Take a moment to get to know Bella Kiewel, SOAR Orientation Assistant.

Tell us about yourself. My name is Bella, and I am an Orientation Assistant this year! I’m from Kansas City Missouri. I’m a sophomore majoring in Theatre and Speech Education with a minor in Sign Language Studies. Some of my favorite hobbies would be crocheting, reading, and baking. I have two older siblings and one nephew who I love so very much. I have two dogs, one of them being my corgi named Bean.

You were a SOAR leader this past summer. Why did you apply to be a SOAR Leader and what did you learn from the experience? I applied because I wanted to put myself out there and take more risks. I didn’t want to just lounge around the house all summer and work a job where I wasn’t happy. SOAR gave me the opportunity to meet so many new people and learn so much more about the university. I was able to make many good connections with not only the faculty I worked with but the amazing SOAR team as well.

What are you involved with on campus? Why is involvement important for college students?  I am involved in a social sorority on campus as well as Bears Lead. I also help with smaller theatre productions campus while working in the Scene Shop. Campus involvement makes you feel not only more connected with the resources around you but the people around you as well. There are people in my major/department that I may not have met if I hadn’t taken the risk, and put myself out there, and now I consider them some of my real good friends.

What is your favorite tradition at Missouri State? Why?  I know it may seem a little basic, but I really loved Bear Bash. The first year I was here I was scared out of my mind and probably a nervous wreck. Going to Bear Bash helped ease my nerves and helped me meet new people and see familiar faces while doing all different kinds of fun activities.

You applied and were hired to be a member of the Pro Staff for the New Student Orientation and Family Programs staff. You are a new Orientation Assistant. Why did you apply to be on the Pro Staff, and what do you hope to  gain from this experience?  I applied to be on Pro Staff because I wanted to help the SOAR program grow as much as I could. Now I get to help with all the behind the scenes work as well as helping the new SOAR leaders in any way that I can. I hope that I can improve my teaching and guidance skills because I am a firm believer in the idea that there is always new things to learn and improve.

Share a fun fact about yourself.  A fun fact about myself would probably be that I am a huge fan of roller coasters. I love learning about the way they operate because it’s just interesting to me.

What is a piece of advice you have for our new students on campus? Put yourself out there and take the risks. You’ll probably hear this a million times but it is true. You will never know the benefits of opportunities if you don’t take them.

But most importantly, take care of yourself. You will find that college can get pretty busy and before you know it you get overwhelmed. Take a breath, sit on a bench and listen to your surroundings, do something that brings you peace in the chaos.

What is a piece of advice you have for the family members of our students?  Be there for your student but know when to let them figure things out on their own. College is such an enriching experience but it has to be done by the student. Be there for them in the long weeks until the next time they can come home, in the late night study sessions, in the roommate drama, in the times where they just need a quick phone call.

Let them know you love and miss them but most importantly let them know that you are proud of them. College can be really hard sometimes, but those calls from my parents meant the world to me.

You are a member of the Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) community. Why did you join FSL and what benefits have you gained from your membership?  I joined FSL because I wanted to find a home away from home. This year has only just started, but I’ve already been able to be so much more involved with not only campus activities but my academics as well.

There are also so many different leadership opportunities that give me the chance to learn how to do different things. Being in a sorority has completely flipped my college experience upside down in the best way possible.