'Tis the Season to be Welcoming

By Grace C.

“Oh no,” I groaned, staring at my computer in disbelief.  It was my first year at NorthStar Academy, and I felt overwhelmed by all the new skills I needed to learn.  As the 2024 school year kicks off and courses begin, new students stream into our school.  A major problem they face is plugging into NSA’s online community.  Being part of NSA’s international student body provides opportunities to connect with students worldwide.  However, the academy cannot provide a physical school building for students to meet in.  This means the school must provide alternate ways to socialize.

 

Enter the Welcome Committee, a volunteer group that welcomes students as they begin their NorthStar journey.  The Welcome Committee works with the Student Council (StuCo) to make sure all new students get a warm welcome.  Their responsibilities include hosting video calls and chatting with new students through direct messaging in Microsoft TEAMS.  They seek to keep new students from feeling bogged down as they wade into their social life at NorthStar.  Leader Nathan summarizes the purpose of the Welcome Committee fittingly: “The WC is simply a diving board for students.  We help them by easing them into the chaos of NSA as well as just making them feel more at home.”  The committee wants to give every student a chance to make memories.  

“I’m passionate about it because when I was first at NSA, I wasn’t really welcomed in a way that helped me get into the community,” says Tiana, one of the two Welcome Committee leaders.  “....Having a group of friends really does help with the experience.”  I wholeheartedly agree; friends have been the best part of my time here.  When I first joined NorthStar, I felt intimidated by my orientation and courses.  Social interaction was important to me, but I was mainly concerned about getting good grades.  If a student had not reached out, I would have taken much longer to get involved in the community here.  However, I made my first online friend within a week of joining NorthStar.  My interaction with that student motivated me to start reaching out and exploring social opportunities.  When I was recruited for the Welcome Committee, I was excited to start helping students the way I was helped. 

New students should be on the lookout for a message from a Welcome Committee member in TEAMS.  Although the Back to School Bash (which included Welcome Committee-hosted calls) is over, the Welcome Committee will host more calls in the future. Students interested in volunteering may contact Nathan or Tiana for more details.  As the Welcome Committee gets to work with the school year kickoff, all students can help by showing kindness to newcomers.  Give your peers a warm reception as they start the school year.  Happy welcoming, everyone! 

Grace C. lives in the United States with her parents and many pets.  She is a tenth grader enjoying her second year at NSA.  Grace has a passion for creative writing and is currently working on a fantasy novel.  Some of her other hobbies include exploring God's creation, raising bugs, hoarding books, and baking.

👤NSA People, 🧑‍🚀NSA CultureEIC NSA2024-2025, October 2024 Publication