Some of the newest members of the Auburn Family were able to develop a stronger sense of belonging ahead of the first week of classes at the second annual Tiger Retreat, hosted by the Office of Inclusion and Diversity.
The incoming freshmen met with fellow students and faculty on Thursday and Friday in small groups in order to further acclimate themselves to what the next few years will hold.
Monroe Clayton, inclusion excellence coordinator for the Office of Inclusion and Diversity, was responsible for organizing the retreat.
“We noticed at Auburn University, there’s a lack of representation of students as it relates to first-gen minority students on campus, and you want to make them feel like they’re really a part of campus,” Clayton said. “I know Auburn is a very large University, and it’s sometimes hard to do that.”
Clayton said Camp War Eagle is a great way to get oriented to Auburn as a whole, but he thinks Tiger Retreat provided a more intimate setting for its students.
“There’s a million other students,” Clayton said about Camp War Eagle. “It’s very hectic. Everybody’s moving across campus. There’s just a lot going on. We wanted to be able to implement this right before school starts, so they’ll see the counselors and volunteers around campus.”
Incoming freshmen Jaidyn Battle and Jameela Myers met one another at Camp War Eagle and were able to reconnect at the retreat. They agreed that Camp War Eagle can sometimes seem overwhelming, and they were glad they decided to come to the retreat.
“I think I like this better than Camp War Eagle,” Battle said.
Battle added that she felt like she connected with a good group of friends that will help her be able to ease her way into school, and she would encourage future incoming freshmen to consider participating in the retreat.
Activities throughout the retreat included participating in events held by the Black Student Union, University Program Council and Student Government Association as well as an involvement browse and small-group discussions with other students.
“I want to encourage you to be unapologetically you,” said Darryl Bellamy, inspirational speaker, at the keynote address.
Bellamy said that as the students transition into a new environment, they should always be striving to lead what he called a fearless life.
“Fearlessness is that feeling in your stomach and taking a small step each day to push through it,” Bellamy said.
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