Nathan Shelburne and Kaleigh Wiffler

For incoming students and families, Orientation and Line Camp are core moments in the final weeks before they officially become Baylor students. In this Baylor Connections, experience these events through the eyes of their participants. Nathan Shelburne, director of New Student Programs, and Kaleigh Wiffler, a rising senior and team captain on the Student Leadership Team, share favorite activities, key experiences and more.
Transcript
Derek Smith:
Hello, and welcome to Baylor Connections, a conversation series with the people shaping our future. Each week, we go in depth with Baylor leaders, professors, and more, discussing important topics in higher education, research, and student life.
I'm Derek Smith. Today we are talking about fun ways that Baylor connects incoming students to the Baylor family. Baylor's New Student Programs create shared experiences that foster belonging and excitement for new students, experiences that inspire them to take ownership of their own unique Baylor story. Through programs like Line Camp, orientation, and more, they connect students with their counterparts and offer core opportunities to feel fully a part of the Baylor family.
Today, we're talking with Nathan Shelburne, director of New Student Programs, and Kaleigh Wiffler. Kaleigh is a rising senior from Bolingbrook, Illinois, a past orientation and Line Camp leader in 2023. She now serves as team captain on the Student Leadership Team, which serves numerous roles and functions in support of orientation and Line Camp.
Orientation, Line Camp, they're ongoing throughout the summer. A family friend of ours just had a son go through and gave it rave reviews. I know it's really a core experience of the summertime at Baylor. So, Nathan and Kaleigh, I just want to say thanks for taking the time to join us and taking the time to take us inside what generally only incoming students get experience. Nathan, this is your second time on the show, I believe, but the first time we've had you on with one of your great students. I know you've got a great team of students who make this all come together.
Well, here's my question for you, you both, let's just focus specifically on this summer of 2024 so far. And Kaleigh, I'll start with you, then Nathan. What's been a moment, interacting with students or families, that sort of captures what it is that you love about getting to do what you do?
Kaleigh Wiffler:
Yeah. I think, one of the awesome opportunities that I get during the summer is during orientation I get to drive some of our shuttles around and get to meet new students and families as they're going throughout their orientation sessions. And I think just some of those moments driving them around on shuttles, that can seem so simple, but some of those conversations that I get to have with them are just so meaningful and really cool to just hear about where they're coming from and what they're hoping for, for their time at Baylor.
We often talk about, "Yeah, it's really hot out here in Texas. But, I think, getting to be intentional with that time and getting to talk with them deeper about just why they're here at Baylor and more about them, is super cool. And I've just loved all those experiences.
Derek Smith:
I know you're heading to your senior year, Kaleigh, but is it pretty easy for you to kind of see yourself in those shoes and those roles not too long ago when you were making that decision?
Kaleigh Wiffler:
Oh, 100%. I definitely was one of the more timid and, "I don't know what I'm getting myself into," during an orientation. And so, I imagine what I would've been like talking to someone that was asking me all those questions. And so, I just love getting the opportunity to be, hopefully, a calming and welcoming presence for them.
Derek Smith:
That's wonderful. Nathan, what about you, favorite moments this summer?
Nathan Shelburne:
Yeah, I think about several specific interactions primarily with families, often with families and students, but I do during orientation in particular, have the chance to interact with quite a few parents and family members. And so, there are a couple of instances in particular that stand out. One, visiting with a parent who is just experiencing the mix of emotions, the enthusiasm and excitement of their student traveling a significant distance to come to Baylor. As you know, more than 40% of our students come from outside of the state of Texas. And that's a significant transition no matter where you're coming from, but especially if you're coming from a distance. And just the gravity of it, but also the great excitement that that parent was feeling, and you could just tell the family investment that it is for their student to come to Baylor and just the sense of pride that that parent was feeling.
So, just to get to witness that and get to step in, in some small measure, in those experiences that families are having as they undergo a major transition in their student's life and in their entire family's life. So, think about that one. And then, another interaction with a family that was in real-time processing what was shared in the session they had just stepped out of, and then the student came to join them and they were processing together right then, "Okay, what is it going to look like in August? And how do we start to think well together about what that transition's going to look like?" There's some levity in the moment as they're processing that, but also the very real elements of this student's going to leave and is going to join the Baylor family, and that's going to be significant for us. And at the same time, just so much enthusiasm and pride and excitement about what that represents for them.
So, I appreciate getting a small window into those family interactions because this is major for those students and for their families. So, it's sweet to get to be a small part of those.
Derek Smith:
Well, as mentioned, I know you have a great team, you and students and others on your team, that are so great at working with incoming families and helping them navigate that.
I'm curious if you'd zoom out just a little bit? Nathan, tell us about the mission and goals of New Student Programs and how some of these events that we're going to be talking about on the show, orientation and Line Camp, fit into that.
Nathan Shelburne:
Certainly. So, I would say if we had to boil it down, and we've done this work over the years, to say there's a lot of things we need to be thinking about and attentive to, but if we had to try and put our finger on one thing that we would say supersedes and is the overarching consideration for us, it's helping every student feel like they belong at Baylor. But that's easy to say, and can be difficult to enact. And because every student is coming from such different experiences and with different levels of anxiety and excitement, and different levels of already feeling like they have some relationship or connection within the Baylor family, what that looks like for every single student is so vastly different.
So, for our team, we want to do everything we can to set the table well for individuals to come and be part of the Baylor family, but we also know that we're going to need to come alongside each person and each family a bit differently, perhaps. And so, for us, that is a helpful guiding thought that we want every student to feel like they belong. What's difficult about that, in addition is, we don't have any way to control how a student feels. So, it's important that we're tending to the entirety of a student's self as much as we can in those small windows.
So, for us, it's critical that we're partnering well all across campus. Everyone from colleagues in, for instance, the care team, who can come alongside and have quick conversations with students and families, to friends and student activities, and in housing and parent engagement, and on and on and on. We really do get to sit in many ways in the summer at the center of the way that the campus interacts with new students and families. And so, that's the overarching thought though, is how can we help every student feel like they belong here, that they're known, that they matter in the Baylor family? And that's going to need to take a slightly different shape for all of them.
Derek Smith:
For those who don't know what Line Camp is, you got to give us a picture of that.
Nathan Shelburne:
Certainly. Camp types of programs, extended orientation programs are increasing across the country, but it's not anywhere nearly as common, certainly, as an orientation program.
So, the way that we try and approach our two programs in the summer is orientation tends to be where we're going to have more time to help you feel prepared and help you with some of the content and the information that you need to know that'll be important. And we want you to interact, certainly, with other members of the Baylor family and build some connection and relationship. However, the emphasis is primarily going to be on things that are important to take care of or things that will help you be successful from a content standpoint.
For Baylor Line Camp, we're able to really focus on relationship. And so, we say for Baylor Line Camp that the emphasis is on experiencing Baylor while building relationships. So, that's where we really go deep. We have every student placed in a small group of about 10 to 12 other new students. You spend a significant amount of the program with those other students. You have a small group leader who's an upper-year student, who facilitates that experience for you and is regularly facilitating conversations and getting to know students one-on-one and also journeying alongside them to events and activities.
So, we focus less on what do we think you need to know and much more on who are you going to do this with and who's going to be part of your story and your journey. And we emphasize tradition and history and some of those aspects, but really what we would say we emphasize more than anything is relationship.
Derek Smith:
Visiting with Nathan Shelburne and Kaleigh Wiffler here on Baylor Connections. And Kaleigh, Line Camp, could you share with us maybe some of your favorite memories that help us get a sense of what kind of events or activities that students engaged in Line Camp get to experience?
Kaleigh Wiffler:
Yeah. I'd say, I have two favorite activities during Line Camp. The whole week is just so incredible and I could talk on and on about it, but two of my favorite things are one, we get to take a trip to Independence, Texas, which is where Baylor was originally founded. And you just get the opportunity to hear from a couple different people and get to see and hear about that history of Baylor and its founding and how we got to where we are today. And so, I think just getting to learn more about that. I didn't know much of that coming into Baylor. And so, that was really cool and opened my eyes to what that looked like.
And, I think, one other special thing about the trip to Independence is there's kind of this time and space put into camp where camp can usually be ... Usually, it's busy and packed full of activities and different experiences and always talking and meeting new people, which can be tiring for some people. And so, I think the time and space that we create during the Independence trip for slowing down and reflection on what this journey in the next four, maybe five, you never know, years at Baylor is going to look like for that person, and giving them that space to do that is just really beautiful. And so, I just love that opportunity.
And then after that, all the students get to experience something called Line Camp Sing. That is very similar to all universities sing in some ways, but then it's also a little bit different because we're at Line Camp, and so, it's not as of a large-scale event, but they get to be paired with another small group leader and that leader's campers, and they get to create a small sing performance that they will get to share with every other person at camp that week, at the end of the week. And so, it's just a fun opportunity for those students to get to be themselves, be creative, be silly, get on a stage and just dance and have fun and show other students that they're just like them and they're here to have a good time and create those connections with others.
Derek Smith:
That's great. So, I guess, if you can get up and sing in front of your fellow soon-to-be students, that's one, I don't know if core fear is the right word, but I mean, you've already knocked out something that's difficult, right? You've already overcome, maybe some nervousness?
Kaleigh Wiffler:
100%. And that's a shared experience that they all experience together.
Derek Smith:
That's great. This is Baylor Connections. We are visiting with Nathan Shelburne, director of New Student Programs, and Kaleigh Wiffler, a rising senior at Baylor, past orientation and Line Camp leader, now serves as team captain on the Student Leadership Team.
Kaleigh, we've talked about some of your favorite activities, but let's get your sense of being on this side of the equation now as a student worker. I'm curious, when did you first realize that maybe being a part of Line Camp and spending your summers working with New Student Programs in Line Camp and orientation was of interest to you?
Kaleigh Wiffler:
Yeah. So, it really, it goes back to my time as a new student coming into Baylor and being at my own Line Camp experience. I was super nervous going into my orientation in Line Camp Week. I'm just coming from a high school experience that it wasn't the greatest and I didn't feel like I found those lifelong friendships there. And so, I was really excited and ready to start my time at Baylor, but that didn't mean it didn't come with a lot of nerves. And so, that's kind of how I was walking into my own orientation and Line Camp experience, definitely a little bit timid, and not knowing what was going to happen was definitely a source of fear.
And so, after experiencing my week at Line Camp, I had the most incredible time. I had the best time, and I think my student leader was a big factor in that, my small group leader. And so, it was actually during camp that I asked my leader the question of, "How do I get to do what you're doing? How can I become a part of this?" But kind of coming along with that was, I had a lot of doubts of my own personal ability to do that and lead in that capacity because I had never done anything of that sort before.
And so, I asked the questions, I asked about what that process looked like, and I ended up taking my first summer after my freshman year at Baylor to just go home, take some summer classes, work at my local community pool. But I felt throughout that summer, just I felt this pull to really still want to get to experience Line Camp more and all that it had to offer. And so, as the next school year approached, I worked as a welcome week leader with New Student Programs. And that was kind of me getting to put my foot into the door of what working with New Student Programs looked like and the intentionality behind it and what it looks like to serve on that team.
And so, then as the next summer was approaching, I said, "Maybe I'll give it another shot and let me apply to be an orientation and Line Camp leader." And so, I applied for that and got the position and got to work in that last summer. A lot of people describe working as an orientation and Line Camp leader as one of the best summer of their lives. And I would have to agree. It is just an experience like no other, getting to live and work in community with other students that have a similar mindset of wanting to serve and help make the future of Baylor and these new students' experiences at Baylor the best that they can be and help them find that belonging and help them experience that connection is just something really cool. And I've met so many incredible friends and the interactions I've gotten to have with the New Student Program staff as well, have just really changed the course of my Baylor journey for the better. And I've really been thankful for that.
Derek Smith:
That's wonderful. That's a great description. And it's funny, Nathan, I was going to ask you what goes into making a great student leader at Line Camp orientation? But I think in her answer, she just demonstrated that pretty well for us.
Nathan Shelburne:
Well, you can see, Derek, why I thought Kaleigh would be just the right person to come on and speak about the experiences she's had-
Derek Smith:
Absolutely.
Nathan Shelburne:
... because she embodies absolutely many of the characteristics that we are looking for and that we're seeking to cultivate in our student leaders.
So, when I think about what kinds of characteristics enable a student to be successful in the role, I think first about humility, that's one of the things that we're not only looking for, but we're also revisiting as a topic consistently throughout their training and equipping experiences. We want students to be able to bring all of themselves absolutely and speak to their own appreciation for their Baylor story and to be able to leverage those experiences that they've had, to invite others in, but also to be able at the same time, to kind of set those things aside and be able to bring their full attention to helping another person feel welcome. And that can be a difficult balance to strike, to actively recruit outstanding, involved, highly engaged student leaders who are impressive, and at the very same time, ask them to come in and be outstanding and to serve well, but really to make the focus of the experience about someone else.
So, we are looking on the front end for students who we think will have a capacity to be able to do that, and who can really amidst all the things that are happening, amidst the long hours and the heat and the significant investment on their part, be able to maintain that focus on someone else and be able to maintain the focus on what's the experience that my 10 to 12 small group campers in camp, what's the experience that those folks are having and how can I be a positive contributor to the community that's being formed?
So, those are some of the main things. We're not looking for any particular mold. We have students who come from just such a wide range of backgrounds and characteristics. We're not looking for the most extroverted student leader necessarily. We're looking for students who can harness whomever they've been created to be, in ways that positively contribute to the experiences of others. And Kaleigh is such a great example of that.
Derek Smith:
That's wonderful. Hey, Nathan, I realized, I neglected to ask you after I asked Kaleigh, favorite moments. You love it all, I'm sure, but I'm curious, are there any favorite or underrated moments within the Line Camp experience that people should know about, for you?
Nathan Shelburne:
Yeah, I think Kaleigh chose two of the ones that I think are certainly top of my mind as well in the Independence moment. Probably the most visible and memorable experience that students have after they come through Baylor Line Camp. And the Baylor Sing experience, I think has so much value in helping them ... In some ways, they have to work through conflict and they have to work through differences of opinion on what's the best way to do it. And it's certainly, it's a fun experience, but there really is some practical value of them having that kind of experience together. So, certainly, of course, those two come to my mind as well.
But when I think about an image that sticks with me often, it is the very last day of camp. So, students have had their final small group and they're about to say goodbye. And you can watch it happen, you can watch that those students, after having gone through the program, they are genuine friends. They have built meaningful relationships with one another. And when they showed up on Tuesday or Wednesday for check in, they didn't know any of those people. It's very unlikely that they knew anyone who was going to be in their small group ahead of time. And you can see it happen that through the course of those three or four days together, they have built true friendships with one another. And it is really fun to get to watch that unfold.
Derek Smith:
Well, what you described is about far more than data, but I know you always check up on, I think, the way things work and experiences. And haven't you found a lot of good connections between future experience and students who take part in these programs?
Nathan Shelburne:
Yeah, certainly, there are some positive outcomes that happen ... Or, there's a strong correlation between students attending camp and then some positive success outcomes. So, we have for many years tracked the retention of students who participate in camp, and there is a significant difference in students who come to Baylor Line Camp and their first to second year retention.
We also partnered with Baylor's IRT office about a year ago. They looked at some additional outcomes. So, students who come to camp are more likely to graduate in four years. They're more likely to have a higher first semester GPA and a higher first-year GPA. So, some of those things are helpful to be able to point toward as not only we're encouraging students to come and participate, but even continuing to garner institutional support and support across campus when we can say students really do benefit from coming and having these experiences. As fun as they are and as helpful as they are for building relationships, they do positively contribute to their overall success as Baylor students.
Derek Smith:
That's wonderful. And so, my final question for both of you, Kaleigh, I'll start with you, then Nathan. As students get ready, maybe they're listening with their families and they're going to be headed to Baylor this fall for the first time, whether they've been to Line Camp or not, what's just one short piece of advice you would give them to really hit the ground running to make the most of being a freshman at Baylor University?
Kaleigh Wiffler:
I think one of my biggest pieces of advice for new students coming into Baylor is to learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. They're going to experience so many new things and meet so many new people coming from all over the world and so many different backgrounds during their time at Baylor. And they're going to become a part of different organizations and take part in many activities that maybe they didn't see themselves doing before coming to Baylor.
And I think the only way that they can get involved in those things is to push themselves beyond those comfort zones that they might be sitting in. Because I think, when you learn to be comfortable with those uncomfortable moments or experiences is where you find true growth. And I think that is what everyone is looking for in college and beyond. And so, I think Baylor does a great job at helping to create moments in which that can occur and people who are here to support everyone looking for those experiences.
Nathan Shelburne:
I think one of the things that I would encourage new students as they officially start their time at Baylor ... So, they've arrived on campus, it's August, and they're beginning their Baylor story. One of the pieces of advice that I would have comes from Dr. Kevin Dougherty, who's a fantastic sociology professor at Baylor, and he offered a charge to new students years ago to work in work time and play in play time, and that both of those things matter deeply. And it's important to work hard when it's time to work and when it's time to give your full attention to investing well, for instance, in your academic experience and studying hard. And when you think about building your full experience, making sure that you're allocating time appropriately to those things. And also, it's also important that you play well and that you are intentional in seeking out things that you enjoy and that you are surrounding yourself with good friends, good company on the journey.
And so, both of those things, if students can learn how to balance those things and be thoughtful and intentional about spending their time well, it's not only about time management, it's about the particular things that they pursue and about finding ways to enjoy the full experience. I think that will serve them incredibly well throughout their time.
Derek Smith:
Great thoughts, both of you. Well, appreciate it very much. And Kaleigh, thank you. Best of luck as you start your senior year here at Baylor. And Nathan, I know you and your team would have Welcome Week and plenty of other things on the horizon to get ready for here.
Kaleigh Wiffler:
I appreciate that. Thank you so much for having us.
Nathan Shelburne:
Yeah. Thanks, Derek. It's always a joy to get to visit with you and to get to speak about the joys of welcoming new students.
Derek Smith:
Absolutely. Great to visit with you both. Nathan Shelburne, director of New Student Programs, and Kaleigh Wiffler, a rising senior and a team captain on the Student Leadership Team, our guests today on Baylor Connections.
I'm Derek Smith. A reminder, you can hear these and other programs online, baylor.edu/connections, and you can subscribe to the program on iTunes. Thanks for joining us here on Baylor Connections.