Take a moment to get to know Kaley Dahl, Coordinator-New Student Orientation.

Tell us about yourself.  I’m from Owensville, Missouri. I have two younger siblings, and my sister is actually a student here at Missouri State as well.

I first came to MSU as an undergraduate student and graduated in 2018 with my bachelor’s degree in psychology. As a student, I was involved with various programs like SOAR and Peer Leadership that made me realize how much I loved helping others be successful.

I chose to stay at Missouri State for graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education so I could continue working with college students. I graduated in 2020 and have recently returned to work with the SOAR program once again!

What are your favorite traditions at Missouri State? Why? One of my favorite MSU traditions is fountain day, because it’s a sign that spring is here and warm weather is coming!

You work in orientation. Why is orientation important for our incoming students and what are the goals of orientation? Orientation is important for incoming students because it gives them the opportunity to connect with other students as well as faculty and staff before their first semester starts. We hope everyone leaves orientation feeling confident about their class schedule and knowing about the resources available to them as students.

Our goal is for everyone to be excited about being an MSU Bear!

What’s one piece of advice you would give to family members?  One piece of advice for family members is to ask your student if there’s any certain meals they’d like you to cook or restaurants they’d like to visit in their hometown before they come home during a break. It will give them one more thing to look forward to!

What advice would you give your 18 year old self? I would tell myself that it’s okay to try out different classes and activities that you have zero experience in. College is about learning new things, and you don’t have to be knowledgeable about something in order to enjoy it!