Leading Edge

Washington and Lee University Campus Life First-Year Experience Before You Arrive Leading Edge
Campus Life

Launch Your W&L Journey with Leading Edge

Whether you are hiking the Appalachian Trail or building a home with Habitat for Humanity, Leading Edge is where your best college memories begin. This experience begins your new student orientation and provides a small-group adventure that turns strangers into lifelong friends before classes even begin.

Questions? Email newstudent@wlu.edu for assistance!

Students by a campfire

Appalachian Adventure

Step off campus and onto the iconic Appalachian Trail for an unforgettable start to your college career. Appalachian Adventure isn’t just a hike; it is a chance to push your limits and build genuine connections with fellow first-years and upper-division mentors in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Students digging in archaeology box

Archaeology

Dive into the history of Washington and Lee through hands-on archaeological excavation and lab analysis. Based in Lexington with trips to nearby historic sites, you will use physical artifacts and expert resources to bring the university’s 18th- and 19th-century origins to life.

Map of VA on surrounded by historic sites from across the world

Around the World in Five Days

Explore the globe without leaving Virginia. This immersive experience is your passport to engaged citizenship, designed to spark your curiosity about the diverse world we live in. Through vibrant cultural activities, local field trips, and authentic global cuisine, you will explore what it means to be a true global citizen.

Students atop a mountain

Beyond LEADership

Claim your spot as a campus leader before classes begin. Beyond LEADership ignites your leadership journey though interactive workshops and challenges, giving you the tools and confidence to make your mark at W&L.

Students using technology on campus

Designing and Making

Enter W&L’s premiere makerspace and turn your ideas into reality. The Designing and Making program is your all-access pass to the IQ Center, where high-tech tools meet creative problem-solving. Learn the end-to-end process of digital design and physical fabrication to support your academic and search goals.

Students participating in the Freedom Ride trip

Freedom Ride

Retrace the footsteps of the Civil Rights Movement on an immersive, five-day exploration of Black history and culture. Freedom Ride takes you beyond the classroom and into the heart of the American South to locations in Atlanta, Georgia; Athens, Georgia; Monroe, Georgia, Greensboro, North Carolina; and Farmville, Virginia.

Students in NYC

From Queer to There: An LQBTQ+ History Tour

Join us on a journey up the East Coast to explore the vibrant landmarks of LGBTQ+ history and culture. From the birth of a movement to the modern-day heartbeat of the country’s biggest cities, this track is an immersive celebration of queer identity and resilience.

Students in a costume studio in the Lenfest Center

Home Is Where the Art Is

Fuel your creativity and find your community in the vibrant W&L art scene. Gain access to studios, galleries, and performance spaces, build your confidence as an artist, and connect with peers and faculty mentors who share your creative drive.

Students on a Making Meaning trip

Making Meaning

Ask the big questions! Making Meaning invites you on an immersive, hands-on exploration of how people build spiritual and religious communities to find purpose and connection.

Student working in the Campus Garden

Sustainability

Dive into a daily theme around sustainable development, which may include energy and climate change, water use, environmental justice, buildings, waste minimization, and environmental policy — or investigate the sources of our food, the energy it takes to grow and manufacture food, equitable food access, and questions about health and nutrition.

Students volunteering in Campus Kitchen

Volunteer Venture

Drive real change the moment you step on campus. Volunteer Venture is a service-learning program taking you into communities to engage directly with the challenges of poverty, injustice, and opportunity. Partner with community-based agencies, learn from guest speakers, and connect with peers through group discussions.

Student on a zipline

Well-being Retreat

Unlock the habits that power a fulfilling college career. Well-being Retreat is an introduction to the dimensions of wellness, helping you build a sustainable foundation for a healthy, vibrant college life.

Campus Life

Jason Rodocker

Senior Associate Dean of Students and Dean for First-Year Experience

Nathan Graves

Assistant Dean for First-Year Experience