Orientation

Back on June 21-22 in the distant past, I experienced my first ever college orientation.  Now I know that you kids are going to be experiencing your very own in the next couple of days and I want to eliminate all your fears right now.  Summer O was a ton of fun and you guys have nothing to worry about.  I know how you both are feeling- worried about making a good first impression, nervous about meeting new people, and scared about picking the right classes to take in the fall.  I felt the exact same way and my biggest fear was that I was going to embarrass myself from the get go and that no one would want to talk to me.  Man, was I wrong though.  Everyone at the FU orientation was extremely welcoming including my new classmates.  I did, of course, end up embarrassing myself at the very beginning, but to my surprise, that just made me easier to talk to.  During lunch, I sat down at a table with complete strangers and looked around at all the faces of the people that were going to be my classmates for the upcoming year.  I wanted to make a good first impression and in my hurry to introduce myself, I knocked over a full glass of water which ended up in my lap.  I was so embarrassed and when I realized how ridiculous I looked, I started laughing.  Soon the entire table had joined me and that definitely broke the ice.  So my advice to you is to be yourself and don't be afraid to embarrass yourself because as long as you can laugh at yourself, then other people will be more comfortable around you and will feel less self-conscious about themselves.  The orientation staff and the incoming freshmen were so welcoming and after leaving Furman, I couldn't wait until O Week in the Fall.  Just remember that everyone at orientation is in the same boat- they are all pretty much surrounded by strangers and they want to make friends.  Knowing that, makes orientation less intimidating and more fun.  Of course, you have to sit through all of the meetings that are necessary for the school to go through and I know those may be boring, but they are important and if you can just get through those meetings, then you can get to the fun part- meeting new people.  Orientation was a lot of fun and it was a step on my way to fully becoming a Paladin.  I couldn't have been happier.

FROYO

It was back on June 18th, 2012 when I figured out that being a Paladin was what I wanted to be.
Your Uncle Kyle and I went to go see Madagascar 3, which was extremely cute.  We had seen every Madagascar movie together and we weren't about to ruin that tradition even though I was going off to college soon.  It was fun spending time with Kyle and after the movie, we then went out to get frozen yogurt, which I heard was the so-called "hot-spot" for college students.  My little brother and I just hung out, which we weren't able to do that often and it was nice to just spend time with him.  My advice to you is that you shouldn't forget where you came from no matter far away life takes you.  Family is stronger than most bonds you will forge and it is important to keep your family close to you.  Treasure them because you never know how long you'll have to spend with them.  Now, don't think for a second that me hanging out with my brother doesn't fit in with my story.  Wait for it...
After my brother and I got our hun cal froyo (if you get this reference- you're awesome), we headed back to the car.  Kyle, my 11 year old brother, opened the passenger side car door.  As he climbed into the seat, he turned to me and said, "Kiersten, I'm glad you're not going to Brown." Wondering where he was going with that, I asked him why.  He told me, "It's too far away.  What would I do without you to take me to movies and get food?"  And that is how I didn't become a Brown Bear.

Pilot

I'm gonna tell you an incredible story; a story about how I became a Paladin.  25 years ago, I started my journey towards becoming a Paladin.  It was way back in 2012, when I first applied to Furman and was accepted.  I know you too were just accepted and I wanted to tell you that I know exactly what you're going through.  Nervousness, fear, anxiety, and excitement- those feelings are going to be your friends until you finally arrive on campus for your first day of college.
June 16th, 2012 was a day of great excitement for me because I finally got everything ready for orientation.  I was going to orientation the following week and I couldn't wait.  I was excited to meet new people, but was also a bit nervous.  I'm sure you guys can relate.  While I'm catching you up on how I became a Paladin and my journey through the summer before college started, I've got some interesting stories to tell you about my life, including lessons I've learned and advice that you guys may be able to use in the future.  You guys should get comfortable because this is going to take awhile.