The Mind Behind F.O.C.U.S.

It’s your first year at Stetson University. After traveling for miles, you arrive on campus and begin to search for the Hollis Center, for check-in, where your adventure will begin. On your search you encounter hundreds of families all trying to reach the Hollis Center or just find a place to park after their journey. Thankfully, a parent notices your confusion and points you in the right direction. Once there you’re greeted by energetic, ostentatious college students in forest green polos. However, they seem to be the only ones who know how to navigate the chaos that is orientation week. This eccentric group will be your FOCUS orientation leaders for the next week before school starts. They know everything there is to know about being a Hatter and it’s their job to make sure that all freshman have a smooth transition into college. You may be asking yourself: “Who keeps all of these people in check and makes sure they really know their stuff?” Then you see her, dressed in Stetson green from head to toe and running from table to table, quickly snuffing out any problems that arise. Who is this miracle woman you may ask? That is Kristin Gregory.

Kristin Gregory is the Associate Director for First Year and Transition Programs at Stetson University. It is her job to make sure students have a smooth transition both into and out of college. She earned her Master’s Degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Slippery Rock University. Being one of nine members of her family to attend the university, it is no surprise that she quickly became involved in a number of organizations ranging from music ensembles to student government. After her time as a student, she was a graduate intern for Slippery Rock’s orientation program. Kristin joined Stetson University’s faculty in October of 2014. When I asked Kristin what it was like taking over Stetson’s program she said, “It was very different from the program we have here since we only had one day as opposed to a whole week. The students here for example the students here will have different needs than the students at Slippery Rock because of the difference in sizes of the student bodies.” Despite these differences, Kristin has succeeded in creating a welcoming environment for incoming Stetson students. Her first major responsibility is planning and running Stetson’s freshman orientation program, otherwise known as FOCUS week. While the lesser known program which she oversees is Senior Week on campus. Nikki Tucker, Kristin’s right hand woman and graduate assistant for the department, believes that “these programs have really helped to grow the university as a whole and make incoming students feel like their apart of the community here.”

Kristin’s most well-known responsibility on campus is the FOCUS Program. You may be wondering what FOCUS even means. F.O.C.U.S. stands for “Friends on Campus Uniting Students.” According to Stetson’s website, “[FOCUS] is a five-day comprehensive orientation program designed to help new students have a successful transition to a life at Stetson University.” While this is a good description of what FOCUS is, there is so much more to know about the program. During this week, incoming freshman are placed into a group with about 30 of their fellow new hatters. Each group is assigned two FOCUS leaders who will provide their “Foci,” a term commonly used by the FOCUS staff for the first year students, with everything they will need in order to be successful at Stetson University. However, it’s not all business, there are plenty of fun and engaging activities which are designed to get the freshman out of their comfort zone and make their first friends in college. Ashley Martinez is a freshman at Stetson University and can vividly remember the moment where she first felt that Stetson was her home. “I remember being at Play Fair (The late night party thrown by the university for first year students) dancing with my new friends who I met through the program. It just felt so right, like it was exactly where I wanted to be. I’m so thankful for all of the amazing people I met during that week — especially my FOCUS Leaders.” An experience like this is one of the main reasons why FOCUS is such an important program for first-year students at Stetson. Some of these friendships will last all the way through these students’ college experiences. None of which would be possible without the hard work and dedication of Kristin Gregory and her entire staff.

Another perfect example of how the FOCUS program positively impacts the lives of incoming students is Codi Mulberry. Codi is a senior at Stetson and has been a FOCUS Leader every year since joining the spring of his freshman year. “Being a first generation college student was really tough, between making new friends and juggling the hectic course load, but FOCUS really helped me connect with the campus in a way that I just couldn’t before.” Codi and his best friend since childhood both joined FOCUS at the same time. The two of them grew up in the same small town together and were both first generation college students. “The program really helped us make lasting friendships and relationships with our fellow hatters and I honestly believe that it is the reason why I’m still here at Stetson.” Codi recalled. “I can’t thank Kristin and the entire FOCUS staff enough for just being the amazing, impactful group that they are today and will hopefully continue to be for years to come.” This is just one example of how Kristin Gregory’s program helps students become more connected to the university and their fellow students.

From FOCUS week and beyond, it’s easy to see that Kristin Gregory, the miracle woman herself, has been a key player in the lives of many of the students at Stetson University whether it was directly or indirectly. She has made it her personal mission to help new, potential, and current students feel included and at home on Stetson’s campus. For anyone who is either thinking about or already attending Stetson, Kristin just has one piece of advice. “Be ready to experience change and just be open. Be open to what Stetson has to offer. Don’t exclude yourself from something simply because you don’t think it’s for you.”