Allan Hancock College buzzed with energy as new and returning students filled the campus for the first day of fall classes Monday. With more than 10,000 students enrolled in both credit and noncredit courses, the college kicked off the semester with a variety of events and support services aimed at ensuring a smooth beginning. To help students navigate, information booths were strategically placed around the Santa Maria campus.
Staffed by Hancock personnel, administrators and student ambassadors, the booths offered more than just directions. "We put this out for volunteers to be able to help out for the first day," said Stefanie Aye, a human resources analyst for the college. "This is a big campus.
It's a beautiful campus, but you know sometimes with all these buildings ...
you almost kind of get lost." Aye emphasized the importance of making students feel welcome and supported, not just on the first day, but throughout their time at Hancock. "We always want to make students feel welcomed.
Not just today, but throughout the semester if they're ever on campus, they could always reach out to one of us and we'll be able to help them," she said. The information booths, part of Hancock's Week of Welcome (WOW), will remain open for the first few days of the semester to assist students. For many students, the first day was a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation.
London Ray, a freshman and recent graduate of Righetti High School, had just completed her first class. "So far I have had one class and it went really well and it’s just really peaceful. The weather is nice and it’s a good day to start classes," said Ray, who planned to return for a biology class later in the evening.
Ray highlighted the importance of preparation and self-care for freshmen students. "Getting good sleep. Making sure I eat before class so I’m not hangry.
And I'm just making sure everything is put together and I have everything planned out," she said. Raemar Agnes, a second-year student at Hancock, reflected on the changes he made after his freshman year. "I'd say the biggest change is for sure my major.
I was going for business marketing and I changed up to kinesiology, which I want to get more focused on for exercise science," said Agnes. He encouraged students to take full advantage of the resources available on campus. "Definitely take advantage of all the programs and everything because it is free at the end of the day and they're going to help you get to where you want to be," he added.
For others, like Erin Meza, a first-time Hancock student who had previously taken concurrent classes, the day was about overcoming initial anxieties. "I'd say that it's definitely not as bad as you would think it is," said Meza, who is majoring in biology with the goal of eventually transferring to a UC. "When I walked in I realized that the professor is not evil and not out to get everyone.
He’s pretty chill and all the other kids are also really chill." Her advice to new students? "Take it bit by bit, and just have an open mind when you go into things because it's really easy to have these assumptions to go in and freak out, but just feel it out and trust the process." As students adjusted to their schedules and navigated the crowded parking lots, there was a sense of optimism on campus.
"We are always about student success and making sure the students feel welcomed," said Aye. "I hope that we put that out there because Hancock's motto is changing the odds for the students.".
