Take a moment to meet Briar Russell, 2023-2024 Orientation Assistant.

Tell us about yourself. I am originally from a town in northern Illinois named Antioch, but I moved to Lebanon, Missouri with my family a month before coming to Missouri State to start school. I am currently majoring in Criminology/Criminal Justice. I have one older brother. I am a sophomore. 

What have you been involved with on campus? Some things that I am involved with on campus are SOAR, URSA and I am the Recruitment chair for the Sigma Chi Fraternity. 

You were a SOAR Leader this past summer. What made you apply to be a SOAR Leader? What really motivated me to apply to become a SOAR Leader was that I really wanted to get more involved on campus. Also my friend Tanner Shelton was a SOAR leader and really encouraged me to apply. 

What did you learn from being a SOAR Leader? What are the qualities of a good Leader?  I think that what I learned most from being a SOAR Leader is definitely leadership training that will help for many jobs in the future, and also communication skills that help out a ton when working with people.

I think the most important quality of a SOAR leader is someone that is wanting to enhance their leadership abilities and also someone that is open to learning because you will be learning different things during every SOAR session. 

Why do you think that other students should apply to be a SOAR Leader? I think that other students should apply to be a SOAR leader because of the leadership building that the position provides. You will be interacting with students that are going to be at the same university that you are going to be going to, so you could see one of your SOAR students everyday walking to class. They could even be in your class and that is already someone else you know.

Why did you apply to be an orientation assistant? What do you hope to accomplish in your new position? I applied to be an Orientation Assistant because I really like the program. I really wanted to do more and be more involved in the decision making process for SOAR program. 

Why should students get involved on campus? I think that getting involved on campus is a super important thing for students. It helps makes new friends, and it also helps when you are bored. Many organizations also help keep you accountable. 

What is your favorite Missouri State tradition? Why? I think that my favorite has to be Homecoming because of all the fun events that they have everyday during the week. It makes the week a very fun time especially if you are involved with the organizations on campus that compete during those events. But you can’t forget about the most important events which are the big football game and tailgate. 

What advice do you have for our family members? Some advice that I would have for family members is that they definitely give their student a little space in their first couple of weeks on campus because they are adjusting to a new change just like how you are. 

What advice do you have for our students? The most important advice I think an incoming student could have is one get involved in campus.  And, don’t skip class! Once you do it once you will want to do it more!