Class of 2017 is Impressive! PLEASE REMEMBER: Send us any new contact information, especially email changes. Send to Rebecca Eriksen at reriksen@bryant.edu.
...continued from Page 1 awe-inspiring photos and another is an expert pumpkin carver. We have a winner of the USA National Dance Sport Championship and at least nine hold the first chair in an orchestra. One has played the viola in Ireland and Austria. One young writer has two published books and is working on a third. In sports, over 245 were captains of at least one sport team in high school. An amateur golfer holds multiple titles and the class has at least ten black belts. One young mountain climber has conquered Mt. Kilimanjaro and another is learning to fly a plane. Bryant’s varsity teams will welcome 150 players from this class.
Volume 13, Issue 1, Fall 2013
More than 68 percent of this class has spent time in service to others. They have worked with the elderly, underprivileged children, and children with disabilities in camps, soup kitchens, and nursing homes. They have supported Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. A class member designs, creates and sells bracelets donating the proceeds to an orphanage while another worked to promote antibullying messages in local schools. We have two firefighters, political campaign volunteers, and environmental sustainability researchers.
Updated AAC Manual & Directory!
What drew these students to Bryant? Many of the Class of 2017 were attracted by the beauty of our campus, our sense of community, and our integrated curriculum. Others mentioned our committed faculty, with some naming a specific faculty member who influenced their decision to attend. Some feel Bryant is a place where they feel safe and where they will thrive academically. One member of the Class expressed it this way: “There was just something special about Bryant. I feel as though students at Bryant are valued and cared for as individuals and not just educated and shipped off into the workforce. It’s a place where character matters.”
Alumni-Admission Connection
The Character of Success Bryant University Office of Admission 1150 Douglas Pike Smithfield RI 02917 Phone: 401-232-6100 Toll Free: 800-622-7001 admission@bryant.edu admission.bryant.edu
The Bryant Connection is published three times a year for the Alumni-Admission Connection members of Bryant University. Send comments on this newsletter or AlumniAdmission Connection activity to Rebecca Eriksen, Senior Assistant Director for Events and Volunteers, Bryant University Office of Admission, 1150 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, RI 02917, 401-232-6957, 800-622-7001, or reriksen@bryant.edu.
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A Newsletter for Members of the Alumni-Admission Connection
Bryant Student Center Named After Alumni ...continued from Page 2 Student music groups can rehearse in the music practice room which will accommodate Bryant’s larger ensembles, and the gaming area nearby will contribute to the living room feel of the building. Rich hues of vibrant red fabrics line the sleek couches and chairs students can use to sit and relax or do work in, reflecting the warmth of the environment created by the fireplace. Upstairs on the second floor a large opening looks down on the lower level, creating a spacious feel that maintains the modernity of the building’s interior composition. Various shades of blues and greens can be found in the furniture and paints surrounding the opening, which compliment and neutralize the fiery reds from the level below. The Commuter Lounge and Bryant University Bookstore have returned to the second floor with an entirely new and inviting design. Two new conference rooms are available as meeting spaces for student organizations and important offices such as the Women’s Center, LGBTQ Office, and the Intercultural Center have been relocated to this level for better accessibility and convenience. The third floor is entirely student-focused with activity offices, storage lockers, more work spaces and another comfortable lounge available for everyone’s use. The construction crew had been hard at work for months to make this vision a reality, evident in the approximate 1,840 hours a week that were put into the renovation. The Fisher Center is an environment unlike any other here at Bryant University, and has truly become the student living room of campus. Opening day was one to remember, and the building will be enjoyed by everyone who takes advantage of everything it has to offer, and the beautiful view will be appreciated by all.
Although many of you have indicated your wish to receive this newsletter electronically, we are sending everyone a hard copy of this issue because the mailing contains our updated AAC Manual and Directory. Please respect the information of your fellow alumni by not sharing the Directory in an inappropriate way. Then take a look at the Manual before filing it! Even if you are not formally representing Bryant at an event, it’s a good idea to have up-to-date information on the tip of your tongue for impromptu conversations. Prospective students and their families often ask questions concerning Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision. In fact, nearly half the Class of 2017 applied Early Action or Early Decision. The number of Early Action students is greater than the number of Regular Decision students. The detailed description of these along with a table showing Bryant’s deadlines for each, can be found on page 26.
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Class of 2017 is Impressive! As we do each year, we acknowledge with gratitude the influence our AAC members have on young students and their families as they conduct their college searches. By informing them of Bryant’s unique characteristics and the way your lives have been shaped by your Bryant experience, you present information that is not available through any other means. Your stories give credibility to our message and your enthusiasm is infectious. We are grateful for your commitment to Bryant as an AAC member. Below you will see the fruits of our collective effort. Bryant’s 154th entering class impresses in many ways. Hailing from 30 different countries and 23 U.S. states, the 912 first-year students and 95 transfers are as diverse as they are accomplished. International students make up more than eight percent of the class and speak more than 42 different languages and dialects. Over 17 percent identify with African American, Latino American or Asian American backgrounds. The class is 57 percent male and 43 percent female. They are standouts in terms of academic interest, work and entrepreneurial pursuits, artistic accomplishment, extracurricular activities, and sports achievements. The Class is overwhelmingly interested in cross-discipline study and a wide variety of career paths. Accounting, actuarial math, finance, marketing, and communication are the top choices, but more than 18 percent are exploratory/undecided, having not yet decided on a major. They will be assisted by a new Bryant offering called MyPath@Bryant, a partnership between the award-winning Amica Center for Career Education and the Undergraduate Advising Office which will provide resources and programming to assist undecided students in making decisions about their area of study and career choice. Over 46 percent bring a fascinating array of work experience to campus. One is a park ranger and another is the IT manager for a Toyota dealership. We have a fencing instructor, a runway model and a Miss Teen Massachusetts. And the group is big on entrepreneurship. One member started a catering company, is a lobsterman and a bee keeper. Several own lawn care companies and photography businesses, one owns a car detailing business, and one started an eBay business. Another organizes office space, and yet another opened a store on Cape Cod selling toys and hobby supplies. Our students perform babysitting, dog sitting, construction, and disc jockeying. The class’s artistic pursuits stretch the imagination. One has a diploma in Byzantine music, one plays bagpipe in a police pipe and drum corps, while another plays bass drum and carries the American flag in a Civil War drum corps. One has taken a helicopter to the top of a glacier to take
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