Welcome to Trinity College and to the International Student Orientation! We are so excited to have you join us here at Trinity and cannot wait to get to know you and your families.
Check in and pick up your Trinity ID card to gain access to your residence hall. If you reserved sheets/towels, these will be in your room. International Mentors & Writing Associates will help you move in to your room. If you cannot make it to check in, please go to Campus Safety at 70 Vernon Street where you can get your ID after 10 pm.
The shuttle for students and families from JFK airport will depart between 5 pm and 6 pm to Trinity's campus. Make sure to meet Summit Fellow, Noah Weber, at Terminal 4 at the Hudson Newstand right outside of the International Arrivals checkpoint in Terminal 4. Noah will arrive around 4 pm to that location and gather everyone there. If you arrive at a different terminal, you may take the free Air Train to Terminal 4. An email will be sent out next week confirming this information for all those signed up to take the shuttle.
A shuttle will continuously run during this time to Target on Berlin Turnpike for any personal items that you might need for during your time here at Trinity.
Thursday August 22, 2019 9:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Mather Circle
Bank of America, Santander, and AT&T will have tables in the Mather Hall Lobby so that students and families can open bank accounts as well as purchase phone plans or SIM cards.
This panel will focus on academic support for students and how they can set themselves up for success in the classroom. Panelists include: Lori Clapis, Coordinator of Student Accessibility Resources Lisa-Ann Foster, Associate Professor of Biology & Director of the Center for Academic Advising Kaitlyn Gingras, Director of the Aetna Quantitative Center Tennyson O'Donnell, Director of the Allan K. Smith Center for Writing & Rhetoric
Thursday August 22, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Reese Room
International Mentors will be assisting students with crafting projects for room decorations. In this session, students will be able to decorate pots for plants or mason jars for storage.
This session will provide pertinent information about the health care system in the United States including insurance basics and how the health center on our campus works within this system. Our presenter will be Martha O'Brien, the Director of the Health Center. There will be an opportunity for questions at the end.
Thursday August 22, 2019 11:00am - 11:15am PDT
Reese Room
This session will focus on how to help your student in times of stress and highlight the various resources on campus that can assist them to build a healthier mindset regarding their stress.
Panelists include: Bantams In Balance, A Collaborative Initiative to Promote Healthier Lifestyles at Trinity Randolph Lee, Associate Professor of Psychology & Director, Counseling & Wellness Center Chris Fonte, Recreation Assistant
Thursday August 22, 2019 11:30am - 12:00pm PDT
Reese Room
Our welcome session! In this session, we will introduce you to key staff members that you will need to know and you will also get the opportunity to learn more about each other.
The social life at Trinity is very diverse and offers many students opportunities to get involved in student organizations, clubs, or groups where they might be able to meet friends and round out their overall experience at Trinity College.
Our presenters will be: Nikia Bryant, Director of Student Activities, Involvement & Leadership Kathryn Wojcik, Director of Campus Life Initiatives
Thursday August 22, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
Reese Room
An interactive session on the rules that you need to know while you are an international student in the US. We'll explain how to stay in status and what exactly that means as well as how you can work on campus.
Chaplain Allison Read will present on the Spiritual Life offerings at Trinity College. While Trinity was originally founded in the Episcopal Christian tradition, we provide support for students of all faiths under the Spiritual Life umbrella with practices supporting Roman Catholicism, Jewish life, Zen Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and interfaith cooperation.
Thursday August 22, 2019 3:00pm - 3:30pm PDT
Reese Room
A panel of some of our current international students will be available to answer any questions that families may have about their experience as a student at Trinity College.
Thursday August 22, 2019 3:30pm - 4:00pm PDT
Reese Room
The last session of the day and one of the most important! In this session, we will have a panel of International Mentors and Writing Associates who will discuss what academics might look like at Trinity College and how that might differ from what you might be used to in high school (whether you went to high school in the US or not).
Joe Catrino, Director of Career Development & Special Assistant to VP of Innovation, will present on outcomes in terms of what our international students typically do once they graduate from Trinity. He'll discuss how Career Development partners with students to help them build their skills to be successful in the job search, in the workplace, or even in graduate school.
Thursday August 22, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Reese Room
Martha O'Brien (MBOB!), the Director of the Health Center, will be with us to discuss the specifics of how the US healthcare system works and what you need to know about insurance. She'll also talk about everyone's favorite topic, IMMUNIZATIONS!
If you were assigned a mentor through the International Mentor Program, you must attend this session where you will meet and get to know your mentor. We will play some games together so that it will be easier to get to know each other and learn about what you might have in common.
Join us for a cocktail reception at the Mark Twain House & Museum in the Nook Café. Families will have the chance to take guided tours of the Mark Twain House, one of the defining landmarks of Hartford and historic home to the quintessential American author. Hosted by the Office of Parent Giving along with Reema & Deven Sheth (P'19 & P'22).
Refreshments will be catered by The Kitchen at Billings Forge.
Thursday August 22, 2019 5:30pm - 7:30pm PDT
Mark Twain House & Museum351 Farmington Ave, Hartford, CT 06105
Join us in our first International Orientation Trivia Night! WhatTrivia will present a night of international trivia in Vernon Social. We will also have a selection of food from different restaurants that you can find in the Hartford area so that you can begin to get familiar with what Hartford has to offer! The winning team will receive a prize!
Thursday August 22, 2019 7:00pm - 9:00pm PDT
Vernon Social
A shuttle will continuously run during this time to Target on Berlin Turnpike for any personal items that you might need for during your time here at Trinity.
Friday August 23, 2019 9:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Mather Circle
International Mentors will be assisting students with crafting projects for room decorations. In this session, students will be able to paint canvases and decorate pictures frames that will hold weekly schedules for students to use with dry-erase markers.
Have you ever heard of Culture Shock? It's a normal process that everyone goes through to one degree or another when they move from one culture to another. In this session, we will talk about how to recognize culture shock, what to do about it, and learn the basics about US culture. We will also introduce students to some of the intercultural resources on campus that they can use.
Join Summit Fellow, Noah Weber, to talk about personal safety. A representative from Campus Safety will be on hand to give personal safety tips. We will also discuss how to avoid common scams as well as how to keep your personal information safe especially when using social media.
This session will focus on co-curricular activities (activities outside of the classroom) and how involvement in student groups and organizations can complement and enhance your studies and your experience of the social life at Trinity.
An annual tradition at the International Student Orientation: The Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament. This is an interactive game that helps you to remember names of your fellow students.
The US has a tradition of playing lawn games before a big event (called Tailgating). We'll have some games set up for you to try in the fields below the Lower Long Walk. Games will include cornhole, ladderball, spikeball, and more!
Every year, Dean Joe DiChristina (Dean of Campus Life & VP of Student Affairs) hosts an outdoor BBQ in his backyard for the new international students, RA's, Pride Leaders, and other students and staff on campus as a way to start the new academic year. Join us for this fun and casual meal.
A shuttle will continuously run during this time to Target on Berlin Turnpike for any personal items that you might need for during your time here at Trinity.
Saturday August 24, 2019 9:00am - 1:00pm PDT
Mather Circle
Those who have not signed up for PRIDE Welcome Weekend or Quest: We have arranged for a trip to see Hartford's new soccer (football) team play Atlanta United at Dillon Stadium. Mentors will be teaching students how to use the Hartford bus network to travel to the game.
Continental Breakfast is set up in Alumni Lounge. Meal plans will work in Mather Hall for lunch and dinner later in the day. You will need your ID to swipe for your meal plan in Mather.