Learning to Lead: Orientation Leaders Mentor First-Years with Skills from High 5
A tradition that’s been an integral part of the fabric of Bay Path’s WELL program, leadership training and team building with High 5 Adventure Learning Center, achieved new heights this year on our own South Campus ropes course.
The partnership between Bay Path and High 5 began nearly 10 years ago, originating as an opportunity for first-year students in their second semester and graduating seniors to learn problem-solving and team-building techniques on a challenge course in Vermont. But thanks to recent improvements to our own course and a stronger focus on leadership skill-building for new student orientation, a team of five educators from High 5 traveled to Longmeadow this fall. Their programming was two-fold: mentoring our Orientation Leaders (OLs) in team-building, problem-solving, and group facilitation; and overseeing a day of challenges and activities for first-year students, led primarily by the OLs showcasing what they’d learned.
“For the groups that have come to our facility in May in past years, it’s been more of a celebration which is really valuable for that goal,” Phil Brown, High 5 trainer, said. “But if the goal is to foster a community of mentorship and leadership at Bay Path, this is the beginning of a great program.”
“We made the conscious decision to change things up so the juniors and first-years participate with the intention of the first-years continuing to see those same mentors, and to empower all of them to become leaders in their own right during college,” Liz Moore, training and program design at High 5, said. “The activities are about breaking down barriers and building connections. The ropes course is really an opportunity for open discussion about overcoming challenges.”
The day began on the field with warm-up exercises led by Brown, who turned things over to the OLs for two hours of introductory activities within small groups.
“The day’s activities are structured very intentionally. We trained the OLs to focus on the intensity of the program and tune into the energy of the group so the sequence of the day sets them up for success. There’s getting-to-know-you pieces to build and strengthen connections, and that’s really important before we ever get to a challenge. The group members begin to open up to each other and get comfortable,” Brown said.
According to the OLs, all of that careful planning and teaching paid off and resulted in invaluable personal growth:
“My main goal was to make sure my group was bonding and having fun. If they were laughing, I took that as an accomplishment. I enjoyed watching them grow closer throughout the day and knowing that I helped them to form those new bonds,” said Monica Irving ’18.
“I have found that being a leader is not only about helping others, but learning from those around you. I’m currently taking WEL400, and we’ve been focusing on how each person has a different story to share. By listening to one another, we can build on each other’s strengths for positive outcomes. During this training and the activities that followed, we worked together as a team and learned how each of us can contribute to a situation in a positive manner. I can't wait to see where this takes us in the future,” Lexie Poppiti ’18.
“To have the privilege to welcome new students was truly unforgettable. The best part of sharing my training and leadership skills was helping them build strong bonds and relationships that still stand today as they have classes together. They feel comfortable enough to go to each other when they need help and to share things with one another they might not be willing to share with everyone,” Maryanisa Del Rio ’19.