I remember vividly my first day on campus back in 2016. I toured campus my sophomore year in high school as a guest of my sister, who was a junior at the time. I remember feeling welcomed by faculty and staff, despite not being the on-paper guest. I remember the then-newly built Samia Academic Center. I remember I could see myself not only building an academic future, but also a professional future in downtown Boston. I even remember bickering with my family as we got lost on the way back to the parking garage.
Two years later, I applied and was accepted. In April, I saw myself at a crossroads regarding where to go to college. On a random day, I decided to check the mail and saw a postcard addressed to me from Suffolk. It read something along the lines of: “Collin, my name is Ashley and I am a student at Suffolk. I see you’re interested in theatre, and I am involved in theatre here. Just this year I have done multiple shows and met a ton of great people. I hope when you come to campus I’ll get to work on a show with you!”
And I thought to myself, “Ashley is DEFINITELY a robot. This is an auto-generated message. I’m not special.” So, I licked my thumb and rubbed her signature, and it smudged. It smudged because it was pen ink. The card was handwritten. I remember that helped me choose where to go. I wanted to go somewhere that saw students as more than just numbers on a page—as people with interests, values, and goals.
Now, four years later, I know that to be true of Suffolk. As I look back at my time here on the verge of graduation, I see my goals and aspirations fulfilled. I’ve researched, written, and directed a full-length historical play. I’ve worked in orientation and admission, meaning I’ve gotten to warmly welcome over 3,000 students just as I was warmly welcomed on my first day here. I earned degrees in two majors that I care deeply about—history and theatre—and have felt the full support of the faculty and staff the entire way.
Now, as I enter the professional world, I selected Suffolk all over again. In my first job out of college, I will be working in student affairs here, continuing to work in the community which helped me become someone I’m proud of for the last four years.
