When the 2018-2019 school year began, Kent School opened its doors to more than two hundred new students. Naturally, entering a new school can be both overwhelming and exhilarating, so returning Kent students welcomed all newcomers and supported their adjustment to boarding school life through the Kent Peer Orientation Program (KPOP).

Upon arriving on campus, new international and domestic students acquaint themselves with their change in setting and peers through the help of KPOP leaders aiding in a smooth transition to their new Kent life.

Returning students were paired with groups of four or five new students, whom they helped for the first week or so at Kent. With barbecues, scavenger hunts, a ropes course, trips to town, and ice cream, new students were able to learn their way around campus, meet new friends, and settle comfortably in a new environment.

Gia Orsino ’19, the head of KPOP, compared the effects of the program to her own freshman year when KPOP had not yet existed, stating that it “was amazing” that KPOP “would positively impact so many students.”

She highlights how this program “helps make the community a more welcoming place and spreads positivity.” Additionally, new student Oleana Jacobson ’22 explained that Natalie Sun ‘20 and Katherine Herrema ‘20, her KPOP leaders, “helped [her] settle into Kent and made [the] adjustment much easier.”
Although it can be very difficult to adapt to boarding school, new students eased into the Kent community with the help of a wonderful selection of orientation group leaders.