Time for a new series on the blog! Look for a post like this one every month that begins with "Five reasons to choose Siena by a..." to get exclusive insights on our school from all kinds of students, with diverse backgrounds, varied interests and different reasons for why they love it here. First up...
Meet rising senior Julia Prendergast, an English Language and Literature major who transferred to Siena from another four-year college during the summer of 2013.
Here are Julia's five reasons for choosing Siena:
1) "Everyone's door is open: I loved that when I first got to Siena and had some different questions than most incoming freshmen, there were offices where I could walk right in and talk to someone immediately. From the Career Center to the School of Liberal Arts Office to Athletics, I was all over campus collecting helpful information during my first semester. Now that I know about my resources, I never have an unanswered question for very long."
2) "Safety on and off campus: My old school had a nice small campus, similar to Siena's, but many people did not feel safe enough to venture off campus because of the neighboring town. That makes me really appreciate Siena's location in a very safe and friendly neighborhood, where I can go for a run off campus or walk down to CVS with no concerns. Feeling safe is something that shouldn't be taken for granted!"
3) "So many ways to explore your passions: I get excited during the summer to go back to Siena because there are so many ways to utilize the campus that it's almost like a playground. When it's warm out, my friends and I love rollerblading around the quad, and when I need to relax I go play one of the pianos in Foy. Even the library has a variety of spaces for different types of work, and I love having those options. I've come across people all over campus doing everything from golfing to yoga and it makes for an awesome environment."
4) "Enthusiasm for learning and growing: I didn't really care about getting involved at my old school because it seemed like more of a chore than anything, but at Siena, everyone is involved to some degree. I started with Pep Band as a way to meet people, and ended up trying out several more clubs, some of which have led to great opportunities like working with UCONN's spirit teams during the women's NCAA basketball tournament. Siena students want to continuously make improvements in terms of both the college and the world so they plan, they get together, and they make things happen."
5) "Pride: I love that I can say 'I go to Siena College' with pride. When I bump into a Siena alum, it's exciting and all of the sudden there's so much to talk about, like what professors they had and what house they lived in. You don't always develop school spirit just by going to school; you need something to genuinely be proud of. I'm proud to go to a school with great values, caring professors and students that are going to do big things."
Are you interested in transferring to another school? Consider Siena! Stop by for a visit, so we can tell you more about how we made the process easy for Julia and hosts of other students.
