My freshman year has been one to remember, and I am so sad to see it end. I am not ready to leave Shamie 229 as a mere memory because I had the two best roommates, and we had one of the biggest rooms. Also, my hallway friends have grown close to one another and I will miss them a lot. I have created many friendships that will carry on to next year and hopefully all the years that follow.

However, being a freshman comes with being picked last for just about everything. As much fun as having a mental breakdown every time I have to sign up for classes is, I would rather not. Having 8 a.m., 2:15, and a 6 p.m. classes really has taught me to appreciate my 10:50 and 12:15 classes more. Next semester I will still have some 8am classes, but luckily no 2:15 or 6 pm classes. I suggest you try your hardest to get away from those, unless you like your days ending at 8:30 p.m.

Along with interesting classes, I have had so many remarkable professors. I was lucky enough to create some strong bonds with many of them, and I plan on keeping them throughout my time here and beyond. Making connections with professors is probably the best tip for any first-year student. They will help you succeed once you take the initiative to try and do your best. Nichols professors want to see each one of their students do their best and leave Nichols College with the ability to become successful.

In the fall, I am going to be living in Budleigh. I am really excited to live there because all of my friends will be in the same hallway again. I feel bad for people who don’t know us well because they are going to have a rude awakening (I have a very loud laugh). Although Budleigh was our “plan C,” I still don’t mind. Everyone thought we were crazy to go to Budleigh, but it turns out that as soon as we got it, everyone else started choosing it too.

I ended my freshman year with a really exciting accomplishment and something I have always wanted to do. I became the secretary of my class! I have never been a part of student government before, even in high school, so it’s all still new to me. I was inducted into SGA in April and have already started planning events for next year. I cannot wait to begin next year and am ready to take on whatever is thrown my way.

I am also sad to see the seniors go; I really enjoyed their class. They were helpful and welcomed the freshman class with open arms. Most of all, I am sad to see my oldest brother Patrick leave. He really has done some fabulous work at Nichols and has definitely made his mark. He is one of the greatest leaders I have ever met and I am not just saying this because he is my brother. I cannot wait to see what he will accomplish in the future! Congrats to all of the graduating seniors. You did it!

This past spring break, Nichols students took several trips abroad including trips to Barcelona and London. The Barcelona trip was for criminal justice students who were required to take two specific courses. For the London trip, students had to take the Lead 101 course in the spring semester. Each trip consisted of different activities but it is amazing to see what opportunities Nichols students have available to them.

On April 23, the ten Criminal Justice students who went on the Barcelona trip each gave a presentation on a specific topic about the trip. Along with their advisors, Professor Charbonneau and Professor Brown, the students who went on this trip were Kim Whalen, Taylor Pons, Paige Moroz, Anthony Lovetere, Jon Demers, Mario Turner, Jake Gallagher, Ian Sullivan, David Barnard, and Mike Cutrer.

In order to be eligible for the trip, the students had to complete two courses, one of which was Crime, Justice, and Society and write an essay about why they should be selected for the trip.  Based on the applications, Professors Charbonneau and Brown chose ten deserving students to take the trip.

During their presentations, the students talked about the different law enforcement strategies and the culture of Barcelona. I really enjoyed this event and wish I was a criminal justice major because of all the places they visited while in Barcelona. Anyone who is in the Criminal Justice program should really consider going on this trip in the future!

In the beginning of April, the Institute for Women’s Leadership presented the Inaugural Massachusetts Leadership Index (MWLI). Jean Beaupre, Faculty Director of the Institute for Women’s Leadership, worked closely with senior intern Jackie Khillah to compile data and create the index to serve as both a baseline for future comparison to measure future progress as well as make the call for action today.

The presentation was extremely eye opening, highlighting the gender inequality in leadership roles through the state of Massachusetts. This will serve as a great demonstration that Massachusetts has work to do on women in leadership.

You can view the index here.

The Worcester Business Journal also reviewed the index in an article, available here.