Second round of New Student Orientation days helps freshmen, transfer students get ready for start of university’s 2026-27 school year.
by Duane Bonifer
COLUMBIA, KY. (07/11/2026) Gracie Orr has been getting up most mornings this summer around 6 a.m. for her job as a lifeguard.
But on Thursday, July 9, the Marion, Kentucky, resident and Lindsey Wilson freshman woke up an extra 30 minutes early so that she and her father, Josh, could drive 3-1/2 hours to Lindsey Wilson University for New Student Orientation.
“I’m excited to start building a community, and I’m excited to meet people I’m going to be in class with,” Orr said before the start of New Student Orientation in the university’s V.P. Henry Auditorium.
Orr and her father were among more than 400 students and family members who attended Lindsey Wilson’s second New Student Orientation days of the summer on July 9-10. The students who attended those two days followed more than 350 students and family members who attended New Student Orientation days held in June, which should give Lindsey Wilson close to 500 new undergraduate students when the fall semester begins on Aug. 24.
The half-day session introduced new students and their family members to campus life, as well as university traditions and culture. New students also finalized their enrollment for the 2026-27 school year, such as completing a class schedule and registering a vehicle on campus. They also heard tips from Lindsey Wilson staff members about how to have a successful college career.
“They’re still your kids, and I know you see them that way,” Assistant Dean of Students Abe Cross told parents and other family members during a session in V.P. Henry Auditorium. “We’re going to take care of your students while they’re here. We’re going to go out of our way to take care of them. That’s why I come to work every day — because I love to help our students.”
Cross said that students who are involved with campus life and get to know their professors are often among the most successful at the university.
Involvement is key
Orr, who plans to major in biology, also plans to be involved with campus life. She is already committed to being a member of the Blue Raider cheerleading squad.
“I am so excited to cheer at a higher level,” said Orr, who graduated from Crittenden County High School. “I am super excited to cheer on a larger level.”
Pilot Bowman ’30 of Livingston, Tennessee, was another freshman who plans to be involved with campus life. Bowman, who attended the July 9 New Student Orientation with his mother, Maggie, will major in business administration and be a member of the men’s archery team.
Bowman said he is looking forward to competing on the collegiate level, and while his mother said she was glad her son chose to attend college less than two hours from home, she wasn’t yet ready for her only son to leave home.
“No, no and no,” she said when asked. “But I’m very excited for him. I’m impressed with the archery coach (Anna Krampe-Bell ’23) and her loyalty to her team.”
A city within Columbia
Bryan Lawhorn ’30 of Columbia had a much shorter drive to the July 9 New Student Orientation, and the Russell County High School graduate noted that Lindsey Wilson offers a lot of benefits to area residents.
“It feels like its own little small town in Columbia,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to the new adventures here.”
Rowan Petett ’30 of Campbellsville, Kentucky, was another area resident attracted to Lindsey Wilson. A graduate of Campbellsville High School, Petett said that Lindsey Wilson’s small class sizes give off “the same energy” as he experienced throughout high school.
“Everybody knows each other, and I liked that,” said Petett, who plans to major in business administration.
Christine Cook ’30 of Nancy, Kentucky, arrived at New Student Orientation with a campus expert — her mother, McKenzie Cook Blackseter ’13, was a member of Lindsey Wilson’s inaugural nursing cohort. Cook aims to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a nursing major while competing on the women’s archery team.
“I’m so proud of her,” said Blackseter. “I’m a little sad (she’s leaving home), but I’m so proud of her.”
And Cook said that she plans to turn to her family expert for advice about Lindsey Wilson.
“I don’t have to research anything, she can just tell me if I have a question,” said Cook, who graduated from Southwestern High School.
Jessi Hammes ’29 of Danville, Kentucky, was among the transfer students who attended New Student Orientation, transferring from Westfield State (Massachusetts) University. She said she’s “most excited about the classes.”
“I’ve heard really good things about the psychology program,” said Hammes, who attended the July 10 session with her boyfriend, Carter Maynard, and plans to major in psychology.
Few new students’ enthusiasm level could match the energy displayed by Jamarea Stone ’30 of Lexington, Kentucky.
As the dozen New Student Orientation leaders led the July 10 opening session in V.P. Henry Auditorium, Stone broke out into an impromptu dance, drawing as much attention and the choreographed movements.
“I’m just excited about the experience,” said Stone, who attended the session with his father, Chris, mother, Jasmine, and sister, Jamilla, 15. “I’m looking forward to meeting the people who are here and having a community with them.”
Lindsey Wilson University student Macey Poindexter ’30 of Burkesville, Kentucky, finalizes her registration in the Doris and Bob Holloway Health & Wellness Center during the university’s July 9 New Student Orientation day as her mother, Kristy Flowers Williams ’03, and sister, Londyn, 8, look on. More than 400 students and family members attended Lindsey Wilson’s second New Student Orientation days of the summer on July 9-10.
Lindsey Wilson University legacy Christine Cook ’30 of Nancy, Kentucky, right, and her mother, McKenzie Cook Blackseter ’13, were among the more than 400 students and family members who attended Lindsey Wilson’s second New Student Orientation days of the summer on July 9-10. Blackseter was a member of Lindsey Wilson’s inaugural nursing cohort, and Cook also plans to major in nursing while competing on the women’s archery team.
Lindsey Wilson University students Nicholas Stargel ’30 of Russell Springs, Kentucky, left, and Kirsten Harris ’30 of Lewisburg, Kentucky, participate in a New Student Orientation ice-breaker exercise as Rowan Petett ’30 of Campbellsville, Kentucky, watches on July 10 in the Doris and Bob Holloway Health & Wellness Center. They were among more than 400 students and family members who attended Lindsey Wilson’s second New Student Orientation days of the summer on July 9-10.
Lindsey Wilson University admissions counselor Mattie Coomer ’24, right, assists student Gracie Orr ’30 and her father, Josh, both of Marion, Kentucky, during the July 9 New Student Orientation day in the Doris and Bob Holloway Health & Wellness Center. Orr was among more than 400 students and family members who attended Lindsey Wilson’s second New Student Orientation days of the summer on July 9-10.
Lindsey Wilson University freshmen, from left, Kaitlynn Howard of Greensburg, Kentucky, Christine Cook of Nancy, Kentucky, and Aubrie McGuyer of Madisonville, Kentucky, pose for pictures at the photo booth during the July 9 New Student Orientation day in the Doris and Bob Holloway Health & Wellness Center. They were among more than 400 students and family members who attended Lindsey Wilson’s second New Student Orientation days of the summer on July 9-10.
Lindsey Wilson University admissions counselor Tanner Pooler ’17, right, helps student Gibson Lowe ’30, center, log in to his RaiderNet account while his father, Nathan, and mother, Michelle, look on during the July 9 New Student Orientation day in the Doris and Bob Holloway Health & Wellness Center. Lowe was among more than 400 students and family members who attended Lindsey Wilson’s second New Student Orientation days of the summer on July 9-10.
Lindsey Wilson University mascot Blue Raider Bob welcomes guests to the opening of the July 9 New Student Orientation in V.P. Henry Auditorium. More than 400 students and family members attended Lindsey Wilson’s second New Student Orientation days of the summer on July 9-10.
Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 30 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university’s 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
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(Duane Bonifer – Lindsey Wilson University)