- Video shows parents and new students hauling belongings into Madelaine/Lorraine Hall at St. Norbert College, students sharing their emotions about the transition, President Laurie Joyner welcoming students, and a downtown De Pere business speaking about the influx in customers when the students return
- Joyner welcomed her first class as president of the school
- The new class includes 502 students hailing from 18 states and nine countries
- One local business, Luna Coffee Roasters, says the students' return brings a bump in energy and business to the downtown area
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Laundry baskets, dollies, and helpful family members are the sights of first-year move-in day at Saint Norbert College. As the Class of 2027 gets situated on the De Pere campus, they say they have mixed emotions about their next chapter.
"A little nervous, mostly excited. It's going smooth so far […] It's always a little scary meeting a bunch of new people," Alaina Schwahn said.
"I just fell in love with this beautiful place," Ava Nankervis said.
Ethan Hansen is hoping to be become the first college graduate in his family. He drove 25 hours from Idaho to join the swim team at Saint Norbert.
"I'm excited to see somewhere else than home," Hansen said. "It's like halfway across the country for me, so I'm just excited to live in a bigger city and see new things and new people and all that."
Students like Hansen are not the only ones new to campus — Laurie Joyner, the school's first-ever female president, is only six weeks into the job. Joyner says it was important for her to greet parents and students on their first move-in day at St. Norbert.
"For me, I think the first year is, in some ways, the toughest, because, for many of our students, it might be the first time they're away from home," Joyner said. "And then just the transition from high school to college is often challenging."
Joyner said the incoming class of over 500 students represent 18 different states.
The students' return also brings energy and clientele to De Pere businesses.
"I've already been to a couple of coffee shops downtown. Very good coffee," Nankervis said.
"We can tell when the year starts and when the year stops — and this time of year, it kind of gives us a little kick," said Paul Oleksy, assistant roaster at Luna Coffee said.
St. Norbert begins classes Monday, August 28 — one of the first local schools to kick off the 2023-24 academic year.
