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Going to college for the first time can be both an exciting, and intimidating experience. Add to that the decision to attend a women's college and live in a big city, and the questions only multiple.
But what is life really like as a Simmons student? We chatted with current undergraduate students to get the all details!
What is it like living with a roommate?
One of the biggest anxieties for the majority of college students is living in a dorm and sharing a room. "I have found Simmons residence halls are a very relaxed, clean, safe, and a comfortable place to unwind after a busy day on the Academic Campus," says Kendall Bauer '16. The most important aspect of living at Simmons is that students feel they are part of a community. "The residence halls here have a homey feel, and Resident Advisors really work to foster a sense of community amongst their residents," says Molly Maidman '13.
What do you do for fun?Since Simmons is located in the heart of Boston, students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities on and off campus. Some of their favorite things to do include going out for dinner with friends; exploring the city; shopping on Newbury Street; going to the movies (students get discounted tickets!); and attending different concerts and shows. "I love exploring new areas of Boston I've never been to," says Chelsea Keyes '14. "I also enjoy visiting friends at neighboring colleges since there are so many nearby."
What do you like about living in Boston?Although the greater Boston area is home to 4.5 million people, Boston is a "city of neighborhoods," and many students say it's easy to get around. "Everything here is very accessible, so I can get almost anywhere I need to either by walking or taking the T," says Molly '13. "I feel comfortable walking around the city, and I know I can always stop someone on the street if I need help with something." With all that Boston has to offer, it's no surprise that many students stick around to find jobs and internships. "I can see myself staying here after I graduate because the city has so much to offer," says Kendall '16. "The longer I am here, the more I want to stay!"
How would you describe the Simmons community?As a Simmons student, you are a member of a tightly-knit community of current students, faculty, staff and alumnae who are there to support you throughout your career. "At the beginning of my college experience, I wasn't sure where I fit in the Simmons community," says Kendall '16. "But now I feel I belong here at Simmons because of the guidance of women leaders, faculty, and friends who all care about my personal well-being and success."
Is it easy to get involved on campus?
At the beginning of each semester Simmons hosts the Connections Carnival, which gives students the opportunity to learn about and sign up for different organizations and groups on campus. "It is so easy to get involved," says Nerissa Chan '14. "With the right organization you can really find yourself having the time of your life in college." There are more than 70 organizations on campus and if students can't find exactly what they are looking for, they can create a new organization. "I think that getting involved was the best thing I could've done as a first-year," says Kendall '16. "People who are the most involved feel a connection to the Simmons community right away, which will lead to their success and overall happiness."
Still have questions about what it's like to be a Simmons student? Check out the Woman on Campus video series, visit the Simmons Life blog, or tweet to @SimmonsCollege.
Content for this post was contributed by:
Kendall Bauer '16, Public Relations/Marketing Communications
Nerissa Chan '14, Communications and Business Management
Chelsea Keyes '14, Public Relations/Marketing Communications
Molly Maidman '13, Psychology and Sociology
Faces of the Future student Sandy Lor '14 talks about how she has grown academically and personally during her first two years at Simmons.
Our Faces of the Future students from the Class of 2014 are halfway through their college careers. It seems like only yesterday these four accomplished women agreed to blog about their Simmons College experiences. The transformation they have made in the past two years has been incredible to experience with each woman.
To follow along as they compete for athletic championships, conduct chemistry research, excel in academics and lead clubs and organizations has been thrilling. We can't wait to see where the next two years (and beyond) will take them.
Visit the Faces of the Future blog to catch up with Sandy, Tania, Naomi, and Andree.
Members of Save Fenway Park! rally on Lansdowne Street in 1999. Photo courtesy of Erika Tarlin '85LS.
On the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park, it's hard to believe that America's most beloved ballpark was almost destroyed due to a stadium proposal in the late 1990s that sought to demolish the park and build a new, larger stadium adjacent to the old one. At the time of the proposal, the Fenway neighborhood was concerned about how a larger stadium would affect the community.
To save the ballpark, members of the Fenway neighborhood rallied behind a small nonprofit group, Save Fenway Park!, and Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) alumna Erika Tarlin '85 was a key member of the group who petitioned for Simmons College to host a design symposium that would allow members of the community to share alternative ideas for saving the stadium. Other local organizations were hesitant to support the symposium for fear of angering city officials who supported replacing Fenway.
Continue reading Simmons library science alumna played key role in saving Fenway Park from demolition.
Sometimes being an adult undergraduate student leaves little time to get involved on campus. Many adult students have family and job responsibilities outside of class. But, adult student Melissa Tanguay '14 found a way to bring her outside interests to campus. She recently started "Fit at Simmons," an organization aimed at encouraging students to incorporate health and fitness into their every day lives. We sat down with Melissa to pick her brain about what it's like to be an adult student and what she hopes for for "Fit at Simmons."
- Why did you decide to return to college as an adult student, and why Simmons?
- Before coming to Simmons I worked for 10 years in animal welfare, but several years ago I discovered a love for running and triathlon. With that came a genuine excitement for trying to help those around me integrate fitness into their own lives to help with their heath and wellness. For example, at my last job, I formed a running group to help my coworkers tackle their first 5K road race.
This encouraged me to pursue a degree in Exercise Science to launch myself on a new career path. Being an adult returning to college for my second degree, I ultimately chose to attend Simmons College because the Dix Scholars program seemed like the perfect fit for students like me.
Continue reading Adult student starts organization to encourage exercise and health at Simmons.
Non-profit management and entrepreneurship MBA student Obiageli Ukadike recognized a serious education gap in Ghana, Africa. People with physical disabilities are often shunned from mainstream society and denied access to quality education.
To combat this injustice, Oby co-founded The WaWa Project, a non-profit organization aimed at providing education to physically disabled children in Ghana. The WaWa Project plans to raise approximately $2.5 million over the next five years to build a handicap accessible secondary school for children grades six through twelve. The non-profit will build the school, hire local staff and administrators and create education plans to teach students skills they can use post graduation. Oby is ecstatic about the attention her cause has received.
Continue reading Simmons entrepreneur starts nonprofit to educate disabled children in Africa.
Students build homes with Habitat for Humanity during Alternative Spring Break (ASB).
Naomi Chick '14 blogs for Faces of the Future and chronicles her life as a Simmons College student. Naomi helped organize this year's Alternative Spring Break (ASB) trip to Waynesburg, PA. ASB is a trip that occurs every year when students travel with Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild homes in underserved communities. Rather than taking spring break to stay at school, relax in Florida, or go home to spend time with family, students choose to spend their time helping those in need. Naomi says her trip was an eye-opening experience.
"On the second to last day of work, the new owner of the home we were building, Cheryl, showed up to the site. She was in her late 60's, and had just broken her knee in the snow a few weeks earlier. Tears immediately flooded to my eyes as she struggled to walk on the gravel to bring us lunch. Talking to her during lunch made everyone smile, and made us have a greater connection for what we were actually doing for Habitat....On the last day of the trip, and while we got back on the plane to head back to Boston, each one of us had a new sense of ourselves, and of humanity, and why helping our community should be a huge part of everyone's lives."
Read more about Naomi's experience with Alternative Spring Break on the Faces of the Future blog.
The Faces of the Future blog details the Simmons College experience through the eyes of four students. The students began blogging during their second semester at Simmons and will continue to share their experiences through their four years at the College. Sandy, Andree, Naomi, and Tania are incredible women, involved in all aspects of the Simmons community, and this blog is a way for them to share their college journey.
Public health major Rebecca Walmer '12 with her mentor Kathie Westpheling '71.
Research from the American Society of Training & Development shows that 75% of executives point to mentoring as playing a key role in their careers. But how does one find the right mentor and gain professional exposure?
The Simmons Success Connection Program is a unique job-shadowing and mentoring opportunity that matches current seniors with highly accomplished Simmons alumnae. We had the chance to chat with Rebecca Walmer '12, a current Success Connection mentee from Farmington, ME, who is majoring in public health. Through the program, Rebecca was connected with Kathie Westpheling '71, executive director at the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved.
- Q. What made you decide to sign up for the Success Connection program?
- I was abroad when I signed up for the Success Connection program, and I was feeling really unsure about what I wanted to do after graduation. I lacked a practical understanding of the demands in public health, and I was at a point where I needed exposure and feedback from someone in the field.
- Q. Why do you think mentorships are important?
- A good mentorship is important because it gives you the opportunity to learn from an individual who has the knowledge base to answer questions and provide career guidance. Developing a relationship and maintaining contact is beneficial for both the mentor and mentee.
- Q. How did your mentorship relate to your professional interests?
- I was matched with Kathie Westpheling '71 MPH. Kathie is an experienced non-profit executive director and advocate for health equity with long-time interests in nutrition and prevention. This placement aligned particularly well with my own interests and career goals, as well as my passion for health disparities and underserved populations. Through her work with the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved, Kathie has improved the development and support of health care clinicians serving these populations. I also had the opportunity to shadow Kathie at Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), an organization that provides a better understanding of health care information and management systems.
Continue reading Success Connection mentorship program prepares students for career success.
Betsy Corsiglia and Jen Stallings, nutrition graduate students in the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, designed a nutrition program called "Eating Well on a Tight Budget" that helps senior citizens improve their eating habits. The program offers tips on good nutrition, cooking for one, and how to shop for food on a small budget.
The students developed the program as their thesis project for a class taught by Nutrition Professor and Chair Nancie Herbold. They worked closely with their advisor, Nutrition Professor Teresa Fung, best known for her national research involving the DASH Diet.
This month, Betsy and Jen had the opportunity to introduce their nutrition program to seniors by hosting several lectures and demos at various senior centers located on Martha's Vineyard.
Read more about their success in Martha's Vineyard Times: Martha's Vineyard seniors learn to eat well, spend less.
Interested in learning more about Simmons' student and faculty research? Like Simmons Graduate School of Nursing and Health Sciences on Facebook!
Photo courtesy of Martha's Vineyard Times
This year, during winter break, 33 students from 17 different majors spent their winter break on campus developing solutions to empower women living in poverty. This year's theme was "At the Edge of Poverty: Empowering Women to Change Their Lives and Their Worlds." Students were grouped into nine teams and worked for two straight weeks on their local responses to this global issue.
The teams were able to envision and execute a variety of solutions that ranged from mentorships to video and advertising campaigns, demonstrating what dedicated women can do when they work together to focus on doing good for their communities.
The two weeks began with workshops and brainstorming sessions. Each team presented their ideas to other teams and faculty advisors, advice was given, and they set out to shape their ideas into actionable plans. After weeks in the library, researching, writing, building, and editing, the teams presented their final solutions.
Team 1: De-stigmatizing poverty workshop for children.
A 6-week course that talks to children, openly and honestly, about poverty with the goal of de-stigmaztizing their perceptions and assumptions of poverty. The team developed a curriculum for teaching students that poverty has no face and anyone with the drive and willingness can rise out of poverty.
Team 2: Students 4 Success
Students 4 Success is a full-day college workshop for high school girls in their junior year. The team developed a full day curriculum in which students are encouraged to apply to college. They receive help with the common application and practice college interviewing and essay writing skills.
Continue reading Simmons World Challenge: Students spend winter break solving world problems.
The Simmons Sharks supported Breast Cancer Awareness Month by raising money for the American Cancer Society during the month of October. Volleyball, Field Hockey, and Soccer held "Think Pink" games. Players wore pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness and volunteers collected donations.
The Volleyball team's "Think Pink" game was Tuesday, October 18 against Emmanuel College and the players raised $164 for breast cancer research. In total, the "Think Pink" games raised $774 for The American Cancer Society. Although the game was a loss for Simmons, it was a win for the battle against breast cancer.
Despite Tuesday's upset, the Volleyball team is having a strong season. With an overall record of 17 - 8 and an in conference record of 7 - 3, the Sharks are well positioned to make the Greater Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tournament. New head coach Alesia Vaccari says as long as the ladies give 100% they're bound for success.
"Someone once told me that practices are for the coach and games are for the players, and I have really tried to own that. You know, just let the girls play. We just have to give 100%, and when we give 100% we are successful."
Continue reading Simmons athletics supports breast cancer awareness.
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