HAILEY HOWELL / FEATURE EDITOR

Coming to college can be nerve-racking for many students as they are preparing to leave home, meet new friends and live in a different environment. To make the transition to college easier, USD offers first-year students the opportunity to move in early and meet other students through either the University Ministry (UM) or the Outdoor Adventures (OA) Pre-Orientation retreats.

On the University Ministry Pre-O trip, first-year students go hiking, compete in a dance off and meet other students who may share similar spiritual beliefs. Students involved in USD University Ministry volunteered to help  lead the retreat.   

USD first-year Emily Entwistle explained why she joined the trip and what she gathered from her experiences. 

“I signed up for Pre-O because I was so excited to find a faithful community on campus, and the UM retreat seemed like a great way to find that community and deepen my faith,” Entwistle said. “So many amazing memories, but some of my favorites were celebrating mass under the stars and the big line dance party we had before the talent show the last night of the retreat.”

Entwistle also expressed her gratitude and described the friends she made along the way.

“It was the best experience ever, and I can’t express how grateful I am to have met such faithful friends and role models who became family by the time we got back to campus. [The experience] truly made USD feel like home before school even began,” Entwistle said.

Like Entwistle, USD first-year Blaire Lynch also traveled with UM to meet people on the Pre-Orientation trip. 

“I decided to sign up for Pre-O because I thought it would be a fun way to meet people before school started, and a friend also recommended it to me,” Lynch said. “My favorite memory would definitely have to be the group dance contest. It was so much fun with so much energy!” 

Lynch also shared why she would encourage future first-years to sign up for the journey after her personal experiences with the group. 

“I would definitely recommend doing Pre-O. I had never been on a retreat before, but everyone was so welcoming and genuine. It also made me feel a lot closer to my faith, being around people with similar goals and mindsets as me,” Lynch said.

Students also joined the Outdoor Adventures Pre-O trip, where they  got to move in early, go camping, hike and create new bonds before move-in. This excursion was led by USD students involved in Outdoor Adventures who were ready to go on another journey. 

Leah  Fikermariam, a USD senior, explained why she took on the role of being a guide with Outdoor Adventures for a third time. 

“I’ve been super involved with OA since I was a freshman, and I love it,” Fikermariam said. “It is undoubtedly my home on campus, and my friends agree. We have all guided together every year that we could.” 

Fikermariam also described her favorite moments on the trip and reasons she loves being a guide.

“My favorite part is camping with just the guides for guide training up in the Laguna mountains and also giving advice to the participants that you can tell they actually value,” Fikermariam said. “It always surprises me how fast people can bond in that setting. They come out of their shells so fast, and it’s awesome watching the magic happen.”

University Ministry leader helps UM attendee with bingo. Photo courtesy of Marian Raphaelle Concepcion

First-year Gemma Aiello explained why she wanted to join  the Outdoor Adventures Pre-O trip.

“I decided to sign up for the Pre-O trip because I love the outdoors and meeting new people, so it felt like a natural fit for me. It’s also only my second time ever being in San Diego, so having a built-in opportunity to witness the beautiful Lagunas was just an added bonus,” Aiello said. 

Aiello also explained why she loved the experience and how she would encourage future first-years to explore this opportunity.

“My favorite experience on Pre-O was probably ending each night with a giant, warm campfire with laughter and s’mores followed by small group time. Listening to each other’s stories under the stars in those groups is something I will not forget,” Aiello said. “I would definitely recommend this trip for new students. It gives you a built in community before you start orientation; it truly makes all the difference to have people you can wave and smile at on campus in such a time of change.”

USD first-year Sam Pesiri shared the two main reasons why he signed up to join the excursion and reflected on his favorite moments from the trip.

“I originally decided to sign up for the OA trip for two reasons:  the idea of early move-in was incredibly enticing. Second, I was a bit intimidated coming into the big city life – so I figured that spending a few days in the wilderness before going all in would help ease the transition,” Pesiri said. “My favorite memory was either sitting in a line downing spoonfuls of  ‘mild’ salsa or hiking to the top of a gorgeous mountain and playing Wavelength.”

Pesiri explained his appreciation for the experience and the OA Pre-O staff.

“Every person who was part of the Pre-O staff was incredibly down-to-earth and I felt had my best interest. It was assuring to be in the wilderness with these new people without any plasticity…it brought a lot of meaningful connections. Going into the hectic first week it felt like I already had a community and a few special people to fall back on,” Pesiri said.

Through these retireats, students are able to form connections with other students through these experiences before classes begin. The Outdoor Adventures and University Ministry Pre-O trips allow students to meet with others who may share similar interests, beliefs or passions and  make memories to always remember.  

USD students meeting in small groups after  a witness talk on the UM retreat. Photo courtesy of Marian Raphaelle Concepcion

Former OA students attempting to participate in a human pyramid. Photo courtesy of @usd_outdooradventures/Instagram