Volunteer Spotlight: Kelly Connors ’20 and Liza Goodman ’21

Name and Volunteer Position: Kelly Connors, Outreach

Class Year: 2020

Major: Political Science

Hometown: Leominster, MA

What was something that stood out to you about Holy Cross?

The sense of community and the welcoming atmosphere!

What was most nerve-racking about the admissions process, and how was this resolved?

The most nerve-racking thing about the admissions process was making sure that everything was sent in on time. What I didn’t know was that I could submit things one at a time at Holy Cross.

What was something you looked forward to experiencing at Holy Cross?

I looked forward to experiencing taking a wide variety of class since it is a liberal arts institution.

What was most worrisome about transitioning to college, and how was this remedied?

I was most worried to move away from home but as soon as I got to campus I felt so welcomed and Mount St James quickly became my home away from home.

What do you love most about interacting with prospective students/families?

Hearing everyone’s story is the thing I love most about prospective students. We all have a reason to why or how we got to Holy Cross and hearing everyone’s different stories is a great way to interact with them.

What types of things do you enjoy talking about with prospective students/families?

I enjoy talking about the Jesuit, liberal arts aspect of the college. It really helps the students see what Holy Cross is all about.

What do you find prospective students are most concerned about and what advice would you give them about it?

Most prospective students are afraid to leave home. I try to explain to them how Holy Cross becomes like home and most feel very comfortable here and that makes it so much easier to leave home.

Why did you join the outreach program?

I joined the outreach program to be able to show how much I love HC to other people and hope to get them to love it as well.

Do you meet a lot of alumni during your greeting session(s)? If so, what is your favorite aspect about meeting/talk with them?

I do meet a lot of alumni and they always say how this building wasn’t here or that was just being built when I graduated. It is interesting to see how much the college has expanded and grown since they graduated.

What makes HC special for you?

HC is special because it is my home away from home. I feel so comfortable here and I absolutely love the friends I’ve made here in and outside of the classroom.

What is your favorite thing about HC?

My favorite thing about HC besides the grilled cheese in lower Kimball is the sense of community that we have here on campus.

Once you graduate, what will you miss most about HC?

I will miss 7pm mass on Sunday nights with my best friends the most when I graduate.

What is one piece of advice you would like to give to prospective students?

The college process is very stressful but in the end, you will end up where you need to be…and hopefully that is HC!!! 🙂

What is the most exciting event you’ve attended this year?

The most exciting event I’ve attended this year is the Outdoor Edge. This occurs right when we get back to school in August and it is a time when you finally get to catch up with your friends that you haven’t seen all summer. Everyone gathers on Kimball Quad with music and dancing. It is the BEST way to kick off the new school year.

Name and Volunteer Position: Liza Goodman, Outreach

Class Year: 2021

Major: English and Theater

Hometown: Manchester, NH

What was something that stood out to you about Holy Cross?

I always loved the sense of community here. My parents are both alums so I have been coming to visit HC ever since I was little and I have always felt a big sense of community so when I moved in It already felt like home.

What was most nerve-racking about the admissions process, and how was this resolved?

I was mostly nervous about my standardized test scores, but HC is test optional and I was able to decide whether or not I wanted to send in my scores.

What was something you looked forward to experiencing at Holy Cross?

I looked forward to experiencing the Theatre Community here at HC and I was able to be apart of the Fall Mainstage show “Fuente Ovejuna” and it was the most rewarding experience at HC this far.

What was most worrisome about transitioning to college, and how was this remedied?

I was worried about being incredibly homesick but luckily as mentioned before I was able to feel right at home with this wonderful community and I met so many people in my first few weeks that I am able to call my friends.

What do you love most about interacting with prospective students/families?

I love answering their questions and being able to get to know new people who will hopefully be future crusaders within the next year!

What types of things do you enjoy talking about with prospective students/families?

I love talking about all the amazing opportunities that HC has to offer through both academics and extra curricular.

What do you find prospective students are most concerned about and what advice would you give them about it?

I find that they are most concerned about deciding what you want to major in and I tell them that the liberal arts education gives everyone time to explore different interests and they have time to decide what the want to major in and to always major in something that you love.

Why did you join the outreach program?

I vividly remember my greeters when I first toured here and I wanted to repay the favor because he gave me such a good impression of the school when I talked with him.

Do you meet a lot of alumni during your greeting session(s)? If so, what is your favorite aspect about meeting/talk with them?

I have met some alumni but not many and I love talking to them about how much we all love HC and hearing their memories but I also enjoy meeting new families and sharing all the memories I have created here at HC and how much fun I have been having at school!

What makes HC special for you?

I love HC because My parents were alums so I love having a deeper connection with them by being at this school

What is your favorite thing about HC?

My favorite thing is the people in the theatre department here. I have made so many good friends in such a short amount of time and I am so grateful to all them for creating such a friendly space.

Once you graduate, what will you miss most about HC?

I will definitely miss HC but I have just started here so I haven’t been thinking about what I will miss when I graduate. I am just so many

What is one piece of advice you would like to give to prospective students?

Trust yourself and be confident! It’s a long and stressful process but everything will turn out ok and just trust the process.

What is the most exciting event you’ve attended this year?

I would say the most exciting event for me was being in the fall production of Fuente Ovejuna and it was rehearsal every night but I was so grateful to be a part of it and it was an amazing experience.

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