Before Marcela Reyes became a Student Orientation, Ambassador, and Recruitment (SOAR) Leader, she considered herself to be kind of shy.

But now, the 19-year-old social work major says she thrives on meeting new students and is well on her way to becoming increasingly more involved in the life of the college.

“I feel more confident, and I’ve made lots of friends over the past year,” says Reyes, whose job as a SOAR Leader involves leading small orientation groups during the summer months and helping with on-campus events during the academic year.

“I love helping with orientation and working as a student ambassador. I really don’t consider it a job. It’s fun!”

As one of the first contacts that many first-year and transfer students make during their introduction to life at Dalton State, Reyes believes that it is important for her to provide practical tips from a fellow student’s point of view to help them get off to a good start.

“I’ve actually created my own ‘info sheet,’ and I give these out to students in my groups,” she says. “I include my email address and phone number in case they have questions, and I tell them about the wide variety of academic resources, like the writing and math labs.”

Among her tips, Reyes advises students to:  always carry an agenda with you; don’t procrastinate; make priority lists; get to know the library, and wear comfortable shoes.

But her most important bits of advice are the ones that have helped her the most.

“I tell them not to by shy, and to make new friends, because you’ll never know when you’ll need one,” she says. “I advise them to follow their dreams and to aim for completing their degree because it’s so necessary in the work world.

“And I tell them that they should get involved on campus. When you get involved on campus, you actually look forward to coming to school. That helps you academically as well.”

Reyes’ academic dreams are to earn a bachelor’s of social work (BSW) degree and to eventually pursue graduate school in the field. Her special passion is working with children.

“I really like working with young kids and helping them deal with the problems many of them face. I even enjoy helping out teens who have drug problems. I want to help children and teens who have been abused learn how to make the most of their lives.”

This spring, Reyes has put her career aspirations into practice by volunteering once a week at Cedar Ridge Elementary School, helping a young girl with her schoolwork and serving as an older mentor.

“I help her out during the after-school program,” she says. “I am seeing a big change in her over time. She seems to be developing more trust and seems more comfortable at school.”

When Reyes is not studying or working, she finds time for one of her passions: reading.

“I like to read books about psychology and I love to read literature.  I’ve always loved English and reading, but that hobby used to get me into trouble with my mom because I was always trying to read a book at the dinner table or after I was supposed to go to bed.”

In addition to reading, Reyes’ hobbies include cleaning, dancing, shopping, and hanging out with friends and family, including her husband of one year, Edgar.