AURORA outdoor orientation programs take new Penn State students 'into the wild'

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The first semester of college is a significant beginning in the lives of students and their families. It’s a milestone filled with excitement and possibility, a bit of nervousness, and maybe even some anxiety. It’s fitting then, that AURORA — an orientation program designed to welcome students into the start of their college career — takes its name from the dawn, or the beginning of something new.

Jen Emigh, program director of the AURORA programs at Penn State, has long believed in the importance this transition period represents for students. Together, she and a team of staff and students at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center oversee the AURORA series of for-credit, backpacking expeditions tailored to incoming first-year and transfer students.

Through AURORA, incoming first-year and transfer students are paired with upper-division student leaders and led on five-day expeditions in locations throughout the United States. The program, which started in 1996, now offers several trip options that may vary from year to year, each named after a star or constellation. These include backpacking expeditions local to central Pennsylvania, a State College-based community-service experience, an accessible hybrid-online experience, and other backpacking trips in varied locations. Programs are offered in the summer and fall semesters. 

Watch a video about the AURORA program made in 2019:

Reflect, focus and connect

AURORA develops students’ knowledge of and appreciation for the outdoors and counts toward the University’s required General Health and Wellness credit. Students are paired in groups of eight to 10 with others they’ve never met. Many of the students have never spent a night in the outdoors.

Logistics and academic credit aside, a common thread among student reflections following each trip, said Emigh, is that they leave feeling more confident, self-aware, and better equipped to manage challenges and opportunities that await them at the start of the semester. 

Comments from participants over the years have included: 

• “It exceeded expectations, as I had one of the best weeks of my life making many new friends.” 

• “It was a great way to kick off the week before starting classes. The leaders gave us so much helpful advice for the transition and it was super nice to hear other perspectives of students that have been through the same thing we are right now.” 

• “AURORA gave me a strong starting platform for college that has helped me find people who enjoy similar things as me, new interests and clubs, and a strong support system. It was one of the biggest highlights of my year and I enjoyed every second of it from start to finish.” 

“I left the trip feeling happy and can honestly say I’d never been in a better state mentally,” said Lauren Pavlechko, who as a student participant completed an expedition to Rothrock State Forest near University Park in August 2019. “Even just being without my phone for five days — I didn’t realize what a relief that would be. It forced me to engage with my group. We were each other’s entertainment.” 

The opportunity to reflect, focus and connect is very much part of the curriculum of this enhanced learning experience, explained Emigh.

The coursework — delivered through the Department of Kinesiology in Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development — emphasizes teamwork, group living skills, nutritional strategies, living in the elements, wilderness ethics, and health and wellness by introducing students to backpacking. The goal is to help students develop skills to successfully manage their time and stress to better balance the physical, social and academic aspects of their lives.

“There’s science behind the program,” said Emigh. “It’s not just about having this cool outdoor experience. We’re exploring vulnerability, empathy and leadership skills using backpacking and hiking as the vehicle.” 

Students leading students

A highlight of the program for many students, they said, is the chance to learn from Penn State upper-division students who were once in their shoes. 

“One of the most valuable assets coming out of the program for me was my student leaders,” said Jake Armstrong, who participated in the program in 2019. “I had so many assumptions about what my fellow students knew and didn’t know about college life, but then you realize everyone has the same questions. It was a relief to know I wasn’t alone and to have students to talk to who had been there.”

The majority of students who end up leading AURORA trips were once student participants themselves. Interested students are encouraged to enroll in RPTM 330: Adventure-Based Program Leadership, which is among a slate of courses covering outdoor and adventure-based leadership and education at Penn State. The course provides the foundation for effective leadership by introducing students to its interpersonal aspects — including sound decision-making, techniques for facilitating personal growth, as well as risk management. Once hired by AURORA, student leaders go through extensive staff training, which covers technical skills, emergency evacuation protocols, and more. They also can earn Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder certification.

“Being a leader is about so much more than managing a checklist of the tasks you’re required to complete,” said Emigh. “It’s about navigating tough situations. If someone is homesick, how you help them through that, or if someone is struggling with the hike, what you will do to help them overcome that challenge and move forward.”

Now a Penn State alum, Andrew Destin participated as a first-year student and later served as an AURORA student leader. Destin co-led groups of about 10 students each into Rothrock State Forest in 2019, navigating the trail, setting up camp, and guiding them through group-based activities and journaling.

“I learned so much about myself as an AURORA leader and participant, whether it be leadership or interpersonal skills that stick with me to this day,” said Destin. “I am so grateful that not only did my Penn State journey start through such a tremendous program, but that I was able to pay it forward in some fashion with incoming freshmen. I cannot recommend AURORA enough, both for the moments that come with the job while you’re in the thick of leading a trip and for the essential life experiences along the way.”

A solid footing for the future

Although AURORA represents only a small portion of a student’s entire academic career at Penn State, the learnings and preparation provide a solid footing for participants as they set out to tackle the semesters ahead. 

"AURORA changed my life in so many ways,” said Jack Crowley, a student participant majoring in criminology and psychology. “The program gave me the best friends I have ever known, instilled in me a new, deep appreciation for nature, and was overall the best week I have had since arriving at Penn State. If you get the chance to participate in AURORA, my only piece of advice would be to enjoy every second you get."

The students’ increased sense of self-confidence and pride serve as indicators of success for Emigh, who said she hopes the program can serve as many students as possible, but also puts the focus on quality over quantity to stay true to the ideals of the curriculum. 

“Students feel a sense of pride coming out of this program,” said Emigh. “There is something special about being brave enough to try something new, and then to be validated by your peers. That is what I hope stays with our students — to know we have their backs. And I hope that they pay it forward by being more open and accepting of others, which will hopefully lead to a much more enriching college experience for everyone.” 

Registration for 2023 AURORA programs is currently open to all incoming and transfer students to Penn State. For more information and to register, visit the AURORA website.