This Friday, more than 200 students, along with their parents, will be welcomed on the Saint Martin’s University campus for Move-In Day and orientation weekend. New Director of Campus Life Katie Wieliczkiewicz, who started with the university in April, says it’s the largest freshman class in the history of the school. Wieliczkiewicz has been planning the welcome weekend since she started last spring and got a warm-up with summer orientation.
“I’m excited now that students are back and I can see the job in full swing,” she said.
The weekend event gears up for new students on Friday morning and runs through Sunday night. “There’s something so exciting about it, especially with first years – the anxiety you see is so laced in excitement, especially for parents. It brings such a hopeful energy,” she shares.
First and second year students are the majority of the 500 students who live on campus. “It’s such a different experience. I would encourage everyone, even if they live a block away, to live on campus,” she says about the opportunities and advantages.
Besides settling into their new resident halls, students will attend events focused on building community within Saint Martin’s University and Thurston County. Wieliczkiewicz says she encourages students to try and attend each activity, which include a root beer social, casino night, various music performances, safety training and a trip to downtown Olympia. Also on the list will be sharing the many campus resources and support systems available.
“I think the biggest thing is building the connections with peers especially for our commuter students,” Wieliczkiewicz says.
Although Wieliczkiewicz says orientation can often seem overwhelming, but it definitely will be worth it. She still remembers her own orientation fondly and says it greatly helped her connect and settle in. The biggest tip she has for new students is to make sure and get involved in activities and groups based on their interests. “If you’re only here for academics, you’re going to miss out on a lot. We believe as a college we really have a calling to get involved,” stresses Wieliczkiewicz.
As a close-knit community, Saint Martin’s quickly starts to feel like family, and Wieliczkiewicz says everyone will soon know your name. She says the university takes great pride in being a welcoming place for everyone, one of the core Benedictine values that guide the school.. Students will see this theme repeated throughout orientation and their college careers.
“If you’re going to be successful, like anything in life, you need to have that community and Saint Martin’s University is a great start,” Wieliczkiewicz says.
To pull together Move-In Day and all the weekend events, Wieliczkiewicz says the whole Saint Martin’s community joins together with more than 50 volunteers donating their time.
“It shows a lot about our community that people volunteer their time in a potentially high-stress situation. It’s that one-on-one experience that really matters,” she says.
Wieliczkiewicz says small class sizes and Saint Martin’s University’s location are key to a great learning environment. She explains how it is really a partnership between the college and surrounding communities as well. From high school graduations to jazz festivals, Saint Martin’s tries to be involved as more than just a university, but also a place for people to gather.
“We could not even think about being successful without the support of the community,” Wieliczkiewicz adds.
If you want to learn more about Saint Martin’s University, visit their website or Facebook page.
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