Orientation leader Excellence Perry: Helping new Tar Heels feel at home

On this week’s episode of UNC’s “Well Said” podcast, rising junior Excellence Perry shares how he hopes to empower incoming Tar Heels as an orientation leader. Perry is pursuing a double major in public relations and advertising in UNC’s School of Media and Journalism and management and society in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Excellence Perry
Orientation leader Excellence Perry.

Before enrolling at Carolina as a first-year or transfer student, Tar Heels first complete an orientation program that acclimates them to life in college.

Each summer, current Tar Heels help guide these new students as orientation leaders.

Capture Well Said shows a blue top cutoff dome of the Old Well then the words Well SaidRising junior Excellence Perry is one of those students leading others. The public relations and advertising and management and society double major is helping welcome new students in this role for the second year.

The key to being a good orientation leader, he said, is going beyond simple logistics.

“Obviously, I want them to know where their classes are going to be, but those things come after the feeling of, ‘I can be here. I can do great things here. I can succeed here. I belong here,’” Perry said.

On this week’s episode, Perry shares how he empowers these new students to come to Carolina ready to pursue their passions — through answering questions, listening to students and dancing on stage.

Listen to this episode on SoundCloud or wherever you get podcasts.

Read a transcript of the episode.