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In this Student View column, Lily Houston ’28 shares her experience attending St. Olaf College’s Sophomore Symposium — a multi-day program designed to help sophomores students reflect on their academic paths, explore career possibilities, and build connections within their class.

For most St. Olaf College students, January Term break is a valuable time to relax and spend some time off campus. When I asked my friends about their plans, the most common response was “sleep!” But halfway through break, I found myself back on campus, sitting in a crowded meeting room with a pen, notebook, and thick packet in my hands, attending the opening ceremony for the Sophomore Symposium. I looked around a bit nervously, feeling something akin to first-day-of-school jitters. What exactly was I in for? Did I even know anyone here? Was this really going to be worth coming back early from break? Luckily, I soon found that I had nothing to worry about. Between February 2 and 4, I took part in great conversations, memorable activities, and useful classes that actually left me more excited about the upcoming semester — and more confident about my post-college plans. 

The Sophomore Symposium started off strong with a very engaging keynote speaker, Denzel Belin ‘15. His energetic and humorous speech about how success is often messy, and usually feels very different from what you expect, immediately set the tone for the rest of the symposium. Belin spoke about the ups and downs of his post-grad career journey, how each success comes from failures, and how we cannot judge ourselves based only on our highest and lowest moments. I could feel the other sophomores relax and settle in a bit, and I don’t think I have ever seen a higher engagement rate than at that keynote talk. Success talks can sometimes feel dull or overly peppy, but Belin’s speech was honest, vulnerable, and relatable, in a way that got plenty of laughs and held our attention. 

After the keynote address, we were split into groups based on our major. I was friends with a couple of people in my group, but the rest were only vague acquaintances from my classes or Oles I had never met before. I was surprised that there were so many people in my major that I hadn’t gotten to know yet, and was glad that I had an opportunity to talk to them now. Since we stayed in teams for the whole symposium, and were encouraged to take our break and mealtimes together, we had plenty of opportunities to chat about our classes, hobbies, and co-curriculars, and swap advice about major requirements, study abroad, and summer jobs. 

The rest of the day (and most of the next) was spent rotating through workshops focused on practical college and career advice: my team and I filled out worksheets for career planning and vocation, brainstormed how to connect our interests to co-curricular activities on campus, and played a mental health-ified version of The Game of Life. We all agreed that the best workshop of the symposium was the “Resume Breakout Room,” where we snacked on lifesavers and received detailed advice and templates on how to format and fill out our resumes. Since standard resume formatting and desired content changes frequently, it was incredibly helpful to have an updated list of resume dos and don’ts. It was also useful to have a college-specific resume template; Before attending the workshop, I didn’t know that potential employers would be interested in my GPA or my class research projects. We were also introduced to the idea of a “master resume” during this session, which is a comprehensive document that stores all of your experiences and makes it easier to tailor your resume for specific applications. 

Another event that many students found valuable was the alumni panel and dessert reception on the first night of the symposium. Six St. Olaf graduates spoke about their time on the Hill and offered advice for gaining career experience during college, as well as navigating the job market after graduation. The reception after the talk was a great opportunity for participants to network and ask questions with 22 different alumni — or to just enjoy the complimentary cake. 

The next morning catered to what every college student really wants: furry friends and food. Labrador and golden retriever puppies were available for cuddles in the Pause, and grab-and-go breakfast items were offered in the Jungle nearby. As someone who constantly misses her black lab and border collie at home, the dopamine hit that I got from just looking at these pups was extreme. Between the puppy cuddles and the fruit snacks,  I started the second day of the symposium on a high note. 

After our class rotations (and multiple raids of the snack table) my team went back to the Pause for the Next Steps Market Fair, where several campus resource centers were tabling. I made sure to stop by the Smith Center table to learn more about the Gilman Scholarship for my study abroad program, the St. Olaf Recreation table to ask about spring rock climbing field trips, and the Lutheran Center table to get more information on the upcoming Young Adult Faith and Climate Summit. I also learned more about the recently established Svoboda Center for Civic Engagement and how to get more involved in the Northfield community. I don’t visit the campus centers too often, so it was helpful to have an event that gathered so many resources in one place.

The Sophomore Symposium ended with what many of us had been looking forward to most: an all-you-can-eat Chipotle meal. We listened to the closing address from the Lutheran Center’s interim director, Peter Carlson Schattauer ’08, about connecting vocation to emotional and spiritual well-being, and headed out to prepare for class the next day full of new knowledge and burrito bowls.

Overall, I’m glad that I decided to attend the Sophomore Symposium, and that my initial fears were proved wrong. I also feel fortunate  to have been part of the first sophomore class to experience the extended symposium format. In previous iterations, the symposium existed as a half-day session with one large group that moved through class rotations. This new format focused on self-discovery, connection, and discussion by splitting participants into teams, setting aside more time for individual reflection and conversations, and introducing new events like the Next Steps Market Fair. While this experience reminded many of us of our first-year St. Olaf Orientation to Academics and Resources (SOAR) program, it was reassuring to see St. Olaf’s continued commitment to supporting students’ sense of belonging and direction beyond their first year of college. 

Returning to campus early may not have been part of my original ideal break plans — but it turned out to be exactly where I needed to be to set myself up for success, sophomore year and beyond.