 2024 a success,” said Amy Baird, associate director, Student Experience.
“We received so much positive feedback from new students, family and friends about our friendly faculty, helpful employees and volunteers giving tours and running exciting orientation activities. With our combined effort, we created a vibrant and dynamic orientation experience that new students will remember. And we helped provide students with knowledge, skills and connections they need to succeed both academically and socially in their journey.”
Various events extend beyond the first week of the term that introduce students to support resources and foster a sense of community, including Indigenous 101 Drop-In Session on September 5, Kick-Off FEST on September 13 and 14, African, Black and Caribbean (ABC) Welcome on September 20 and the Queer Kickoff -- Virtual Drag Bingo on September 25. Live online workshops on topics related to student life are also available through the Getting Started Series.
Conestoga's International Office provides workshops and activities to support the international student journey.
Housing remains available to all Conestoga students in Brantford and Waterloo at 135 Darling Street, 50 University Avenue East, 60 University Avenue East and 475 King Street North. Details are available on Conestoga’s housing page.
For more information about student resources and services to enhance and support the college experience, visit Campus life & services.
Conestoga's Student Engagement meets the needs of students through innovative programming designed to achieve goals with learning outcomes-based initiatives, including the Co-Curricular Record; orientation; equity, diversity and inclusion education and programming; the Leadership Workshop series; and various student volunteer, leadership and committee opportunities.