Britt Barry, Author at Mitchell College

Psychology Majors Sweep Commencement Achievement Awards

Jun 11, 2025 | Stories

Psychology majors from the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences “swept” the awards for highest academic achievement at the 2025 Commencement ceremony, with Isabella “Bella” Avalos named Valedictorian, and Allison Blum and Thomas Progano tied as Salutatorians.

Bella and Allison talked about their career goals and how they will use their favorite psychology courses to advance their professional lives.

Forensic Psychology and Rehabilitative Justice

Bella, who minored in criminal justice, hopes to pursue a doctorate in forensic psychology and work as a licensed clinician for incarcerated individuals in corrections and reentry programs.

“I am interested in studying behavior and the factors that guide it. There are many fields where psychology is used, and it intersects with criminal justice, another interest of mine. When I chose my major and minor, I wanted to understand how they are used together within the justice system,” she said.

Bella has a long-term goal of working in therapy in the justice system but also conducting research on rehabilitative justice for the corrections community. She currently interns in probation in Orange County, California, where she works with incarcerated youth in a rehabilitative capacity.

“This work is something I value greatly and a core reason for me wanting to pursue a career in forensic psychology.”

She cited the Mitchell College courses that she will draw from in her work in psychology and her day-to-day life.

“Psychology of Well-Being was one of my favorite courses at Mitchell. Psychology focuses a lot on abnormalities and dysfunction, but this course provided different principles to living a fulfilling life that I found helpful not only for my career but also personally. I also enjoyed Behavioral Statistics because it gave me the foundational knowledge to discern and interpret data that was extremely helpful with my research at Mitchell for my Honors Program thesis, ‘An Analysis of the School-to-Prison Pipeline.’ One of my career goals is to contribute to the growth of my desired field through research. This class provided good preparation.”

Marriage and Family Therapy

Allison will start graduate school in the fall to work on a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy.

“Mental health is so important to me, and I love helping others feel good about themselves. I have been in therapy for a long time, and it’s been so helpful to me. My hope is to help others in the same way,” she said.

One of her favorite Mitchell psychology courses will inform her work in graduate school.

“In my Family Systems course, I loved taking a deeper dive into each family dynamic and how it affected the person. I found the course to be very helpful because I was introduced to the research of psychologists Drs. John and Julie Gottman. I admire the Gottman Institute and their view on how relationships work. I like looking at the bigger picture when it comes to the person and why they are the way they are.”

Allison examined relationships for her Honors Program thesis, “Power Dynamics in a Coach Athlete Relationship.”

She also found her Grad School and Beyond class helpful as she prepared to apply for graduate school.

Allison looks forward to pursuing her goal of earning her master’s degree and becoming a licensed therapist.

“In the future, I hope to have an established practice helping others, especially those who are married with children. I would love to help people be great parents who help create wonderful children who will grow into wonderful people.”

Class of 2025

While the Behavioral and Social Sciences faculty celebrated the spotlight on this group of students from their program this year, the graduating class of 2025 distinguished themselves academically across all programs:

44 were Honor Society members
28 graduated cum laude
35 graduated magna cum laude
4 graduated summa cum laude

In the above photo, l-r: Professor Jen Mauro and Dr. Joanna Gentsch, professors of psychology, Allison Blum, Bella Avalos, Thomas Progano, and Dr. Nancy Parent, chair of Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Middle School Healthcare Academy Program Launches Summer 2025

Jun 4, 2025 | News

Mitchell College invites New London County residents entering grades 6–9, with an interest in science, health, and wellness, to enroll in a summer program on campus, July 7–18.

HCA Rising, a pre-academy program designed to foster an early interest in healthcare fields, is part of the Mitchell College Healthcare Academy (HCA) for New London County high school students.

HCA Rising offers middle school students an opportunity to explore the connection between STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) and healthcare careers through fun and engaging activities:

Hands-on science experiments
Fun physical activities like dance, theater, and athletics
Field trips to Mitchell Woods and Mitchell Beach
Small group sizes for personalized learning
Engaging weekly themes like ‘Sensory Science: The Five Senses & Environmental Science & Wellness’

Mitchell College is committed to addressing our state’s workforce needs and diversifying the healthcare employment pipeline, and to making education more accessible while serving the needs of our community. As part of this effort, the HCA will provide students with unique opportunities to learn about pathways to healthcare careers, including Mitchell’s new Nursing program leading to a BSN.

Students can enroll in HSA Rising for one or two weeks for $100 per week, July 7–11, July 14–18, or both. Aftercare is available for a nominal fee. The deadline to register is June 15, 2025.

For details and registration visit Mitchell.edu/Healthcare-Academy.

Mitchell Partners with High Hopes to Offer Equine-Assisted Wellness Course

May 9, 2025 | Stories

For the Spring 2025 semester, Mitchell College students from diverse majors had the extraordinary opportunity to travel weekly by school van to an equine facility in Old Lyme to work with Rolex, Blessing, and several other horses for a new general education course.

“Equine-Assisted Wellness: Bridging Ability and Wellness,” offered in partnership with High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, Inc., immersed students in an experience that promoted wellness through the unique human and horse bond. As an organization, High Hopes uses equine-assisted services to support individuals with emotional health challenges, learning or developmental disabilities, and other neurodivergent challenges.

Working regularly with the horses in the barn, in the arena, and outdoors, the students developed an understanding of disability, learned practical skills in horsemanship and therapeutic techniques, and explored the principles of holistic wellness, focusing on mental, emotional, and physical health. Student majors comprised early childhood education, exercise science, criminal justice, communication, and psychology.

Students explore the grounds of High Hopes Therapeutic Riding.

Marci Bender, High Hopes equine operations director and PATH Intl. certified master therapeutic riding instructor, CTRI, led the course with assistance from Kim Severance, CTRS, High Hopes program coordinator, PATH Intl. certified therapeutic riding instructor and PATH Intl. equine specialist in mental health and learning.

Prior experience with horses was not a prerequisite for the course, although some students brought it with them

Melanie Hintz, a communication major, has ridden horses for 10 years and volunteered at another therapeutic riding facility in Connecticut for five years. She said one of her favorite activities was creating an obstacle course for the horses in the arena. Using the obstacle course to build trust, the activity mimicked what it is like for horses to experience the world with limited sight.

“Three of us had to partner and walk the course with the horse. One person was the leader, one person was blindfolded, and one person assisted. Horses can’t see everything and must trust humans to lead them in many situations. When I was blindfolded, it was scary, but I trusted the person who was leading me to keep me safe. It can be challenging to trust and rely on teamwork in life, but I realized the importance of having an open mind and viewing life from different perspectives,” said Melanie.

Instructor Kim Severance said the activity also taught the students how to work together and how to connect and communicate with the horse.

“As students experienced things, they could settle into what to expect,” she said.

Chloe Athanas, a criminal justice major who has worked with horses since she was 7, said she loves building bonds with horses and other people and learning new things.

“My favorite activity from class is when we groomed the horses. We had to use our voice and body language to communicate with them so they could trust us and feel comfortable. I learned that body positions and facial expressions are the key methods of communication between humans and horses,” said Chloe.

For a horse, yawning can be a sign of releasing tension, sniffing can show curiosity, alert and moving ears display an awareness of the environment, and ears pulled back or shifting weight can indicate unease.

Instructor Marci Bender stressed that observation is how we learn to connect with horses and that behaviors are important.

“Understanding what horses are experiencing helps with our work at High Hopes. It’s like putting a puzzle together through observation. You think through what you see, then evaluate the possibilities, Marci said.

Melanie agreed: “Horses communicate through body language, which requires us to pay close attention and try to understand what emotions they are feeling, whether it’s calmness, anxiety, or discomfort. I aspire to adopt this mindset, focusing on using all senses to observe and understand subtle details in life, rather than just relying on our usual senses.”

“I know how therapeutic riding can transform lives. This class deepened my knowledge of horses and provided me with a greater understanding of different approaches to training and therapy. My classmates all had the same enthusiasm for horses, and I enjoyed learning with them,” Melanie added.

The class is slated to be offered again in Spring 2026.

Rolex is one of the horses that participated in the course.

Blessing also worked with the students.

Eversource’s Hopkins-Staten to be Commencement Speaker; Braxton Receives Honorary Degree

May 8, 2025 | News

Mitchell College marks its 81st Commencement Exercises for 101 graduates on Saturday, May 17, at 10 a.m. on the Mitchell College Green. Theresa Hopkins-Staten, president of Eversource Energy Foundation and vice president of corporate citizenship and equity at Eversource, will deliver the keynote address. Lonnie Braxton II, retired senior assistant state’s attorney for the State of Connecticut, will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws.

Mitchell College President Dr. Tracy Y. Espy said, “We are truly honored to welcome two community leaders to our Commencement. Both will inspire our graduates as the class decides how to shape their own futures to positively impact the world. Theresa Hopkins-Staten, our Commencement speaker, brings remarkable professional accomplishments, strong leadership, and unwavering dedication to community service. Lonnie Braxton will receive an honorary degree for his contributions to the community, through distinguished service to the Division of Criminal Justice for the State of Connecticut, as historian of the Civil Rights Movement and American history, and as an active board member of several New London organizations.”

The Eversource Energy Foundation invests in initiatives and organizations aligned with the foundation’s focus on building a healthier, more sustainable and equitable future for customers and communities. In 2024 the independent philanthropic organization awarded $7 million in grants and sponsorships to more than 700 organizations.

Hopkins-Staten also leads Eversource’s enterprise-wide efforts driving foundational understanding to ensure stronger equity, accountability, inclusion, and fairness by employees in their daily practices and interactions with customers and communities.

She has received numerous recognitions and awards: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut 2025 Visionary Leader Award, 2024 Women for Whittier award, 2018 Connecticut Bar Association Citizen of the Law Award, Inaugural 100 Women of Color Award, Greater Hartford NAACP Queens Gala Award, University of Connecticut Alumni Association Service and Inaugural Diversity Alumni Awards, Urban League of Southern Connecticut African American Woman of Distinction, Connecticut Valley Girl Scouts Woman of Merit Award, Hartford Business Journal Remarkable Women in Business Award, Allstate Insurance Sankofa Award, and the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Community Service Award. In addition, her photograph was included in a “Gallery of Pioneers” honoring alumni for their community service and professional achievements.

Hopkins-Staten graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.A. in Sociology, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. In addition, she earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law and received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree (Ph.D.) from Goodwin University.

Braxton, who grew up in Mississippi, served as a Naval Reservist before graduating from Connecticut College and the University of Connecticut School of Law. He worked for nearly 30 years as a senior assistant state’s attorney for the State of Connecticut. A noted historian of African American and civil rights history, he has lectured extensively and for 19 years has hosted an African American Film Festival at the New London Public Library, where he also displays historical African American memorabilia from his private collection. He has served on numerous boards, currently the Lyman Allyn Art Museum Board of Directors, the New London Public Library, New London Landmarks, and SCADD (Southeastern Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.). He is also a lifetime member of the NAACP, the nation’s oldest civil rights organization, and is a past president of the New London branch.

Theresa Hopkins-Staten gives the keynote address for Mitchell College’s 81st Commencement Exercises.

Lonnie Braxton II receives an honorary Doctor of Laws.

Mitchell Partners with New Haven Promise

May 1, 2025 | News

Mitchell College is launching a scholarship in partnership with New Haven Promise, a scholarship and support program, making four years of college more affordable for soon-to-be high school graduates living in New Haven. The Mitchell New Haven Promise Scholarship offers New Haven resident students $19,000 per year from Mitchell College and up to $5,000 per year from New Haven Promise, plus an opportunity for on-campus employment during the scholarship program. Students are required to live on campus and actively participate in Mitchell’s community outreach throughout their college experience.

Dr. Tracy Y. Espy, Mitchell College president, said, “By making college more affordable through the Mitchell New Haven Promise Scholarship, students are empowered to pursue their academic and professional dreams. The convenience of on-campus living provides students with greater opportunities to engage with the community and have access to resources. We are excited to welcome more New Haven residents to our Mitchell Mariner community through this program.”

To be eligible for the scholarship, students must attend New Haven Public Schools or approved charter schools in New Haven continuously for at least grades 9 through 12. Students must also meet eligibility requirements for attendance and disciplinary record, GPA, and community service.

To request an application, or for more information, contact admissions@mitchell.edu or call 860-701-5037.

« Older Entries