Orientation 2016

Welcome New WLP families.

We just completed a wonderful two-day orientation with your daughters, the class of WLP 2016-17. Please see what some of the students had to say about their experience below.

-Mary Buckley, Director WLP

"After a Wednesday of unpacking our suitcases, wiping our mothers’ tears, and settling into Somers Hall, members of the 2016 Women’s Leadership Program were ready to take on a two day orientation at the Vern. Bright and early Thursday morning, Post Hall was filled with the welcoming chatter of brilliant young women, all excited to learn more about the incredible experiences ahead of them. On the agenda for day one of orientation was a thought-provoking conflict resolution discussion, as well as a team-building ropes course at Summit, both of which were perfect ways to start building a strong community with our new community.

 

The conflict resolution discussion featured conversations about how to approach conflict as a first- year student, and it was amazing to witness members of all cohorts sharing their individual thoughts and ideas. Together, we spoke about what causes conflict and some of the best ways we can manage conflicts when they arise. This discussion allowed for us to recognize the inevitability of conflict, understand the importance of handling it in a respectful and mature way, and collaborate to share personal methods for overcoming tricky situations when they arise.  One thing I found unique about this discussion was that it allowed all different kinds of personal stories and situations to be shared with the group, allowing us to get to know one another a little bit better and appreciate how we each handle conflict in a different fashion.

 

The Summit Challenge Course was part two of our agenda on Thursday, and I think it’s safe to say that it was the ultimate team-building exercise. Putting groups of girls together who, for the most part, have never met one another, and asking them to perform various tasks, from lifting one another in order to shimmy through tight spaces in a man-made spider web, to leading each other blindfolded across wooden planks, is quite the ice breaker. Through many laughs, challenges, and brainstorms, girls of the WLP got to know each other better in two hours than we could’ve imagined, and had fun all the while.

After discussing conflict and working through team-building challenges, sitting in Post Hall for an engaging presentation about the history of Mount Vernon with Robin Delaloye was a great way to focus more specifically on the WLP. Unlike a typical history presentation, the facts and photos Robin chose to share with us were not only informative and interesting, but also hilarious!  We got to learn about the fabulous women of the Vern before us, and how the Mount Vernon campus came to be.  The rich history of Mount Vernon makes the WLP all the more special, and having the chance to hear about it created a common appreciation for the program from all of us.

 

After a full day of discussion, team-building, and history, a poolside barbecue was the perfect was to way to end day one. On Thursday night, the WLP congregated at the Mount Vernon pool to enjoy an evening of burgers, hotdogs, swimming, and lounging, while getting to interact with faculty and girls from all cohorts. We can all agree that day one of the Women’s Leadership Program orientation was a success, and after hanging poolside as the sun went down, we were ready to take on day two."

-Shannon Fitzpatrick

"Wednesday was filled with moving boxes, long roads, and excitement.

Sitting in the family’s navy blue van, I stared out the window and watched the Washington monument pass by in a blur as we crossed the bridge from Virginia to my new home, D.C. The steep, brick-paved hills and vibrant buildings of Georgetown rose up before me and then disappeared as we sped along the roads to the Mount Vernon Campus at The George Washington University.

At 10 p.m. we walked into the brightly lit hallways of Somers Hall equipped with command hooks, cleaning supplies, and boxes of dorm decorations. Two hours and one fully furnished dorm room later, we said our goodbyes and I began mentally preparing myself for my freshman year of college. What would it be like to be independent and live with a roommate? What would the Women’s Leadership Program be like? Thoughts raced through my head as I walked past the iconic Vern campus fountain to Post Hall where I would meet the rest of the girls in the WLP program.

“YOU CAN DO IT!!”

An hour later I found myself walking along a suspended cable wire in the woods being cheered on by a group of WLP girls as I channeled my energy into completing one of three outdoor Summit challenges. In this particular challenge the objective was to get the whole group of girls safely to the other side of a set of suspended cable wires with only a thick rope and teamwork. As we brainstormed together and, ultimately, found a solution, I felt myself growing closer to my teammates as I began to get a feel for what each of their personalities and responses to challenges were like. After successfully completing all three of the Summit challenges the group we headed back to Post Hall where we were greeted by the omnipresent portrait of Elizabeth Somers hanging on the wall and trays of much appreciated wraps for lunch.

“I love that I can come back to this hallway, knock on anyone’s door, and just talk and hang out.”

-Emma Anderson

“Hi, I’m Swetha and I’m a freshman at The George Washington University.” Networking workshops filled the room with deafening sound as the WLP girls enthusiastically jumped in to the “networking speed dating” session. Facing each other in horizontal rows across the room, we told each other our hobbies, interest, and career goals. Hearing about girls who wanted to pursue excellence in every field imaginable prompted me to think harder about my own career goals and motivated me to dream bigger.

After a hard few days of outdoor events, networking workshops, leadership lectures, and much more I returned to my room with a newfound community of empowered, incredible women. As my mind flashed back to all the moments I experienced throughout the day I felt assured that the rest of the year would go just as well."

- Swetha Ramesh

“I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.”- Michael Scott

"Move in day at Somers seemed like it was full of bad omens. The boxes of sheets, comforters, and pillows I’d shipped from Ohio hadn’t arrived yet at the shipping center. My key got stuck in the door, and my family and I had to make an emergency run to Bed Bath and Beyond to get hangers--which unsurprisingly I’d left at home. It was as if college was as hesitant about me as I was about it.

After I said some teary goodbyes to my parents, I spent time hanging out with my roommate, and other girls from the International Politics Cohort, and we stayed up eating snacks and talking the first night. I started to feel a little more comfortable in my new home surrounded by girls who were both similar to me and different in ways I never thought possible. The bad omens of the morning slowly began to fall to the wayside, between each laugh, crunch, and story. 

The next morning, we put on athletic clothes, most of us feeling pretty uneasy about the idea of doing some kind of outdoor activity with a new group of people we’ve never met before. And if move-in morning was an indication of what orientation day could bring, I thought it might include some scratches and bruises at the least and maybe a broken leg.

For the outdoor ropes course, sponsored by Summit, we were divided into teams of 15 and embarked on our quest of trying to get one person across a zipline. Initially, I was uncomfortable with the idea of showing off my not so athletic chops to a bunch of girls I didn’t know; but we all supported each other and worked through it. And suddenly I wasn’t so intimidated anymore. I knew if we could conquer the ropes course together, then we could most certainly work and live together, and maybe even conquer freshman year.

The rest of orientation went by smoothly. We received engaging conflict resolution, leadership, and diversity training from different departments at GW. I know these presentations helped prepare me, and the rest of the WLP girls, for our new lives at GW, and laid the foundation on which we can learn and build positive relationships.

While there were some instances that made me worry about the year to come, I’m grateful that I got to form bonds with the like-minded and empowered women of my cohort, who will be surrounding me for the rest of the year. WLP orientation has made me really excited for the year to come."

-Meredith Whitaker