At eighteen-years-old, I thought I had my life figured out. I loved college more than I could put into words. I was hired to be a Resident Assistant in the upcoming fall, I established two clubs, I started my minor early and most importantly, I worked my hands to the bone to make a name for myself at my school. Everything was wonderful until I received an email that threw my perfect plan to the wayside.
I was a freshman studying Fashion Industry Marketing and Management at Mount Ida College. Set back in the wooded suburban area of Newton, MA, it was a quaint school that not many people knew about. This all changed when an email that was sent out April 6, 2018, announcing that the college would cease to exist by the end of the next month.
“Today, our Board of Trustees has announced that Mount Ida College has reached an agreement with the University of Massachusetts, under which UMass Amherst will acquire our Newton campus. While this will mean that Mount Ida will end its role as an independent college, students in good academic standing will be offered automatic acceptance to UMass Dartmouth, a Tier 1 national research university.” read the message.
Saying I felt helpless, betrayed and deceived is putting it lightly. Though it may sounds dramatic, it felt like my world had ended. We were told we had a month to piece our lives back together and continue on. Though the UMass system would take us in, they did not offer many of the specialized majors (such as Funeral Services, Fashion, Vet-Tech, and Dental Hygiene) that made up the majority of the student body. We were left with no place to go.
The chaos of it all taught me the importance of community. Mount Ida faculty and staff worked tirelessly to help students find schools where they could continue their education, even through the futures of their careers were at stake as well. My wonderful program director—pregnant with twins—formed a list of schools in the area we could transfer to. Misery truly loves company, and though the world seemed to be over, it felt better to know there were a thousand other people feeling what I was feeling, and struggling along with me.
Outside the Mount Ida community, schools in the surrounding area stretched out helping hands to the students and staff in crisis. Colleges were kind enough to offer quick acceptance with limited applications, making repeating the worst part of high school that much easier. The faculty were given opportunities to transfer into positions at other universities. Finally, things were looking up, and we weren’t the only ones to recognize the injustice we faced.
Someone once told me, “Planning is indispensable, but plans are useless.” Luckily, I landed on my feet, continuing my studies at Lasell College. I thought I had it all figured out, but life had a different plan. This experience taught me to do what makes me happy when I can because there may not be a tomorrow. Who knows, maybe it was written in my cards and I was meant to end up at Lasell. Already, I have found so many more opportunities to involve myself in the industry I am passionate about. I am honored that I can say I was a member of Mustang City, and that I have now joined the Laser Nation.