New Student Convocation: Helping Students Meet their Full Potential

VALDOSTA—Valdosta State University will officially welcome first-year students to the campus during the New Student Convocation, at 9 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 14, in the P.E. Complex.
 
Before the convocation begins, students will have an opportunity to sign the Blazer Creed, which was developed by Student Affairs to promote a positive learning environment focused on the principles of citizenship, integrity.
 
VSU President William J. McKinney will officially welcome the class of 2018 to campus, followed by brief remarks from Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Hudson P. Rogers.
 
The keynote speaker is Arel Moodie, a high-energy motivator, who has shared with thousands of college students across the country the importance of starting and completing their higher education degree.
 
“It’s about getting them to believe that they are somebody and can become somebody,” Moodie said. “We’ll talk about how to be successful in school, gain confidence and focus, set goals, and build a rock-solid foundation for their futures.”
 
Moodie will share his personal experience growing up in the projects of Brooklyn, NY and share his student success principles for first-year students.
 
“I wanted to partner with Valdosta State and meet the students because I know what they are going through,” said Moodie, who started his first company while in college and served as president of four student organizations. “It’s tough to get excited about school when faced with some of today’s stressors, but the victory on the other side is more than worth the effort of working through it.”
 
According to Alicia Roberson, director of Centralized Advising, students were given a copy of Moodie’s book Your Starting Point for Success during summer orientation.
 
“The book and his presentation will focus on the transition from high school to college, and how students need to prepare to meet certain challenges,” said Roberson. “Setting priorities and being persistent and trying to encourage them to be proactive and responsible for taking ownership of their educational goals.”
 
This is the first new student convocation held at VSU in several years, and administrators wanted to provide an enthusiastic and exciting start to the semester.
 
“Hopefully the new student convocation will set the tone that there is a expectation of the importance of student success,” said Roberson. “VSU is committed to helping all students reach their full potential as they work toward the goal of earning a degree.”
 
Following Moodie’s presentation, students will wear their new “VState18” T-shirts, provided by the VSU Alumni Association, and form a giant “18” on practice field next to the P.E. Complex.
 
The #VState18 designation has been part of the university’s social media enrollment strategy to build a spirit and a sense of community with the incoming students while promoting the concept of staying focused to graduate in four years.
 
For more information on VSU’s Week of Welcome activities, visit the website at http://www.valdosta.edu/administration/emc/centralized-advising/week-of-welcome.php