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Freshman Retreat

This year the freshman retreat proved extra special as 24 first-year students boarded a bus on August 27 to attend the in-person, 3-day long retreat at the W.E. Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center in Virginia. The retreat center would be home for the weekend for this fresh cohort that was wondering what this weekend would bring.

Chaperones Gain as They Give


Matthew Klassa, Tressa Glackin and Cami Clickner, all current PSE students, eagerly took part as chaperones to ensure these freshman felt welcome and engaged. Matthew said, “As a senior that has experienced the outcome of a freshman retreat, I enjoyed getting to chaperone this year. I took away a deeper appreciation for the different ways that our program molds and shapes our students as they progress through the degree program. It was really interesting to compare my freshman year retreat with this year’s and think of the implications of some of the differences. I think it also helped me develop my mentoring skills, which is an area that I expect will help me significantly in the workplace.”

From the Eyes of Our Freshmen

These retreats bond our freshmen and they walk away with a strengthened, new sense of community. At the beginning of the retreat, there were some freshmen that felt comfortable with meeting their peers, but a number of them kept to themselves. As the weekend progressed, the groups became larger and little by little, students began seeking out their peers to hang out with. I think the students also gained a new appreciation for the degree they are beginning and the industry they are entering.

Georgia-Pacific Introduces the Mill

Saturday afternoon, the group boarded the bus and headed to Georgia-Pacific Big Island Mill (GP) in Virginia. Many of the freshmen had never been near a paper mill before, much less understood how they operate. GP opened their doors, and guided by alumni Kable Young ’19 and Justin Coor ’18, who broke down the operations, the students walked away with a clearer overview of a mill. On Saturday evening, students were divided into groups and assigned a topic related to their mill experience to present to the group. Based on these presentations, it was clear that they gained a solid foundation of understanding. I can’t wait to watch them continue growing in knowledge and experience. Leaving the retreat, I have full confidence that this year’s freshman class is a strong community that will last through and beyond their four years at State.

Guest Blogger Matthew Klassa