OU students present at National Orientation Directors Association regional conference

Three Oakland University undergraduate students recently presented at the 2025 National Orientation Directors Association (NODA) Region VII Regional Conference at the University of Waterloo, in Ontario, Canada.    

Kendall Bluestein, Shamiah Woods and Izabella Stanczak shared insights on how orientation programs can prepare students for real-world success, as well as how orientation leaders can harness the power of words to create a positive, inclusive environment.

The three were invited to present at the conference after their presentation proposals were selected by the NODA regional conference committee. They learned about the opportunity through their roles as first year assistants in OU’s First Year Advising Center.

Bluestein and Woods’ presentation, “From Orientation to Real-World Success,” showed how orientation builds key skills like communication, teamwork, and adaptability, which can serve students in their future careers. They also spoke about how building connections early – with peers, mentors and staff – can lead to growth opportunities, paving the way for post-graduation success and lifelong learning.

“The conference was such a positive experience,” said Woods, a junior majoring in human resource development. “It was my first time attending NODA Region VII, and I loved being surrounded by people who are just as passionate about orientation and student success. It was cool to see people taking notes, asking questions, and engaging with my topic.”

Stanczak presented on “The Power of Language as an Orientation Leader,” highlighting how leaders can choose their words wisely to reduce stigmas and foster a sense of belonging. The sophomore pre-social work major cited several examples, such as using proper pronouns when referring to a person’s gender identity and reframing the discussion around students who have yet to declare a major.

“Instead of ‘undecided,’ we use the word ‘exploring’ because it is more empowering and action- based, and it decreases stigma,” she explained. “Language comes down to our most basic word choice and how we choose to use our words. Realizing that our words have power can teach us a lot.” 

Stanczak said she enjoyed interacting with orientation leaders from schools around the U.S. and Canada. 

 “I had a couple of students compliment me on the presentation, and one of them was very interested in implementing our ideas at OU into their orientation leader training at their school,” she said. 

In addition, the three OU students participated in a case study competition where they teamed up with students from other universities. Each group was given a case study that prompted them to tackle orientation-related scenarios. 

Bluestein was part of the team that won first place for its case study presentation, which offered strategies for dealing with a conflict with a co-worker and making a disengaged student feel included in orientation. 

“We focused on making sure that co-worker issues did not interfere with our job performance,” said Bluestein, a sophomore communication major. “On top of that, we wanted the student to feel engaged in the orientation experience, so we talked about inclusive icebreakers that would make everyone participate. Then, at the end, we related the case study to our personal experience with orientation and what we did to overcome those challenges.”