As the spring semester continues and the fall semester draws nearer, high school graduates are gearing up for New Student Orientation. At NSO, incoming freshmen get their first impression of the West Texas A&M University atmosphere, and students get the chance to make new friends.

Peer leaders play an important role at NSO because they help freshmen adjust to college life and get through their first registration process for fall classes.

As a peer leader, students sometime step outside of their comfort zones in order to reach out to new students on campus.

“I really enjoyed the audacity that came into this job,” Emma Eickhoff, junior Environmental Science major and WT volleyball player, said. “I had to step drastically out of my comfort zone for many of the tasks, and it was definitely an interesting experience.”

Being a peer leader allows students to step into a leadership role while building skills for the future.

“I needed a summer job, and I thought being a peer leader was a great opportunity to jump into a leadership role and help build on future skills, which could be put to use throughout my life moving forward,” Dillon Vaughan, junior Business Finance major and WT football player, said.

The job does, however, cause a few headaches during orientations. Peer leaders are in charge of parents and students at NSO, and they receive constant phone calls throughout the event.

“There really is no time for sleep because it’s a 24-hour task,” Eickhoff said.

Vaughan said it can be difficult to find a balance in directing students and parents and answering questions.

Sydney Wallace, junior Nursing major, said it was tough trying to remember everyone’s names. Being a peer leader also takes a lot of confidence, Wallace said.

“[It’s] not for the shy,” she said.

However, Wallace enjoyed the experience and expanded her circle of friends by being a peer leader.

Applications for peer leaders are being accepted for the upcoming year. Interested students can visit Buff Jobs to access the application.