Following the first wave of registration on August 30, Andover kicked off the new school year with two orientation programs. However, both the New International Student Orientation (NISO) program held by World Partners and New Student Orientation led by Blue Keys a few days later underwent significant changes compared to previous years.
One of the key alterations made to Orientation this year was the introduction of smaller Blue Key groups. Although this new organization allowed students to spend more time with the peers in their group, leading to deeper and more meaningful connections, Serafina Shin-von Nordenflycht ’25, Blue Key Head, pointed out challenges that emerged during the scheduling process.
“Orientation itself was a little bit rushed. A few people got left alone because we were not informed of many of the changes made. A lot of what the Blue Keys did beforehand was administrative work of sorting groups the day beforehand and trying to make sure everyone had two Seniors that they were working with, and that every Senior had a group of kids. I think a few people got lost because of miscommunications between the administration and the Blue Key Heads,” said Shin-von Nordenflycht.
The second orientation program, NISO, also saw a substantial shift this year as participation became optional for some participants. According to Keita Narusawa ’26, World Partner and board member of the International Club, this change created a dynamic atmosphere, marking a significant improvement.
“NISO was made optional this year to a very small number of students. Namely those who are dual citizens, those who are U.S. passport holders or those who have lived in the U.S. recently, so only really those who have spent a long time in the United States or are familiar with it. Everyone else was not given an option. This impacted the program by giving a much more energetic feel. Everyone there really wanted to be there,” said Narusawa.
For Alberto Agudo Dieguez ’25, a new Post Graduate, both NISO and the regular orientation provided a vital support system in his early days at Andover. As a new international student, Agudo Dieguez appreciated the opportunity to bond with peers who shared similar experiences and challenges, as well as the enthusiasm of World Partners and Blue Keys.
“I got to know a group of international students with whom I could share my adaptation. Especially during the first week, we were all having similar difficulties, so having a group of international students was really nice. Then I did get to know people from the states… I think [New Student Orientation] blended in well with the international student orientation,” said Agudo Dieguez.
Reflecting on the overall liveliness and animated nature of NISO, Narusawa recounted how the energy present during the event brought everyone together. He highlighted a particular memory that vividly encapsulated the Andover spirit.
“My favorite memory from NISO was playing mafia with a bunch of new students and I remember a day student named Darren Xu came over to my mafia game and just started leading it. That really showed me what kind of community Andover was, a community where students could just drop by and have fun. Darren also dropped by NISO even though he had already graduated so that just shows how tight the community is,” said Narusawa.
