When Chris Bills first participated in one of UNT's orientation programs in the summer of 2021, he felt alone. A trans student from San Antonio, Bills noticed that there was a lack of representation of people like him.

"Representation is something that I think a lot of trans students really need," Bills says. "They don't think that trans people fit into specific spaces, so they feel uncomfortable."

Bills decided to step up and usher in the change himself. He became an orientation leader with the Orientation and Transition Programs (OTP) office, guiding new students into the Mean Green family. Always carrying a positive attitude, Bills even inspired many other students to become orientation leaders as well.

Thanks to his efforts, Bills was recognized with the outstanding undergraduate student at a four-year institution award by NODA - Association for Orientation, Transition and Retention in Higher Education. The award was presented at the 2024 NODA Region IV Regional Conference held in March at the University of Missouri-Columbia campus.

"It felt really good to be recognized for the work I put in," Bills says. "I know that I really care about students, I care about our team and I care about making sure that programs in our office go well, but it was nice to see that other people see it as well."

Bills decided to attend UNT for its campus community and small-town feel. He was a political science major before switching to social work.

"In high school, I was really interested in nonprofits and things related to social work," Bills says. "At UNT, I took my intro to social work classes, and it was the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that I really found a lot of joy in academics."

Bills, who is scheduled to graduate this fall, is planning to continue his studies in preparation for a career in higher education by earning a master's in social work or education. While he doesn't know what role he will play, he's certain that he wants to bring representation and visibility to future students just like himself.

"I think higher ed is such a social work field and I don't think a huge amount of people see it that way," Bills says. "Being able to connect students with resources and just being a support for them is really important to me."