After accepting a position to work at Auburn University as a NODA Orientation Intern with Camp War Eagle for Summer 2020, it never crossed my mind that my employment status could be in jeopardy… But then COVID-19 hit. For the whole second half of the spring semester, I was unsure if I was going to have the opportunity to go to Auburn or to even work for the institution remotely. It was nerve wracking to say the least! Getting the call saying that I would still get to go in person to help with virtual Camp War Eagle was the BEST news!
Being in a new place while in a global pandemic is truly a crazy experience. The opportunities for travel and the ability to meet new people were both extremely limited, but it led to such incredible bonding amongst our team. The 6 Head Counselors, 2 Graduate Assistants, 2 NODA Interns and 4 Professional Staff Members all had a fantastic summer together. Working with this talented group during one of the most challenging summers an orientation program could face was truly a bonding experience.
Innovation was the name of the game. From hosting to Zoom webinars to testing virtual ice breakers to tracking attendance through digital platforms to answering an endless amount of calls and emails, it was a summer unlike any before. There was next to no time for the staff at Auburn FYE to figure out how to have a successful virtual summer with 80+ Camp Counselors and Orientation Leaders, but they somehow managed to do so anyways. The resiliency, patience, creativity and dedication I saw was unmatched. Everyone was focused on making it a great experience for the incoming first-year and transfer students along with their families, and our united mission took us far. I was so proud to be a part of the work that was done this summer!
Because I attended the University of Mississippi for both undergrad and graduate school, being on a new campus and learning its inner workings was invaluable to me. I had the opportunity to meet with campus partners across a wide variety of departments, and seeing things that differed and related to Ole Miss was really helpful for me. I feel like I was able to visualize things that I had learned in the classroom on a much deeper level and now have a much better understanding of the field of higher education as a whole because of this experience.
This was a summer unlike anything I ever expected when I entered the internship search in October 2019 and accepted the position in February 2020, but I am so grateful for the experiences I had. Auburn is such a special place, and I can’t help but say War Eagle now!
