As she welcomed the students to their first official day of their academic journey, Drucker shared her belief that developing a sense of belonging is one of the most important factors in student success.

“Belonging is not simply something that you find. It is something that you help to create. Every conversation, every invitation, every act of kindness contributes to the kind of community that we become together,” said Drucker.

’s two-day programming and overnight stay acquaints new Bobcats with the university, helps them register for courses and learn about resources and services, join in Quinnipiac’s traditions and find opportunities to connect with other incoming students and their families.

Orientation coordinator Sydney Klass ’27 is part of the student leadership group which trains and oversees Quinnipiac’s 50 student Orientation leaders. Having completed two earlier Orientation sessions with the Class of 2030 – which totals approximately 1,800 students — Klass is impressed by the energy of Quinnipiac’s newest Bobcats.

“They’re a lot of fun. They’re a very energetic group, and they’re excited to be here. I think it’s going to be a really exciting first-year class,” said Klass.

Orientation leaders often become important first connections for new students, she said.

“My Orientation leader was the first point of contact I had here at Quinnipiac. I’m from out of state and I didn’t know anyone, and she made me feel a lot more comfortable coming into Quinnipiac,” Klass said. “I think the best thing about being an Orientation leader is how warm and welcoming everyone is. Once you come to Orientation, your nerves are eased by the Orientation leaders. They make an impact just by making people feel comfortable while they’re going through a big transition.”

Dad Walter Knox said that sense of comfort is one of the reasons why Quinnipiac feels like the right fit for his son, Broden Knox ’30, a New Hampshire resident.

“I’m just impressed. I’m glad he chose it. I can’t wait for him to start and to see how comfortable he’ll be here,” said Knox.

Broden Knox said he was looking forward to learning more at Orientation and beginning his Quinnipiac journey while studying journalism at the School of Communications.

“When I was looking at some of the best colleges in New England for journalism and communications, Quinnipiac was one of the schools that seemed pretty consistently in there,” said Knox. “When I came to visit, everyone was really supportive and nice. I’m here today to feel more secure and to get more information about what goes into going to college and how we make that happen.”

Mom Sabrina Del Franco of Orange, Connecticut said she felt Orientation would give her son, Sam Del Franco ‘30, some good opportunities to jump-start his transition to college life.

“I hope Orientation helps him to become more comfortable so he’s ready to settle in when he comes here in the fall. He’s really interested in political science, so I hope that he gets to meet some like-minded people,” said Del Franco.

By entering Quinnipiac’s accelerated dual-degree 3+1 program to earn a bachelor’s degree in marketing and master’s in business administration, Gianna Botto ’30, of Terryville, Connecticut and Olivia Casares ’30, of Auburn, Maine already had something in common. Since making their decision to become Bobcats, the two have been in touch via social media and text. They met in person for the first time at the information-packed Resource Fair, which opens each Orientation session.

“We met on Instagram and we’ve been texting, and we decided to be roommates,” Botto said. “We just met here for the first time today, but we’ve both been to campus before. I’ve been here a lot — both my brothers go here. I feel like you can always find something to do. I think Quinnipiac has a lot to offer socially and academically.”

“I toured and came for Accepted Students Day, so this is my third time here,” Casares said. “It’s a very beautiful campus and very lively. Everyone I see here loves it and everyone seems really connected.”

The new roommates said they were looking forward to making the most of their Orientation experience.

“I want to meet a bunch of people and hopefully meet some of the teachers I might have,” said Botto.

“I’m just excited to be here, getting to know everyone, getting to know teachers and the Orientation people that are running it, because they’re already students here,” said Casares.

When new students separate from their families at Orientation, they are in exceptional hands with the staff, faculty and peers that are there to help, said Hannah Cranston, senior director for campus life. Cranston is a key leader in shaping Quinnipiac’s Orientation experience for students and their families.  

“Rest assured your students are in excellent hands. We have an exceptional group of current student leaders who will take great care of them,” said Cranston. “To the Class of 2030, your Quinnipiac story is just getting started, and I promise you it’s going to be a good one. Experiences you can’t imagine will shape who you become. Friendships you haven’t made yet will become some of the most important of your life. Quinnipiac is more than a university. It is a community, and you belong to it.”

New Jersey resident Julia Christie ’30 said she’s excited to join the Quinnipiac community. Christie plans to earn her bachelor’s degree in film, television and media arts.

“I really love the community aspect of Quinnipiac,” said Christie. “Everyone talked very highly about the resources and internships you can get in the program I’m going into, and I’ve been inside the School of Communications already because I was here for a program last summer. I was here for week, and I got to go into the podcast rooms and see all the equipment and studios. It was really cool.”

Her mom and dad, Jennifer and Donald Christie, returned to campus with their daughter to take part in some of the day’s programming for parents and families.

“We’ve been here many times,” said Jennifer Christie. “We’ve been to an open house, then Julia came for a week and then we came to Accepted Students Day as well. I feel it’s very safe and I know she’ll be taken care of here. As a mom, that’s comforting.”

As the new Bobcats headed off with their Orientation leaders, parents and families were greeted by Chief Experience Officer Tom Ellett. Ellett invited them to ask questions and learn more by attending the day’s optional family scheduling programs covering areas including financial aid, admissions, student affairs, One Stop, registration and more.

“We welcome you to Quinnipiac University as a parent or family member,” said Ellett. “Congratulations not just on your student graduating high school, but on helping your students reach the next chapter in this journey.”  

In Focus