First Year Experience

Giselle Sanchez

Where are you from (or, where do you consider home)?
Lamar, Colorado

What year are you at Regis
Senior

What's your major/program of study?
English and Secondary Education

Who was the professor for your fall First Year Seminar (RCC200)?
Dr. Karen Adkins

Do you still see/talk to your RCC200 professor?
Once in a while I’ll see her walking around campus.

Do you still see/talk to members of your First Year Seminar cohort?
I see many of my RCC200 members, many of us live in the same building still and continue similar work that brought us together within our first year.

What was the title and theme of your RCC200 Seminar?
Writing Analytically and the theme was centered around social justice and the En/Route program.

Who was the professor for your spring First Year Seminar?
Dr. Karen Adkins

What was the title and theme of your C-Course?
Philosophical Explorations and our theme was connecting our service work to philosophy in general.

What's something you learned in your First Year Seminars (fall and/or spring) that you'll carry with you for the rest of your life?
I think the most important piece I learned was that service work is not “helping.” I was always taught that service work is helping others, while this is true to some extent, service work is more of an opportunity to learn about the community you are in. It’s an opportunity to see the assets a community has rather than their deficits.

What's your favorite memory of your First Year Experience?
My favorite memory during my first year was exploring the campus and being open to many different relationships. I was lucky to experience college right before covid hit and I am very grateful for that first year.

The Office of the First Year Experience oversees or collaborates in a variety of things at Regis, including the First Year Seminars, Fall Fridays, Convocation, Peer Writing Mentors, the First Year Read and workshops like "Troubleshooting Your First Year." To the best of your memory, in what ways did the First Year Experience contribute to your transition into university life?
I think for me, being a first-generation student, having a seminar with people who had similar interests coming into college was crucial for me to feel included at the university. I liked having the stability of seeing the same people for at least one class for the whole year and sharing our experiences from our service work.

Is there anything else that you'd like to share with us about your First Year Experience at Regis?
I loved going through the En/Route program my first year. I have always valued service work but I didn’t realize how transformative my experience would be. I came into Regis as a nursing student, and I was placed at a school for my service site. Four years later I’m now teaching my own classroom completing my education degree. It’s crazy how Regis can lead you to where your passions truly are even from the start.

Heather Ramsey

Where are you from (or, where do you consider home)?
Oak Brook, Illinois

What year are you at Regis
I’m a first-year student at Regis.

What's your major/program of study?
I am a double major in Biology and French.

Who was the professor for your fall First Year Seminar (RCC200)?
Dr. Sarah Puett

Do you still see/talk to your RCC200 professor?
Yes! Dr. Puett has consistently been a great support throughout my first year at Regis.

Do you still see/talk to members of your First Year Seminar cohort?
Absolutely, I run into my peers from my First Year Seminar all the time and am always happy catching up with them on campus!

What was the title and theme of your RCC200 Seminar?
RCC200*RU19: UGH – The Virtues of Complaint.

Who was the professor for your spring First Year Seminar?
Dr. Eric Baus

What was the title and theme of your C-Course?
EN250C: Literature Matters - An Introduction to Poetry, Drama, and Fiction

What's something you learned in your First Year Seminars (fall and/or spring) that you'll carry with you for the rest of your life?
Humans are fundamentally interconnected and we have lots more in common with the people around us than we realize!

What's your favorite memory of your First Year Experience?
I have so many fond memories from my First Year Experience that it’s impossible to pick just one to celebrate, but looking back I am most appreciative of the campus events and experiences that helped me bond with my friends and foster a sense of community among us.

The Office of the First Year Experience oversees or collaborates in a variety of things at Regis, including the First Year Seminars, Fall Fridays, Convocation, Peer Writing Mentors, the First Year Read and workshops like "Troubleshooting Your First Year." To the best of your memory, in what ways did the First Year Experience contribute to your transition into university life?
The First Year Experience program aided in my transition into university life by allowing me to develop a concrete understanding of the Regis mission as well as learn what the culture among students and staff at Regis University was like. Through the program’s resources such as advising sessions, workshops, and campus events, I gained knowledge of the university’s values and developed a sense of belonging within the Regis community. The program allowed many opportunities for me to connect with my peers and get to know faculty and staff members, enhancing both my academic and personal growth.

Is there anything else that you'd like to share with us about your First Year Experience at Regis?
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Office of the First Year Experience, whose members have been a phenomenal team and a valuable resource for first-year students like myself to rely on. In my early transitional stage adapting to university life, I always felt comfortable stepping into the office to consult my advisor for guidance, and if she was preoccupied, other faculty members would happily assist me without hesitation. The members of this team have created a welcoming atmosphere in their office and have demonstrated efficiency and professionalism in addressing a broad range of inquiries for me and many others over the course of the year, earning them the gratitude and admiration of all those they have worked with. Thanks for all that you do for the Regis community!

Sheccid Apodaca Sierra

Where are you from (or, where do you consider home)?
Denver, CO

What year are you at Regis
Current junior (Class of 2024)

What's your major/program of study?
Elementary Education

Who was the professor for your fall First Year Seminar (RCC200)?
Jason Taylor

Do you still see/talk to your RCC200 professor?
Yes, I see him walking around campus or in student events and we have a quick check-in every now and then.

Do you still see/talk to members of your First Year Seminar cohort?
I see just a handful of them and have conversations with them but not very many.

What was the title and theme of your RCC200 Seminar?
RCC 200 RU02 Writing Analytically (En/Route) Every student in this class was placed in a service/community-based organization where we did service throughout the semester.

Who was the professor for your spring First Year Seminar?
Jason Taylor

What was the title and theme of your C-Course?
PL270C Philosophical Explorations

What's something you learned in your First Year Seminars (fall and/or spring) that you'll carry with you for the rest of your life?
When I was placed at Latina Safehouse, an organization where mothers, women, and children were given housing for a temporary period of time to help them seek help and healing from violent partners, domestic violence, or sexual assault of all kinds. This experience created an opening to many different perspectives beginning a new chapter of my life in college and helped me be more compassionate and understanding of other people.

What's your favorite memory of your First Year Experience?
My favorite memory of my first year experience was the first time we were able to have classes on campus rather than on Zoom and had the breakfast to build community within our class.

The Office of the First Year Experience oversees or collaborates in a variety of things at Regis, including the First Year Seminars, Fall Fridays, Convocation, Peer Writing Mentors, the First Year Read and workshops like "Troubleshooting Your First Year." To the best of your memory, in what ways did the First Year Experience contribute to your transition into university life?
FYE contributed in many ways with my transition in college. Dr. Taylor helped build a home at Regis for me and helped me build connections with other professors and departments and I think that was the biggest thing that set me up for college to this day. He really did troubleshoot my first year and helped me think through what my calling/major was going to be. Even after my first year at Regis, I remember I went back into his office just to let him know that I had declared my major in Education.