Take a moment to get to know Colin Weber, 2021-2022 SOAR Orientation Assistant.  Also, we want to congratulate Colin on being crowned the 2021 Homecoming King!

Tell us about yourself. I am junior from Columbia, MO, majoring in Human Resources Management and minoring in Diversity Studies. I’m proud to say I’m a first-generation student and have taken every opportunity that has been given to me to truly fulfill the college experience.

Tell us about the organizations you are involved in. Why is getting involved on campus important for students? I am currently involved in Student Government Association as the Chief of Staff, Theta Chi Fraternity as the Vice President. I’m also an Inclusive Excellence Scholar.

I personally believe students should get involved to meet new people, learn new things, and experience something structured like student organizations before going into the working world. It’s also FUN!

What do you think makes a good leader? I believe a good leader is someone who recognizes complacency and knows how to avoid it happening to themselves and others. There is always something to work on, improve, so find that problem and go attack it!

What have you learned from being a SOAR leader? How do you use these lessons in your everyday life? Being a SOAR Leader has taught me how to actively flip a situation back in the right direction if it gets off track. SOAR has an extremely defined schedule, and something can easily disrupt the flow of the day. It is our job as SOAR Leaders to know what must be done to fix it.

After working in the SOAR office for the summer and working with family members, what did you learn? How do you use these lessons in your everyday life? Working with families is probably one of my favorite benefits of working in the SOAR office. You realize that every family dynamic is so unique and that there are so many preconceived notions of what college is like.

A lot of students and family members experience a bit of culture shock when they come to orientation. This truly has helped me realize that you need to approach all individuals with openness, honesty, and vulnerability so that you can relate to them.

What do you like best about Missouri State? Why? My favorite thing about Missouri State are all the opportunities the university offers, like joining a student organization, being able to learn about our public affairs mission, the various service projects, and the plentiful educational events related to social awareness. I personally believe that all the opportunities Missouri State offers has made me more prepared for the professional world.

What is your favorite tradition? Why? My favorite tradition is Homecoming! It’s a celebration of our students, alumni, community, and university traditions. It truly is something special to see the entire student body come together to celebrate something as special as Homecoming.

What piece of advice do you have for MSU students? BE PATIENT! Be patient with your time in college, these will be the best four years of your life and before you know it it’ll be over. Be patient when you move into college, don’t leave Springfield until you can confidently call it your second home. Too often students will go home every weekend and eventually just won’t keep coming back to Missouri State.

Be patient with making friends, especially as a freshman. Don’t be afraid to talk to the people across the hall, the girl you sit next to in class, or the person you bump into doing laundry. Everyone is experiencing this with you and is probably feeling the same way.

Be patient with your family members! You now have a lot of free time, which means a lot of responsibility and time management. Check in with your family as often as you need to, but sometimes reach out to them first because I’m sure they would LOVE to hear from you. They are still in your corner, fighting for you always!

What piece of advice do you have for family members? My piece of advice for family members is to continue being your student’s biggest supporter, but from afar. Your students time in college is so crucial for them to find their true selves, grow as a leader and advocate, and develop their own opinions. Just remind yourself that you raised your student well and equipped them with knowledge needed to be successful.