Senior Julia Carolan poses on the Stonehill sign outside the College. Photo courtesy of Julia Carolan.
By Julia Carolan
As I was walking into Villa Theresa Hall from my dad’s truck, surrounded by freshman
who had brought way too much stuff to fit in the tiny (but big for Stonehill) rooms I thought,
wow this is going to be tough.
Transferring to Stonehill at the beginning of my sophomore year was easily one of the
most nerve wracking things I had ever done. Freshman year had certainly not been my favorite
time. I was worried sophomore year would follow suit, albeit on a pretty campus this time, but
still a concern.
Luckily for me I could not have been further from the truth. Although it was tough, I
never felt like I was struggling alone at Stonehill. Transferring was a challenge, but through the
good and the bad I knew I was where I was supposed to be, and that I just had to keep putting
myself out there and trying new things.
Almost every decision I made that year was fueled by the fact that I had nothing to lose.
I joined club rugby because I knew if I had teammates they’d have to at least pretend to
like me. Taking Journalism 100 lead me to being a copy editor for The Summit. To the Summit
staff of the past three years, and especially my senior year, thank you. Memories I have from
late nights in the office are some of the most interesting stories I have to tell from my time at
Stonehill.
In the office my first year I heard all about an elusive “Professor Boyle” and decided to
take her Journalism Ethics class in the spring, which brought me both one of my favorite classes
and mentors all in one.
My teammates introduced me to the Peer Mentor team, something which I didn’t know
existed at Stonehill. Some stroke of luck lead them to pushing back the deadline for applications
and I decided I’d apply just to see what happened. My best friends, and my favorite memories
came from this team and I cannot even imagine what my time here would have looked like if I
had not made that last minute decision.
Anyone who has stayed on campus for any amount of time in the summer knows that
you don’t know happiness until you know a Stonehill summer.
To the class of 2020, somehow we did it! As a class we lived through a lot of Stonehill
firsts, and major changes to campus. What other class could have a black out the night of one
hundred days, and still manage to have one the most epic nights ever? We may not be ending
together now, but we’re ending together with a shared college experience that rivals any other.
Stonehill connects us all in the love and strength this community is built on. I hope I get to celebrate with you all in August! I hope you’re proud of your accomplishments, whether they be academic, on the field, or in becoming the true version of yourself. And I hope, if you’re ever struggling, you remember how far you’ve come…and look forward to that 0-3 reunion!
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