Office of Orientation & First-year Programs

Meet Your HOCs

Christian Wagner - Design

What’s up Class of 2011 (and class of 2012 for all the architecture students)!!!

My name is Christian Wagner, and I am the Head Orientation Counselor in charge of the Blue Crew, food, and the overall design of orientation. The Blue Crew is comprised of 3 Orientation Leaders (OL’s), 19 Orientation Counselors (OC’s) and me, and we are in charge of Donner, West Wing, Resnick, Doherty, Place House, and the Intersection. Just you wait for the adventures that come ahead!

I was born in Bogota, Colombia, but I managed to move to Mexico City, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Caracas, and Sao Paulo before leaving High School. I am an international student without a really clear sense of where I am from. I welcome all the international students that are arriving from all the corners of the globe. I am currently entering my fourth year in the School of Architecture and I welcome all the students that will graduate in 2012 (you have an extra year to enjoy, you are lucky…). While here at Carnegie Mellon, I have had the opportunity to study abroad in Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore. I am a travel-fanatic to say the least.

During my time here, I have been very involved with student life. I was a Resident Assistant at Hamerschlag House and Donner House my sophomore and junior years. I am the only Head Orientation Counselor that has not yet been an Orientation Counselor; however I’ve been through three orientations already. I joined Greek Life my freshmen year, and it was one of the best decisions I made while in college. I have also been involved with the American Institute of Architecture Students, the School of Drama’s “Playground” program, and intramural sports.

I am a fan of this place, and I want to make orientation 2007 the best for you. I bet you all are anxious, nervous and excited to get here. My best advice is to enjoy the moments you have at home, and make the best of the time you have here. You are entering a brand new world here: take good risks and get involved. Above all else, make the most of your college education. It goes by way too fast. You’ll be In YOUR Element in no time.

If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email to . See you in August!

Colin Brush – Programming & Logistics

Class of 2011, WELCOME to the beginning of an amazing and life-changing four years. We can’t wait to have you here with us!

My name is Colin Brush and I am a senior Music-Vocal Performance major here in good ol' CFA. I am 20 years old (aka too young to be a senior) and originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. For your glorious Orientation I am partly in charge (along with Ms. Amanda and Ms. Brittany) of Programming and Logistics and will make sure everything is planned perfectly and runs smoothly throughout the week. I will also be in charge of the entire Morewood Gardens area, which I am thrilled about, as that is where I lived my first year.

First off, Orientation is my favorite week out of the entire year. Hands down. I have been a part of it now into my fourth year, once as a first year, once as an Orientation Counselor, once as an Orientation Leader and now this time as Head Orientation Counselor. During the normal school year, I live the hectic life of a Music major, have been involved in 5 major productions and two more this coming year, am in the Concert Choir, work as an audition assistant for Music Admissions and have done a show down at Pittsburgh Opera as well. We at Carnegie Mellon, however, despite being heavily involved, still find time to explore Pittsburgh and have tons of fun.

I am so excited for you all to have this opportunity to study at Carnegie Mellon. There are times that I step back and realize just how amazing everything and everyone at this school is. Everyone I have met at this school so far is extremely passionate about something, which can not be said about most places. Our students act on these passions too, and it shows in every day life around the campus. Carnegie Mellon is also a place where everyone has a niche and can find a group of people that think like them and enjoy the same things as them, which is so important in our lives. I can't wait to see you all grow here and to see how you will use your passions to make our community a better place. Anyways, enjoy your last weeks of summer and GET PUMPED for the start to an amazing four years.

If you have ANY questions at all, even if it's as simple as "What's the best coffee shop around campus,” please do not hesitate to ask. We are here to make sure your transition happens as smoothly as possible, so feel free to e-mail me at any time: . See you soon!

Brittany McCandless – Programming & Logistics

Ahlan! ¡Bienvenudos! Welcome!

My name is Brittany McCandless, and I am the Head Orientation Counselor in charge of Programming & Logistics, New House dorm, and commuter students. I’m so excited to meet the class of 2011!

I’m a senior majoring in Professional Writing and Creative Writing, with a minor in International Relations. I’m currently living in New York City, where I’m interning with ABC World News with Charles Gibson. It’s an incredible experience, and I can afford it largely because of a generous grant from Carnegie Mellon. Learn this early – hard work pays off, and the endless opportunities at Carnegie Mellon are yours for the taking!

During my time here, I have been involved with Orientation as an Orientation Counselor and an Orientation Leader. I have also been News Editor of the school newspaper, president of an honors organization, projects chair for a volunteer organization, acted in a student theater production, helped organize student government elections, participated in a leadership program, and worked for Alumni Relations. I also participate in several honors organizations, including the Humanities Scholars Program. Needless to say, I LOVE Carnegie Mellon.

I hope you enjoy your time at Carnegie Mellon as much as I have. Just remember — it’s what you make of it. And if you’re up for the challenge, you can make it anything you want. Join clubs or form your own; take classes in another school; create an interdisciplinary major; and most importantly, pursue your passion. You’re at a school with some of the most talented and brilliant students in the world — teach them, learn from them, and celebrate your differences. It may be a little scary at first, but in no time, you’ll be *in your element* at Carnegie Mellon!

If you have any questions, or just want to say hello, email me at . Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Kaylie Thompson – Staff Selection & Training

Welcome to Carnegie Mellon, Class of 2011+!! I am so excited to meet you all during Orientation 2007!

My name is Kaylie Thompson, and I am one of the Head Orientation Counselors who will be in Pittsburgh all summer planning some great events for your Orientation week! I will be a senior Chemistry major and Gender Studies minor, and it’s hard to believe I only have one year left…I do not want to leave this place! I was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and raised in southern Maryland. I will be the ‘HOC’ in charge of OC (Orientation Counselor) Staff Selection and Training, and I will be working with the residents of THE HILL!! for my third year in a row. I served as an OC and an OL in Welch House. The Hill also includes Hamerschlag, Boss, McGill, Scobell, and Henderson Houses.

I work in the Office of Admission as a tour guide, so some of you may have met me already when you visited Carnegie Mellon. I am also involved with the Music Extension program, our annual gender-issues conference, MOSAIC, Intramural sports, and Ski & Snowboard Club, among other things. I also studied abroad last fall for a semester in the beautiful town of Aix-en-Provence in southern France. It was a great experience, and I got to learn (and travel!) a lot.

Now that you know what I do at Carnegie Mellon, it’s your turn to find your element here. There are so many opportunities, from student-run organizations, to athletics, to Greek life, so get excited to discover where your interests will lead you! My advice for Orientation: meet AS MANY people as possible, because it is your one chance before school starts to do nothing but meet your fellow classmates and get ready for the next few years!

Again welcome to the Carnegie Mellon community. I am super excited for Orientation 2007: In YOUR Element! If you have any questions, or just want to say hello, definitely email me at ! See you in August!

Amanda Reapsummer – Programming & Logistics

Hey Class of 2011! Welcome to the Carnegie Mellon community!

My name is Amanda Reapsummer and I am one of the 2007 Head Orientation Counselors spending the summer in Pittsburgh to plan what is sure to be the BEST Orientation ever! As an HOC I am in charge of Programming and Logistics which means that I get to plan awesome events like House Wars and make sure that you are having a great time throughout your entire first week here at CMU! In addition to planning events for the week of Orientation I am also in charge of Mudge House and Oakland Apartments (YEAH PINK GROUP!) As you can see, I am super excited for Orientation to begin, and you should be too!

Currently, I am a Junior pursuing a major in Psychology and a minor in Decision Science. I am originally from Ohio but have spent most of my life in sunny Southwest Florida, which made coming to Pittsburgh an interesting change! While it may not have beaches and endless amounts of sunshine, Pittsburgh really is a great place to live and you’ll be used to the weather change in no time! By the end of my freshman year, I went from the girl who thought 75 degrees was “chilly” to one of those crazy northerners who wears short sleeves when it’s in the 50’s. So for all of you coming from a slightly warmer and sunnier region, keep a positive attitude (and a warm winter jacket in your closet) and you’ll be fine!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at . See you soon!