This past weekend, campus was abundant with nametag-brandishing youngsters who eagerly explored campus and all it has to offer. The white tent erected in the quad served as a visual reminder for all those who weren’t previously aware: Pacesetters is here.
The yearly scholarship competition that many of us students remember well continues into its second round this week Saturday and among the participants will be my sister, who is flying up from the islands with my mom this weekend. So, don’t be surprised to see not only a large amount of local kids from Oregon, but many traveling over great distances as well.
Personally, Pacesetters is one of the best memories I have of Pacific University. Not only did the test go well, my family was also able to learn so much about campus during our tours and informational sessions. Understandably, we all owe the Boxer Ambassadors a great deal of credit for running the program so smoothly as well as providing a personable face to repwresent Pacific.
However, when prospective students visit campus, it isn’t just the Boxer Ambassadors who make that crucial first impression. I remember vividly stepping onto campus not only wary of the tour guides and the welcoming professors, but of the students who cruised through campus as well. Like it or not, we are all the face of Pacific, all of us cumulatively, and we all make an impression when students come to tour. Thankfully, I loved the feel and atmosphere on campus, the closeness of community and friendliness of individuals.
Although it’s hard to believe, a large amount of students travel from Hawaii each year to participate in the Pacesetters competition. It’s where I met Jessica Kam, who sat next to me at lunch between sessions. It’s also how I met Kasey Dukes, a freshman who stopped last year to talk about Lu’au as I walked home from rehearsal.
This is a golden opportunity to welcome students into an otherwise unfamiliar environment that just may be their home and place of study for the next four years. The weather is cold and cloudy, the streets awfully square, and the sun scarce as compared to home, so the way we sell this school to the kids from the islands is by showing them our aloha.
Yes, everyone has some, whether or not you’re from Hawaii. It’s simple. Smile at them as they pass you by, maybe even start up a conversation; you never know whose decision you can make all the more certain.
I loved Pacesetters, and I loved being able to visit campus when it was in full swing. Many students will have their first and last glimpse of our school for this test before deciding where their future will lead. As real-life students, we all have personal experiences to share, and from experience I can honestly say that I think these prospective students will love to hear them.
So show your aloha. Strike up a conversation. And remember that in a few months, these kids may be more important to us than we could have ever expected. Perhaps you remember Aesop’s fable, that of the Lion and the Mouse, in which he notes, “no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” It might be the best ideal to try and remember as our campus is once again swarmed this weekend. But on the bright side, we can all represent Pacific with a smile.
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