{"id":436854,"date":"2026-08-19T02:02:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T02:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/436854\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T02:02:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T02:02:08","slug":"chapman-university-welcomes-new-students-for-the-2026-27-academic-year-orange-county-register","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/436854\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapman University welcomes new students for the 2026-27 academic year \u2013 Orange County Register"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amy Mai, a third-year student at Chapman University<\/a>, spent the better half of her Tuesday morning fielding questions from frazzled first-year students and their families. While it may seem tedious, it\u2019s a job she\u2019s well prepared for and one she takes immense pride in as a resident advisor.<\/p>\n

\u201cShowing that we\u2019re here as a staff to help students and families \u2014 it\u2019s so rewarding,\u201d Mai said.<\/p>\n

The university kicked off its first-year and transfer student<\/a> move-in day bright and early Tuesday morning. Along with the school\u2019s mascot, Pete the Panther, administrators, cheerleaders and other student leaders welcomed students into their new home for the year.<\/p>\n

\"Halie<\/p>\n

Halie Cohen pulls out a pair of pajamas from a storage bag on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 at Chapman University in Orange. (Photo by Claire Nguyen, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"From<\/p>\n

From the left, Sonia Khosla, Mehak Khosla and Naveen Khosla lift a storage bag from a moving cart on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 at Chapman University in Orange. (Photo by Claire Nguyen, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Sean<\/p>\n

Sean Murphy builds a storage organizer for his son on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 at Chapman University in Orange. (Photo by Claire Nguyen, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"First<\/p>\n

First year student Allison Agarwal screws in a nail for her headboard on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 at Chapman University in Orange. (Photo by Claire Nguyen, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Resident<\/p>\n

Resident Advisors Grace Cummins, Erika Ramos and Ainsley Manus help parents locate dorm buildings on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 at Chapman University in Orange. (Photo by Claire Nguyen, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Resident<\/p>\n

Resident Advisor Abigail Alvarez talks with first-year Nalani Walsh and Mary Walsh on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 at Chapman University in Orange. (Photo by Claire Nguyen, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Tim<\/p>\n

Tim O\u2019Connell, on the left, and Emily O\u2019Connell unload the trunk of their car to get ready to move into her dorm on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 at Chapman University in Orange. (Photo by Claire Nguyen, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"From<\/p>\n

From the left, Orientation Leaders Shishir Gomatham, Sierra Madigan and Madi Baricaua watch new students move in on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 at Chapman University in Orange. (Photo by Claire Nguyen, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Carsten<\/p>\n

Carsten Schaefer digs through a storage bag for clothes on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 at Chapman University in Orange. (Photo by Claire Nguyen, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Jill<\/p>\n

Jill Ostren, on the left, lifts a headboard with her daughter, Allison Agarwal, on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 at Chapman University in Orange. (Photo by Claire Nguyen, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Raul<\/p>\n

Raul Diaz, on the left, and Sandra Diaz help her son move in on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 at Chapman University in Orange. (Photo by Claire Nguyen, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Bary<\/p>\n

Bary Phan packs a wagon with dorm room supplies for his daughter Kira Phan on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 at Chapman University in Orange. (Photo by Claire Nguyen, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Jill<\/p>\n

Jill Takayama, on the left, laughs with her daughter Mia Takayama while meeting Mia\u2019s roommates on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 at Chapman University in Orange. (Photo by Claire Nguyen, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Liri<\/p>\n

Liri Gabay removes a sticker from a plastic container on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 at Chapman University in Orange. (Photo by Claire Nguyen, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Pete<\/p>\n

Pete the Panther helps first-year student Izzie Coffey push a moving cart on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 at Chapman University in Orange. (Photo by Claire Nguyen, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 15<\/p>\n

Halie Cohen pulls out a pair of pajamas from a storage bag on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 at Chapman University in Orange. (Photo by Claire Nguyen, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

Mai, who is studying public relations, advertising and entertainment marketing and originally hails from Atlanta, said she wanted to be a part of the special day, in large part, because of her own move-in experience as a first-year student. Being an out-of-state and first-generation student, Mai knows that others might be feeling nervous to move across the country as she had, so she set out to support them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand how hard and how different this change can be,\u201d Mai said. \u201cThat really gives me my purpose and my \u2018why\u2019 \u2014 being that resource for these students who may feel scared or just need some help getting used to college.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hauling carts filled to the brim with their needs for the year, from piles of fresh sheets and mattress toppers to a closet\u2019s worth of clothing, new students excitedly filed into each of the university\u2019s five residence halls.<\/p>\n

For first-year film and television production student Kalia Ratliff, move-in day to Henley Hall, the campus\u2019s largest first-year dorm, was a full family affair. Accompanied by her parents and younger brother, who traveled with her from their home in Seattle, Ratliff said she looks forward to joining her campus community and that move-in day had been a positive start to her college experience. <\/p>\n

For her father, Dan Ratliff, said the day evoked mixed emotions.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a parent, you know this day is coming \u2026 you think you have a lot of time (but) you don\u2019t know how quickly it\u2019s going to come up,\u201d Dan Ratliff said. \u201cIt\u2019s a little sad, for about a year, to have her gone \u2026 but she\u2019ll be off doing incredible things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iker Solloa, the father of first-year business student Philippe Solloa, was watching his first son move away.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo it\u2019s a big step for the whole family, but that\u2019s the rite of passage that everybody has to go through,\u201d Iker Solloa said.<\/p>\n

As Philippe Solloa unpacked his belongings, his mother and father lingered nearby, impressed by their son\u2019s efficiency. <\/p>\n

The family drove up from their home in San Diego earlier that morning. After only a couple of hours, Philippe Solloa had just about finished organizing his side of the room. From completing all of his packing the day before to transferring all of his items into his dorm, Philippe Solloa said he had a seamless move-in experience.<\/p>\n

Down the hall, first-year roommates Amber Gee, Willow Boyd and Haily Bettermann were unpacking together. It was the first time they were all meeting in person, but already they had found things to bond over and had worked out a plan to move in without any complications. <\/p>\n

Each roommate had her own strategy for unpacking \u2014 Gee began to place items as she found them, Boyd laid all of her clothes flat into a large suitcase to make more space, and Bettermann had pre-sorted all of her belongings into neatly labeled boxes based on where she planned to place them. All three students were eager to make their space feel like home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to branch out and move and have my own place,\u201d Boyd said. \u201cThis is what I\u2019ve been waiting for for a long time, so it\u2019s really exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n

For administrators, move-in day is a highlight of the university experience, Vice President and Dean of Students Chris Hutchison said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe energy \u2014 you can just feel it,\u201d Hutchison said. \u201cJust the smiles, the anticipation, the eagerness\u00a0 \u2014 when you\u2019re on campus and you actually get to see that personified in the people who are walking in and out of the residence halls \u2014 it\u2019s just very contagious.\u201d<\/p>\n

Approximately 1,600 first-year students moved in Tuesday, university officials said. The incoming students represent a broad range of academic interests<\/a>, particularly in Chapman University\u2019s business administration, film and television production<\/a>, psychology, political science, biological sciences and dance programs. University officials also noted an increase in enrollment in science and health-related fields of study.<\/p>\n

In addition to the campus\u2019s home state of California, a large percentage of students are from Washington, Colorado, Texas, Oregon and Hawaii, university officials said.<\/p>\n

As students gear up for the start of classes on Monday, Aug. 24, Mai advises them to take their time and savor the move-in process.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnjoy these moments, especially (move-in day) with your family,\u201d Mai said. \u201cThese four years go by fast.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Amy Mai, a third-year student at Chapman University, spent the better half of her Tuesday morning fielding questions…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":436855,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[163,165,164,7,17700,15,23,100,171,611,136],"class_list":["post-436854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news","tag-california","tag-chapman-university","tag-education","tag-local-news","tag-news","tag-orange","tag-orange-county","tag-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=436854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436854\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/436855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=436854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=436854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=436854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}