Mississippi State University selected its Orientation Leaders in September. This group of students will help with fall preview days this semester and 2019 summer orientations.
Denver Haralson, a sophomore kinesiology major from Madison, is a member of this year’s Orientation Leader team.
“We had our first meeting the other day,” Haralson said. “It was so amazing to just see all of us in one area because we won’t get to be together until next semester.”
Next semester, the team will go through a nine-hour course training them to be Orientation Leaders. Right now, however, they are staying busy stuffing packets, doing service projects and writing post cards.
Coordinator of Orientation and Events Staci Franklin said team members write post cards during office hours.
“Right now they’re writing postcards to students who are interested in MSU,” Franklin said. “But by the time they come back, when they start doing orientation, they’ll write to their students who are in their Dawg Talk groups.”
Franklin also explained how the university keeps Orientation Leaders busy.
“They also do service projects,” Franklin said. “We like them to get out in the community and kind of help around. We keep them busy.”
Kylie Forrester, director of Orientation and Events, spoke about the necessity of having a servant’s heart to be an Orientation Leader.
“We really try to instill in them a sense of service,” Forrester said. “We always talk about having a servant’s heart and being willing to serve the president of the university, as well as the janitor at the university and everybody in between.”
Franklin said diversity is another strong point of the team.
“We want to make sure the whole group is different,” Franklin said. “We want to make sure we have different personalities and people from different states, or even out of the country.”
This year, the Orientation Leader team consists of 21 people from all different backgrounds. There are 15 women and six men, 12 sophomores and nine juniors, and six members from out of state and 15 members from Mississippi.
Haralson said the students on the team are unique and different from one another.
“We’re all so different,” Haralson said. “No single person is the same. So, we all bring something new to the table.”
Haralson said the team consists of people with many different personalities as well.
“Me personally, I’m more of like the supporter in the group,” Haralson said. “I really help people with whatever they need.”
Franklin said she thinks this year’s team is sweet and prepared to lead.
“They seem to be strong leaders,” she said. “They seem to be a real sweet team, ready to work hard.”
Franklin said the team does not just learn how to lead orientation, but they also are given real-life skills to help them become good people.
“A big goal we want to get for the students to get out of Orientation Leader is to be a better wife, husband, a better mother, father,” Franklin said. “We’re not just prepping them to know more about MSU and to cater to the students and families here–we want them to be better people when they leave the program.”
Forrester echoed these sentiments.
“It’s real important to me and my team that we develop them as really good people,” Forrester said.
When looking for the right student to hire as an Orientation Leader, Forrester said there is no formula.
“We just say that a good Orientation Leader is going to have a servant’s heart, you’re going to be willing to work hard, you’re going to be patient and be able to give other people grace,” Forrester said.
Franklin said those selected are top students.
“We are looking for the best of the best on campus,” she said.
For those interested in applying to be an Orientation Leader next year, Forrester had some advice.
“You’ve got to be willing to put this organization first,” Forrester said. “Be sure you’re willing to commit and be dedicated. We work hard, but we also have a lot of fun.”
Haralson is looking forward to what the team has to offer.
“I’m really looking forward to next semester and what it’s going to bring,” he said. “I’ve heard it goes by so fast. I just can’t wait to serve the new transfer students and the new freshman that are coming in.”

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Orientation Leaders share what it's like to lead