Every year, NDB hosts the Welcome Dinner event for incoming freshmen. It is a way to introduce the freshmen to NDB before the school year begins and help them meet new friends. It gives them a step ahead and allows them to talk to Ambassador Board members and Staffulty to see what they may be interested in at NDB. It also provides an opportunity to get a good feel of the community.

This year, NDB is welcoming the Class of 2029. They will be taking on the color purple as NDB says goodbye to the Class of 2025.

“It gives [the freshman] a little less anxiety,” says Debbie Anderson, who is the Director of Admissions at NDB. “The more that they come to campus, and the more students they meet before school starts sort of eases that anxiety.” Offering this dinner can give students a sense of comfort when they step onto campus on their first day of school and a feeling of familiarity.

“I definitely think it’s a good event for incoming freshmen to attend, just so they can meet other girls and start getting familiar with who they’re going to be in classes with,” says Ambassador Board member Autumn Deetz. “At first, it took a little bit of encouraging for them to talk to one another, but in the end, I saw a lot of them sitting next to each other.”

The Moore was decked out in purple and had tables set up for sports and other activities around the NDB campus. It offered them a warm and comforting space, and a preview into their high school experience.