Remembering my previous experiences serving as an Ohio State Welcome Leader (OWL), I decided to apply for a position as an OWL Coordinator (OWL-C), and after participating in an intense group-style interview, I was offered a spot!
Unlike normal OWLs, the OWL-Cs are trained to serve as peer leaders. With this, each OWL-C is assigned eight to ten incoming OWLs (typically freshman) and is expected to lead their individual group during Move-In Day as well as provide support/advice to help the underclassmen adjust to college living.
As an OWL-C, I was able to move back onto campus one week early in order to attend required training sessions. Once training was completed and the OWLs had arrived on campus, it was time to start preparing for Move-In Day as a team (note that I had only two days to prepare my OWLs) . When I first met my group of young, aspiring students, I could definitely tell that they were nervous. Having only recently graduated from high school, their eyes hinted to me that they were intimidated. To help ease the tension, I decided that we would spend the first hour or so of our time simply getting to know each other. After having broken the ice, I could see that we were all going to get along quite well. During the remainder of our time, I gave the young volunteers ample instruction in regards to our moving strategy, and I fielded a variety of questions regarding life in college academia.
Serving as a peer leader is an extraordinary experience. I find it fascinating that I can learn so much about myself through the leading others. In addition, I have noticed that with each new leadership experience, my ability to act alongside my peers as a leader becomes more profound. I would like to encourage others to become part of the OWL Program here at OSU, for it is definitely a great way to sharpen your skills in regards to peer leadership/university involvement.