My Tiger Family

Transcript

Going to college can be a little intimidating. Luckily, here at DePauw, there’s a huge network of students to help you find community. Meet Aaron. He’s a mentor in the first year experience program and a founder of an amazing LGBTQIA+ organization on campus. Aaron, tell us how you build a Tiger family.

Thanks, Alex. What’s up, everyone? I went to a high school that emphasized belongingness and valued building community. When looking for a university, I wanted to make sure that I chose a place that had the same focus and values. Even though I was never able to visit DePauw, I knew right away that this was the place I had to attend. One of the first people you meet on campus is your first year mentor who helps you make a successful transition to DePauw. Through this transition, you also find your Tiger family. This program not only helped me find the friends I still have as a junior, but also introduced me to student organizations like Queer Students of Color and inspired me to become a mentor myself as a sophomore and now as a junior. As a mentor, I get to help 16 first years find their Tiger family and help guide them into their new chapter. DePauw recognizes that the college transition can be challenging and they want to play a role in connecting the newest members of our community to resources that can be supportive. This commitment not only builds leaders, but also helps people find who they are. After meeting so many great people and wanting to become a student leader, I was inspired to co-found the new queer organization on campus called the House of Opulence. The organization is based on the ballroom scene and is making history. Our goal is to cultivate a safe community for LGBTQIA+ people through radical inclusivity and education. Finding my place at DePauw helped me in more ways than I could imagine. It also allowed me to become a student leader, so that I could do the same for others. That’s my story. Back to you, Alex.

Thank you, Aaron. Community is such an important part of college life, and students like Aaron make sure everybody has a home on campus. There are more than 100 student organizations here at DePauw doing everything from rock climbing, to board games, to K-pop dancing. I better start practicing. Thanks a lot, Aaron.