Emory University’s annual Sophomore Summit returned to Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge, Georgia, in early October, bringing students from Emory College and Oxford College together for two days of meaningful discussion, self-reflection and professional development.
First launched by the Emory College Pathways Center in 2023, the Sophomore Summit aims to equip second-year students with tools for success — and general guidance — as they look ahead to the second half of their undergraduate career. This year’s event marked the fourth iteration of the program, which has become a student favorite.
“The overarching focus is to help students think about their next steps in terms of their career,” says Abby Holst, an associate director at the Pathways Center.
The retreat featured ice breakers, recreational activities and breakout sessions in an informal camp setting, encouraging students to take a break from the semester’s academic hustle. In addition to the sophomore attendees, junior and senior students served as peer leaders, with faculty and alumni taking part in presentations and informational panels.
Darleny Cepin, Oxford College’s senior associate dean of Campus Life, kicked off programming with a welcome speech at Oxford before the activities at Camp Twin Lakes began. Shijuade Kadree — a 2005 graduate who began his Emory experience at Oxford and is now senior director of culture and workforce strategies at Micron Technologies — presented the keynote address.
Kadree, who also earned a joint law degree and master’s degree in public health from Emory in 2009, discussed varying definitions of success and the importance of authenticity.
“There is a lot of storytelling in a safe space where the sophomores see peer leaders — who are juniors and seniors who attended [the Sophomore Summit] previously — and also Emory faculty, alumni and staff share their personal stories of navigating college and their career journey,” says Holst.
In all, 70 sophomores attended this year’s summit. A total of 262 students have attended since the event’s inception.
Branden Grimmett, who leads the Pathways Center as vice provost and Emory College associate dean, says the program represents an opportunity to unite Emory’s diverse communities before sophomores at Oxford College transition to Emory’s Atlanta campus as juniors. Putting a spotlight on sophomore year also ensures that students maintain connections at a critical and often overlooked time in undergraduate life, he says.
“We make it easy for students to make small decisions and reduce the enormity of the question that they’ve been asking themselves,” says Grimmett. “They don’t need to really have an answer to ‘What will I do for the rest of my life?’ None of us know that answer, no matter how developed we are.”
Passing the torch
Emory College senior Leia Marshall first signed up for the Sophomore Summit in 2023 on a whim, not knowing much about the event other than she liked the idea of spending a weekend outdoors.
“Getting to make new friends sophomore year was such a cool opportunity,” Marshall says, reflecting on her experience now. “I think a lot of people assume freshman year, you figured everything out. You have your set friend group.
“This was fun because it was a group of people who I really would not have met without the summit,” adds Marshall, a neuroscience and behavioral biology major. “It was people from different majors, different departments, who I probably wouldn’t have run into on campus.”
This year’s retreat marked Marshall’s second time serving as a peer leader.
“Being a peer leader, as always, was a wonderful time,” she says. “I always learn something new, either from the students or the fun speakers that they bring. And I just love seeing the sophomores at the stage of college that they’re in. I think it's a refreshing reminder of where I used to be.”
Marshall now serves as a peer mentor for the Pathways Center’s pre-health advising program — an opportunity she attributes to meeting Gregory Hollinger, associate director of pre-health advising, at the 2023 retreat. She also joined the Pathways Student Engagement Council to provide feedback on current services in quarterly meetings with Pathways leadership and staff.
Reflection activities at the Sophomore Summit also helped Marshall reevaluate her career path during her second year, resulting in her current interest in optometry, she says.
“Part of the summit helped me realize what was important to me and some of the values that I wanted to center my life around,” Marshall says. “That led me to being open to different opportunities, like exploring different paths and different fields. That led me to optometry, which I am now fully set on pursuing.”
Junior Ciera Butler, who is majoring in history, also served as a peer leader at this year’s event, inspired by her experience as a member of Marshall’s small group last year. Like Marshall, Butler adapted her academic plans after the retreat, changing her major from political science. One thing that hasn’t changed is her passion about pursuing law.
Butler says Marshall’s example encouraged her to give back to the Emory community and let younger students know they have mentors.
“[I’m] just trying to be a resource that the sophomores could come to regarding any questions they have about Emory, the summit or life as a sophomore in general,” Butler says.
Junior political science major Ikran Ismail, a peer leader who credits the Sophomore Summit with helping her bolster self-confidence and overcome imposter syndrome, echoes Butler’s sentiment.
“The Sophomore Summit made me realize, at the end of the day, it’s not good to compare yourself to other people’s timelines.”
Ismail adds that despite the typical pressures of young adulthood, the summit has helped her feel more assured about her path at Emory and beyond.
“You have time. If you’re a sophomore, you have time,” Ismail says. “Even as a junior, you have time to figure out what you want to do.”
Photos by Amber Tallent, Oxford College Marketing Team, and Ted Pio Roda