Friday marked the start of a new chapter in life for many students as they moved into the dorms at Aurora University.
“I went my junior year to the college fair and the admissions director was so welcoming,” said Yazmyn Orr-Jones of Tinley Park while moving in at the university on Friday. “I came and took a student visit and fell in love with the Aurora University campus. I plan to be a nurse and haven’t been away from home much. I’m an only child and this is a little bit of a shock for me but I’m definitely going to make my parents proud.”
Aurora University welcomed back students with move-in days both Friday and Saturday, with new transfer students and freshmen taking stock of their new surroundings on Friday with returning students moving in the following day.
Deborah Maue, senior vice president for enrollment and marketing for Aurora University, said overall enrollment is about the same this year at the university when compared to last year.
“We always have the same move-in weekend in August and this year we are welcoming in 700 new freshmen, with a total enrollment of just under 6,000,” Maue said. “In terms of total numbers the total is projected to be the same as last year.”
Maue said that “our freshman numbers are down this year – about 100 fewer” which she said is due to a couple of factors.
“First, we planned to be smaller because we had a lot of capacity issues last year on campus and decided to recruit fewer students, and there was also a delay in the government rollout of the (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) simplification which had a profound effect on student population and the ones we recruit,” she said.
Transfers this year “are way up this time,” Maue said, a product of the university’s partnerships with local community colleges.
“We’ve really leaned into that and we’ll continue to do that,” she said of working with community colleges.
“We also have a lot more returning students which is why our total enrollment is flat” despite fewer incoming freshmen, she said.
A total of 26 states and three foreign countries will be represented by the students at Aurora University this school year, officials said. Female students dominate the student body at 64% versus 36% for males.
“We have more students coming from outside the Aurora area than ever before and our diversity has increased this year as well,” Maue said.
Members of the university’s football team once again assisted students moving in, and a new feature was offered with a photo booth for taking family pictures before parents said goodbye.
Lots of university staff and resident assistants were on site to help with moving in and answering questions.
Alexa Osner, area hall director for campus life at the school, was meeting students in one of the dorms Friday, noting this was her second year on the job.
“We try to prep our RAs to be a friendly, welcoming resource and ask people where they are going, so we can direct them to the correct part of the building,” she said. “Being a presence and being visible is the biggest part of what we do so families feel they have a resource here who can guide them even if they have to leave in a couple of hours. In terms of adjustment, living with someone can be challenging and we try to have our RAs kind of guide students through those difficult conversations.”
Parents as well as students acknowledged their own joy as well as anxiety about the new chapter that moving away to college represents.
Orr-Jones’ mother Keyonia Bonner said she was going to be emotional but was determined to send her daughter off on a new adventure.
“This is my one and only – one and done,” Bonner said as she wiped her brow and caught her breath while hauling in a few boxes. “Right now, I’m trying to hold my composure but I never went to college and this is a new experience for both of us. I want my daughter to have a good time and meet new people and come here with an open mind and start fresh.”
Kelsey Oviatt of Newark, California, said she came to Aurora to play on the softball team and plans to be a catcher.
“I also plan to become a firefighter for my career,” she said. “My older brother went to school already so my parents are a little used to this. The thing I worried about the most coming here is the weather. I don’t want to be snowed in for Christmas. I had narrowed things down to two schools including here and Mississippi and that one would have been harder to get to.”
Kelsey’s dad Michael called his daughter his “Mini-me as she’s been doing softball with me since she was 4.”
“They are going to stream games so I’ll be able to watch her games remotely,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll make it out in person for a tournament or a few of her home games.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
