UHP Retreat Leader
Each year, the University Honors Program (UHP) hosts a welcome retreat for the incoming freshman class. I was a participant my first year at UC, and it allowed me to meet some wonderful people! I felt so welcomed into the honors community as well as the UC community, and I truly believe I would not be as outgoing as I am today without this welcome retreat.
The retreat is typically hosted at Camp Kern and is an overnight event where you really feel immersed in the honors community. After my wonderful experience my first year, I decided I wanted to sign up as a leader for the 2020 retreat. However, due to Covid-19, the UHP had to move the retreat online. I was paired with my roommate (who I met at the retreat my first year) as retreat leaders, and since it was all virtual, it worked out beautifully! We were able to coordinate our meetings to our schedules and could just pop into the other's room for the meetings. We led a group of about twenty students and taught them about what it means to be in the UHP. We met with our students three times over the course of a couple months, so as to not overwhelm them in their first couple months of college.
It was a slight challenge being online, as attendance wasn't mandatory and tight connections couldn't be made as easily, but I still feel my group got something out of the experience. They asked great questions and allowed me to define who I am when I am leading a group of people. It was a great experience and I feel my leadership skills improved through leading this lovely group of students.
The retreat is typically hosted at Camp Kern and is an overnight event where you really feel immersed in the honors community. After my wonderful experience my first year, I decided I wanted to sign up as a leader for the 2020 retreat. However, due to Covid-19, the UHP had to move the retreat online. I was paired with my roommate (who I met at the retreat my first year) as retreat leaders, and since it was all virtual, it worked out beautifully! We were able to coordinate our meetings to our schedules and could just pop into the other's room for the meetings. We led a group of about twenty students and taught them about what it means to be in the UHP. We met with our students three times over the course of a couple months, so as to not overwhelm them in their first couple months of college.
It was a slight challenge being online, as attendance wasn't mandatory and tight connections couldn't be made as easily, but I still feel my group got something out of the experience. They asked great questions and allowed me to define who I am when I am leading a group of people. It was a great experience and I feel my leadership skills improved through leading this lovely group of students.