Taking over for former orientation coordinator Whitney Bonner, Paige Cadman is the new face of new-student orientation for CMU.

“Whitney Bonner ran the program for four seasons,” Cadman said. “I was asked to take over the program and make sure we didn’t lose any traction, that the work that she did for four years and more was only added upon. I took over a month ago, and I’ve been working to get the program off and running, and our next one will be on the 20th.”

Cadman is no stranger to CMU and is nearing her eighth year at Mesa. Cadman graduated in May 2009 with a degree in Mass Communication and is currently working on her MBA. In Sept. 2009 she began working in the Admissions office as an Admissions Counselor.

“Previously to orientation, I was primarily working with the Ambassador group here in the Admissions office and being an Admissions Counselor that was in the office and on the road,” Cadman said. “Now what I’ll be doing is primarily in the office. I’ll still be working with the Ambassadors but also taking on this orientation group and its leaders, as well as our Mesa Experience program.”

Cadman’s biggest priority in her new position is making sure that each new student gets excited to start school at CMU while also making sure that that the students and parents understand the services that the school offers. Cadman also believes that it’s best for students to start building relationships early on as well.

This year’s upcoming orientation programs will come with a few changes, specifically making a change from orientation being just a standard program that appeals to everyone to making it a little more individualized.

“The change we’re doing is to not make it a one-size fits all program, but make a program that can be a little of both,” Cadman said. “It can be individualized for students like Veterans and adult learners, but also be fun and exciting for students that are coming in fresh out of high school.”

Although Cadman will be focusing on orientation and visitation programs, she will continue to be an Admissions Counselor with a lot of the same responsibilities.

“The plan is that I’m going to be a home-based Admissions counselor,” Cadman said. “I’ll still be doing everything that I have been doing as far as Information Sessions and being a resource for our staff, but I will not be on the road as much as I was before so that I can focus my attention on the students that we have here at the office as well as the programs that we run out of the office.”

As a part of the orientation process, Cadman is in charge of 27 orientation leaders who will work throughout the summer at the new student orientations. According to Cadman, the current orientation leaders range from sophomores to seniors and bring a very diverse background to assisting the new freshman class of fall 2013.

Currently, all orientation leader positions have been filled, but students interested in becoming an orientation leader for fall 2014 can contact Cadman at pcadman@coloradomesa.edu.

acastro@mavs.coloradomesa.edu