The Parent Programs office is in the midst of New Student Receptions – parties where we gather together the incoming Class of 2017 students and their parents or family members so they can meet each other and begin forming relationships prior to Orientation. There are a whole host of them throughout July and early August and they are a great deal of fun. They also give us, as administrators, the opportunity to answer questions that students and parents might have.
I just came back from receptions in both northern and southern California and I can say without a doubt that I met some fantastic new students and families there. From what I have seen so far, the Class of 2017 is going to be a great one – talented, interesting, enthusiastic, intellectually curious. Your students are going to enjoy these newest Deacs!
At these receptions, we also get a lot of good advice from the host parents and others who are more seasoned Deac parents. It was gratifying to hear that some of our new parents have discovered this Daily Deac blog as well as our Facebook page. And the parents who are regular readers or visitors sometimes send us comments or suggestions. I heard from a Deac Mom the other day who wanted to encourage new students to consider a pre-orientation program. She says it better than I can – so if your new student is still on the fence about pre-orientation, you may wish to share this.
“I’d like to put in a word of support for pre-orientation at Wake. My daughter participated in SPARC and had a very positive experience, contributing to the community while having fun, meeting people with whom she had something in common, and acclimating herself to her new environment without pressure. By the time school started, she already “belonged” at Wake. This gave her the resiliency to deal with the challenges of starting college, especially for those who are far from home.”
