By: Eleni Dimitrakos | Staff Writer
On April 5th, Salve hosted its annual Connections Day, an event for accepted, committed and prospective students. These students spend the day exploring campus as they are narrowing down their college choices. Not only is Connections Day an opportunity to meet fellow potential students, but it’s a chance to learn more about all that Salve offers. From learning about our wonderful academic programs to checking out a handful of the clubs Salve has to offer, Connections Day is a wonderful teaser of a potential student’s future as a Seahawk.
But there’s an aspect of Connections Day that many people don’t even know happens. In all honesty, it feels like a secret club: the Pre-Connections Dinner. Hosted in Ochre Court the night before Connections Day, the Pre-Connections Dinner is an intimate event specifically curated for those from outside the Northeast. As someone from California, I was invited to this event when I got accepted to Salve two years ago. My parents and I were on a trip to tour all the schools I got into on the East Coast and upon receiving this invitation, Salve immediately stood out to us. This event was definitely one of the reasons why I committed to Salve; it showed me that Salve cares about each individual student and that they strive to create a welcoming, attentive environment for everyone.
I was delighted to have been invited to this year’s Pre-Connections Dinner as a former attendee. My role was to chat with these prospective students from outside the Northeast to provide them with wisdom about attending a school that wouldn’t be a quick drive from home. The other Salve students in attendance were either Student Ambassadors or past attendees who are also from outside the Northeast. It was so fun to reconnect with people that I had met at the event last year, and even with some prospective students who ended up committing to Salve.
There were 14 students at this event who originated from the following states: North Carolina, Maryland, Kentucky, California, Washington, Wisconsin, Florida, and Oregon. Incredibly, there was one attendee from Germany! Not all of these students had committed to Salve yet, but upon asking where they were in the committing process, many of them admitted that Salve was in their top couple schools.
I ended up sitting at a table with two students, one from North Carolina and one from Wisconsin. The two were hopeful Nursing and Psychology majors. Neither of them had committed to Salve yet, but they were both seriously considering it. Everyone else at our table was either a Student Ambassador or a previous attendee. Great conversation was made and the students were asking all the right questions. They were extremely curious about their respective majors, and as a Psychology Minor, I was able to speak about Salve’s wonderful program.
Once the program was over, I sought out a prospective student who was interested in Creative Writing and who came from California, like me. We spent around an hour discussing life at Salve, tips for travelling from California to Rhode Island, and the Creative Writing & Publishing program. We were the last ones at the event and continued our discusions the next day at the mini club fair. As someone who was once in the same shoes, I was happy to give advice to a prospective student that needed it.
Associate Dean of Admissions Stephanie Dupuis said that students from outside of New England submitted their deposits after Connections Day. Salve Regina is a university that puts in the effort to attract students who may not be from around the area. Faculty knows that these prospective students deserve a special place to spend the next four years. With the Pre-Connections Day Dinner, Salve shows that it would be the perfect choice!
Photos from WikiCommons.
