Former room host (RoHo) Sabrina Medler ’20 and her then-prospective freshman (ProFro) Emma Paddon ’21 “hit it off immediately,” according to Medler, after Paddon spent a couple of nights in Medler’s Arroyo House room during Admit Weekend last year. Paddon had no college decision to make last April — she had already committed to Stanford — so both she and Medler spent Admit Weekend having fun and anticipating Paddon’s freshman experience.

One year later, The Daily sat down with Medler — also a Daily staffer — and Paddon, who are still friends, and listened to them reflect on their RoHo-ProFro pair experience.

The Stanford Daily [TSD]: What did you think about being a RoHo?

Sabrina Medler [SM]: I had a great time during Admit Weekend just because I like a mentorship role. I thought it was fun seeing all of these eager ProFros and being able to answer their questions about things that seemed really important to me at the time and now are kind of inconsequential, but I thought it was fun also to share my experiences with them and get them excited about coming to Stanford in the same way that I was excited when I visited as a ProFro… [Emma and I] hit it off immediately. She’s super cool. She’s from SoCal. There’s lots of programming that goes on, so she was out a little bit, but we went to Late Night together with a bunch of the other ProFros in Arroyo.

TSD: What were your favorite parts of Admit Weekend?

SM: Even outside of Admit Weekend, Arroyo was a very close freshman dorm, and there were no activities going on Thursday and Friday night, so most of the ProFros staying in Arroyo hung out in the lounge with their RoHos, and so we all actually hung out quite a bit. I do remember specifically the pilgrimage to Arrillaga Dining for Late Night, and I think I bought like 20 ProFros chicken tenders. We got to know each other quite a bit. We went fountain hopping with all of them.

Emma Paddon [EP]: I really didn’t enjoy any of the organized activities. I really loved just hanging with the other admits I met and making connections… I just wanted to explore. I also remember Sabrina taking me to Late Night for the first time, and I was so amazed that this place was open every night so close to where freshman live. I experienced my first waffle fry.

TSD: Do you two still hang out together?

SM: I never see the person who hosted me when I was a ProFro. I think I’ve seen them on campus like one time, whereas I feel like I see Emma literally everywhere I turn. She’s always there. So it’s just been fun how our relationship continues even as she’s been at Stanford. We see each other out a lot at parties. You know those people you just always wind up seeing and then go on crazy adventures with? That’s happened with Emma multiple times.

EP: I didn’t have any interaction with any other RoHos during admit weekend—but Sabrina was great. She was really relaxed and let me come and go as I pleased. She spoke very candidly about Stanford and what life on campus is like. I was really worried that I wouldn’t connect with anyone or that it simply wouldn’t be fun. She made Stanford fun, approachable and easy to navigate. And now I see her all the time when I go out and it’s funny because at the time she seemed so much older than me, but now we’re peers.

TSD: Do you two share the same friend group?

SM: Through Emma I’ve gotten to know a lot of her freshmen friends, which is cool for me. especially going through rush a couple weeks ago. She joined a different sorority than [mine], but we saw each other most of the [recruitment] days, which was fun, and I got to be like, “Oh, this was my ProFro.”

TSD: How do you think your RoHo-ProFro experience compares to others?

SM: I don’t think everyone needs to have a relationship like we did. There’s plenty of ProFros who come in who would rather just go out and do their own thing. Not be tied down by their RoHo. I don’t think there should be that pressure. Other schools have admit weekend type things, but at least of the schools I went to there wasn’t another type of program where you can spend an entire weekend with an actual student and get to know them one-on-one and learn their experience. If you are willing to interact more with your ProFro it can be super useful because I feel like it can give you a really helpful litmus test for how students at the school are, how they operate, how they think and live their lives. I feel like bringing that individual experience of a student is more valuable than anything you could read in a brochure or from a tour guide. I feel like really utilizing that ProFro-RoHo relationship can be super helpful to students who are deciding or have already decided and are just excited to come to Stanford.

TSD: What did you get out of Admit Weekend?

SM: I had so much fun. In general it’s just a nice thing to do. People should step up and offer their floors to ProFros. It’s not that big of a burden. I actually feel like it’s a huge plus for students because we don’t have to be the poster children of Stanford. We can be really candid with these students and tell them about our experiences and also offer any expertise or advice for them as they are coming into their year … It’s also just fun to be able to relate to them and remember when you were in their shoes.

EP: I loved Admit Weekend. I was nervous going in because I didn’t know anyone yet, save those who followed me on social media. But I made friends quickly, better ones on the second day, and I’m still close friends with many of them. In many ways, Admit Weekend made Stanford feel like a real place and a home to all of these people and not just the school and stats I had read about.

TSD: How much do you stay in touch with friends from Admit Weekend?

EP: I’m still close friends with a few of them, though not all. There are a lot of people I met and don’t remember meeting then who I am friends with now. If anything, it gives you people to know going in and that’s a nice feeling during NSO. That being said, I am best friends with some of the people I met here last year and love them still.

TSD: Are you now a RoHo? Why or why not?

EP: I had such a positive experience that I considered it, but I am not hosting. I remember myself during this weekend last year and I didn’t get home until like 4 in the morning and I’m not down to get up to let a ProFro into the dorm in the middle of the night. I wouldn’t want to host a kid like me so I avoided the possibility. Sabrina’s a true sweetheart. But if I run into any ProFros I’d be happy to share my experience!

This transcript has been lightly edited and condensed.

Contact Holden Foreman at hs4man21 ‘at’ stanford.edu.