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Published on July 08, 2025
Members of Eastern’s incoming Class of 2029 caught their first glimpse of college life during six different sessions of SOAR, an immersive two-day summer orientation experience facilitated by student orientation counselors (SOCs) and organized by the Office of Student Activities.
SOAR stands for "Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration." SOAR participants and their families were welcomed by Vice President for Student Affairs Michelle Delaney, who emphasized the University’s mission of helping young people discover themselves.
“My own children have lived in these resident halls and attended classes here, so I understand what it takes to get here and to grow in this environment,” said Delaney. To family members, she added, “We look forward to getting to know these exceptional young people you’ve raised and helping to provide them with a rich array of opportunities to grow, discover who they are, and make a difference in the world.”
Director of New Student and Family Programs Alyssa Duffy also addressed the newcomers, encouraging students to make the most of their orientation and to bond with their SOCs.
“This year’s group of SOCs consists of some of the most dedicated student leaders we’ve ever had,” said Duffy. “They understand what it’s like to be new on campus, and they’ll continue to help you feel at home and make meaningful connections.”
Senior theatre major Zolah Daley and senior English major Taylor Thompson were this year’s head SOCs, whose responsibilities included training and supervising the main SOCs, talking to first-year students one-on-one, and making sure SOAR sessions ran smoothly.
"Stepping into the role of head SOC has been so rewarding,” said Thompson. “Seeing the progress from when the SOCs first moved in and started training to the last SOAR session has made both Zolah and me so proud of all their hard work and dedication to creating the best SOAR experience for our incoming students.”
“I hope the incoming students learned from their SOAR experience that college is what you make it,” added Daley. “I and the other SOCs taught (SOAR participants) to be their own cheerleaders and put themselves out there.”
SOAR participant and incoming biochemistry major Grace Benton explained that getting to know the SOCs felt very authentic. “All of these people are talking about their genuine experiences and they're talking to you peer to peer, rather than down at you,” said Benton. “I like how they genuinely want everyone to feel heard and have a good time here at Eastern.”
Incoming theatre major Q Asberry discussed her first up-close glimpse of campus. “The campus is very homey and the SOCs did a good job of making the experience feel natural over two days. It felt very realistic to what I would expect in my first week at college, and the people here made it feel very family-oriented.”
Written by Elisabeth Craig