College Students Share Their Experiences At NHS

By Laurie Borst

The lobby at Newtown High School was packed with students on the morning of November 22. Members of the Class of 2006 participated in a “College Fair” while home for the holiday. Students had been invited by the Guidance Department to set up a table with literature from their colleges and talk with high school students about their first semester experiences.

All the college students interviewed love their schools and feel things have changed in Newtown and at the high school after only a few months away.

Kaitlyn Herwig, a biology major at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, loves it. She reports the football games are great. Students have a lot of flexibility in the courses they take. All classes are great. Kaitlyn did mention there have been a lot of changes in town in a few months, some actual, some proposed.

Nursing student Nicole Moore, back from Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, N.Y., says, “The work is hard, but it’s definitely worthwhile. They have a really good staff.”

While groups of UConn students milled around sharing first semester experiences, Nicole, as the only Newtown student at Mount Saint Mary’s, felt “really different coming back.”

Matt Cole, a cadet at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Buzzards Bay, Mass., looked sharp in his uniform. “This is really different from other colleges except the military academies. You learn to pay attention to little things, be aware of the details,” Matt said.

He is currently studying emergency management. When he completes his bachelor’s degree, he could pursue a commission in the Merchant Marine, Coast Guard, or Navy.

Sarah Salbu is attending Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. “The school is named for the river,” she notes. Sarah is majoring in business, either marketing or management. And a possible minor in fashion.

“I love it, it’s amazing. It’s strange having a big university surrounded by cornfields,” Sarah stated. “While I was never homesick and felt comfortable, it’s nice to see everyone here.”

Assisting Sarah at the Miami table was fellow classmate, Chris Nuelle. Chris is also majoring in business management. He said, “[Miami] is exactly what I’d hoped for.”

Elsa Gillis loves Cornell, that great bastion of education in Ithaca, N.Y. At this early stage, Elsa is still undecided about her major. The courses she is currently taking are “lots of work. But the people are great.” Elsa added, “It’s nice to be home.”

Kate Ebert selected Penn State, Altoona, Penn., because it had the program she wanted in communications/advertising. “I couldn’t be happier. There are lots of opportunities. It’s good to be home and see old friends.”