Welcoming Yale SOM’s Newest Students as an Orientation Leader

On August 11, Evans Hall was filled with new faces as students from many different regions and backgrounds gathered to start their master’s degree programs. For many, business school represents returning to the classroom after years of full-time employment. Orientation week is the beginning of a professional, academic, and personal journey, deeply rooted in the community we build in New Haven.

I was in those new students’ shoes just one year ago. When I first arrived in the United States to begin my MBA, I was nine hours away from my hometown of Rio de Janeiro and eager to start building my own community. The warm welcome during Orientation week set the tone for the entire year. During that first week, I met classmates who would shape my Yale experience as friends and mentors. This network grew out of the support I received right at the beginning—which is why I applied to serve as an Orientation Leader (OL) for the Class of 2027.

This month, I had the privilege of joining a team of nine other second-year students entrusted with the mission of introducing the incoming class to the program and to the values we uphold at SOM.

During the week, students learned about SOM’s Honor Code and Title IX policies, which set the foundation for the community of integrity and respect we strive to maintain. They also had the opportunity to discuss and establish their own community norms that will guide their behavior both inside and outside the classroom. Principles the students endorsed included “A win for one is a win for all,” as well as the mantra “Leave places better than you found them.”

Orientation was not only about setting expectations, but also forming connections. New students took part in informal social gatherings, such as a cookout, a trip to Ashley’s Ice Cream, and an evening of activities at Evans Hall featuring board games, karaoke, and an art station. We closed the week with a community cleanup at the Long Wharf Nature Preserve and a hike up East Rock Park. These activities may seem simple, but they play a crucial role in creating a sense of belonging, forming relationships that will support students throughout the program and beyond, and ensuring that SOM’s mission of educating leaders for business and society is deeply ingrained in the student community from day one.

For me, serving as an OL was a transformative experience; I got to welcome 70 students to a new program and share my lessons from the first year of the MBA. This was also an opportunity to collaborate with an amazing team of fellow OLs, with whom I have been working since spring to put together the activities for Orientation. One of my favorite experiences was to prepare a “scavenger hunt” activity in Evans Hall, so we could show the new students our favorite places around campus.

As the Class of 2027 begins their journey, I am excited to see how they carry on SOM’s mission and become the future leaders of business and society.