H.O.U.S.E. stands for Helping Odette Undergraduate Students Excel and is an extremely dynamic program that is unique to Odette. Our very own Student Success Center (SSC) has paired up with the Odette Commerce Society to create H.O.U.S.E. for all students of Odette to benefit from.
 

When first year students accept their offer of admission from Odette, they automatically become a Mentee and are sorted into one of four H.O.U.S.E.’s - Consultants, Entrepreneurs, Investors, or Shareholders. Once they are sorted into their H.O.U.S.E., they are matched to a H.O.U.S.E. Mentor, who is a student in second year or above, hired by the Vice Presidents of Leadership and Program Development. It is the responsibility of the H.O.U.S.E. Mentor to do everything in their power to make sure that the first year student's transition from high school to Odette is as smooth as possible. 

Mentors fulfill several integral roles throughout the entire first year of university. Mentors take on a leadership role - they are a guide throughout first year, teach first year students how to navigate their courses, find their way around campus, encourage them to become involved, and help them to network with others and meet new people. The mentor is also like a coach - they will motivate the first year students to do their best, try their hardest, and help them receive the additional resources they need to be successful. 

Finally, the mentor’s most important role is to be the first friend made in university. They will be there to listen when students need to vent, share their experiences to ensure the mentees avoid the mistakes they made in first year, and always be ready to connect in fun ways to make the university experience the best it can be. 

The goal of the H.O.U.S.E. program is to make sure everyone's own individual Odette story starts off on a high note. The students experience great changes in the first few months as mentees begin their university education and the mentor, SSC and the rest of the H.O.U.S.E. program is there for them every step of the way to make sure those changes are as successful and fun as possible. 

This does not just end here! The H.O.U.S.E program provides a way for students to be engaged all four years of their degree, not just first year. Every year approximately 2,000 business students attend Odette, each of which have their own H.O.U.S.E. shirt that they are given and wear once a week. 

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