Welcome Back Explorers!

By Lou Baron, August 18, 2021
A brief introduction to our new Exploratory Program blog.

Picture of PALs at a pre-orientation meeting

PALs in pre-orientation bootcamp pause to take a picture.

Blog posting by Lou Baron, Culture and Communication ‘23, minors in Spanish and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies. 

What’s your favorite late night snack?

Mine is gluten-free mini cupcakes from Trader Joe’s with a cup of tea.

Jordan goes for cereal. His current favorite is Honey Nut Cheerios.

Kim prefers a slice of cheese, the sharper the better.

If this sounds like an icebreaker, that’s because it is. Today at pre-orientation bootcamp, seven PALs, one intern, one administrative assistant, and one program director got to know each other in person after months upon months of Zoom calls. Most of us had never met in person.

Still, talking, laughing, and learning together felt more natural than ever. That’s the power of our community here in the Exploratory program.

Picture of PALs working.

Five of our PALs hard at work making goodie bags for orientation.

This blog, Find Your Compass, will represent us.

What is a compass, really? It’s a handheld, magnetic device that points us in the right direction.

While it may be impossible to hold a blog, I hope that this corner of the internet will help our students get their bearings.

You’ll find personal advice for navigating the program and your path at IC and beyond. You’ll hear about our events, from making the connection between college and a career to bonding over s’mores on the quad.

Most importantly, you’ll get to know the wonderful individuals that make up our community (beyond their favorite late night snacks).

See you around campus!