Soon to be Gannon Knights approached the golden gates of the university on Monday, July 9 at 9 p.m. as parents followed patiently. Faces gleamed with curiosity while heads turned and voices echoed throughout the pristine campus.
College Days is Gannon’s way of welcoming new students to the possibilities of the university while introducing its mission, hence the “My Possibility is…” poster outside of Waldron. Students scribbled their prospects into the thick paper board before entering Waldron, while transition guides hurried to manage their squads.
“After the welcoming ceremony we met all of our small groups on Friendship Green and from there I took my group to the Harborview Rooftop Garden where we did ice breakers and I facilitated a small group discussion,” said Ryan Young, a transition guide at Gannon.
College Days is like an academic festival that met a career fair. Every student is required to attend the event, as it helps people become acclimated to their new home.
A young gentleman stood in front of a table with yellow cloth draped over its sides; pamphlets were scattered neatly around his station. A first-year student at Gannon, Frank Espinoza said, “I wanted to come to a good country to study.”
When asked how he envisioned the ideal college experience, the Honduran native said, “I think it’s learning about all cultures because I think you can take the best from each culture and apply it to your life to make you a better person.”
Espinoza spoke fondly of his university and described his experience as welcoming upon coming Gannon.
Like the campus ministry table, other clubs and organizations marketed themselves in Waldron, including Army ROTC, ITS and Commuter Life.
When asked what her first impression of Gannon was, a soon-to-be first-year student, Nadya Mkay said, “Ever since I came here with my sister I just felt at home… I just felt comfortable.”
Chante Woodard, a staff member for Metz Dining Services at Gannon, came to the university to be around kids.
“I look forward to sad faces so I can put a smile on them, people who need hugs, people who need help studying. It goes a long way here,” said Woodard.
When asked how she felt about initially coming to work at Metz in Gannon, Woodard said, “I was scared at first, but I’ve made my way from the bottom to the top on my own, by just saying ‘Have a blessed day.’ I consider myself the campus big sister because I give prayers, I do hugs, I do whatever is needed.”
After her interview, Woodard continued to excitedly greet parents and students as they entered the dining facility.
“Hello y’all! This is our cafeteria [and] everything is at a circle full of love. Enjoy and have a very blessed day!” shouted Woodard.
College Days continued throughout the day and ended around 4 p.m. College Days for The Morosky College of Health Professions and Sciences, Undeclared Program and General Studies Program will come to Gannon on Friday, July 13. College Days for The Morosky College of Health Professions and Sciences, and College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences will come to Gannon on Monday, July 16. And there will be a Make-Up Session on Saturday, July 28.
