SAM Squad Leader Helps New Bearkats Find Their Place at SHSU

Sam Squad Leader Helps New Bearkats Find Their Place at SHSU

Bearkat Kickoff is Sam Houston State University’s official onboarding and transition program for incoming first-year students. Beginning with freshman move-in and ending with textbook pickup and class tours, the four-day program helps new Bearkats feel prepared, connected and confident as they begin their SHSU experience.

Students from across campus serve as SAM Squad Leaders, each leading a group of 50 first-year students through Bearkat Kickoff and Welcome Week. Students are grouped with peers within the same college, giving them an opportunity to build connections with classmates they will see throughout their time at SHSU.

Sydney Gamarra is a junior double majoring in criminal justice and media and communication, an Orange Key and a leader in the Campus Activities Board, Student Government Association and the Theta Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. After two years as an orientation leader, Gamarra is serving as a SAM (Support and Arrival Mentor) Squad Leader for the first time, and she shared her perspective on the importance of Bearkat Kickoff and the experience she hopes to create for incoming students.

Why did you want to be a SAM Squad Leader?
I really like seeing through the process of helping freshmen and families make that transition from high school to college. I like being able to give back to the school, but I also know that when I was a freshman, I was really anxious to make that transition. I want to be a person they can ask questions to and get comfortable with before they come to campus. A lot of people will start their college career and not know anybody on campus, and it's nice to at least have one familiar face that you can stop and talk to. I just really wanted to be able to help and be what I had when I was a freshman for other students.

What advice would you give incoming Bearkats as they arrive on campus?
I always tell incoming freshmen to get out of their dorms. It's really easy to come and stay in your shell, but I always tell them to get out of their dorm, experience, get involved as soon as you can, where you can and when you can. 

I also tell them to embrace the cringiness, because I feel like a lot of kids coming are putting up a wall, trying to be cool. One thing I realized about college when I got here was that nobody else cares, so do what makes you happy and live your life the way you want.

What do you hope your students experience during Bearkat Kickoff, and what impact do you want to make?
I really want all of them to get a sense of belonging. Our school isn’t that big, but we have so many different types of people on this campus, especially with commuters and online students, so it is easy to get lost in that. I want them to make friends. That's like my biggest thing. The way we structure the programming of orientation, Bearkat Camp and Bearkat Kickoff, they're given multiple opportunities to get involved and make friends.

What impact do you want to make on the first-time students?
I’m focusing on strengthening the bonds they form during Bearkat Kickoff because the students are together for such long periods over the week. I also want them to be able to know their resources. Bearkat Kickoff is the perfect opportunity for them to get to know everything because we have so many resources and so many programs to help students make that transition, and I know that's something that a lot of them are nervous about. I hope Bearkat Kickoff eases their nerves and makes them feel a little bit more confident in that transition. But also I hope that it helps them kind of find their group of people and find their sense of belonging.

What was your freshman experience with Bearkat Kickoff?
I had to leave Bearkat Kickoff early because of a health condition, but I still feel like I was able to do everything I wanted to. I left with what I want my students to leave with, which was a sense of belonging. It made me feel a lot more comfortable. I still talk to a lot of people that were in my Bearkat Kickoff group, and my Bearkat Kickoff leader is somebody that I still keep in contact with. I consider her as a mentor to this day; she helped me get involved really quickly at SHSU. Making that connection with your leader and being able to dive deeper past surface level was really important for me, and she was that for me.

What do you hope the students you lead remember about their Bearkat Kickoff experience years from now?
I hope that they absolutely love Sam Houston and come back to visit. I want them to be proud to say that Sam Houston was the school they went to, and I want them to experience the same thing I have and really fall in love with the school and what it has to offer. I just want people to be proud that they came here and proud that they're a Bearkat.

To become an orientation leader, Gamarra applied on PeopleAdmin and had a panel interview with the orientation staff. After two years on the orientation team, she was asked to become a SAM Squad Leader.

Those interested in becoming a SAM Squad member can apply for the opportunity in February of 2027 through PeopleAdmin. Follow SHSU Campus Activities and Traditions on Instagram and Facebook for updates on Bearkat Kickoff and other campus events.