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Ice Cream Trailer Rolls with Help from Students

May 15, 2023 | News

Michael’s Dairy will be hitting the road soon with its much-loved ice cream, thanks to a newly acquired trailer outfitted to serve up frozen treats and input from Prof. James Patsalides’ Business 311: Entrepreneurship I class. The trailer took its “maiden journey” at Commencement 2023.

Working throughout the spring semester with Keith Padin, manager of auxiliary business operations at Mitchell College, the Entrepreneurship students examined all facets of the Michael’s Dairy Ice Cream Trailer business. Their project included four workshops: value mapping, business modeling, go-to-market strategy and a retrospective.

“Adding catering to the Michael’s Dairy operation has been an idea for some time,” Padin said.

Emily (Pratts) Pratts ’23 said that Patsalides was helpful in directing the class “to think of improvements or other ideas that may work better for a functioning business. He taught us that when writing down business ideas, to always include some worst-case scenarios. That way you can get in the mindset of thinking of safety plans for those scenarios and other ways to produce income from the business.”

Padin said that the worst-case scenarios that the students conceived would help with planning for the trailer, including things like running out of gas, dealing with melted ice cream and poor customer service. They also balanced those negative aspects against existing positives, such as “same great ice cream, amazing staff and lots of festivals and sporting events in the area to go to,” he said.

According to Patsalides, the course was the first in a process now underway of building out a Business Learning Lab in collaboration with Michael’s Dairy and other campus businesses, including The Red Barn, campus rentals and the campus gear shop.

“The connections enable real interaction between students and the staff running the businesses. This ‘authentic’ learning helps them recognize that the skills they are gaining are transferable to any job. In the Entrepreneurship class, we used the Michael’s Dairy project as an exemplar of how to complete each part of another class project—individual business model development. The ice cream trailer workshops we conducted completed the same deliverables students would subsequently develop for their own business ideas. This seemed to work really well and provided both great experiential learning for the students and useful advice and insights for the Michael’s Dairy Ice Cream Trailer work,” said Patsalides.

Rising junior Alexander (Zander) Moubayed said that working on the ice cream trailer project “helped me gain a deeper understanding of business operations and was a fun experience. Seeing the ice cream trailer finished on the last day of class was my favorite part of the experience,” he added. “It felt like we were part of the process, and even Keith said that we should be proud and thanked us for our perspectives and outside-the-box thinking. Our brainstorming sessions and ideas actually helped him out, and both Michael’s Dairy and Mitchell might benefit from it, which is most certainly a valid reason to be proud.”

Pratts agreed and said, “Working on the ice cream trailer project felt like we were part of the team that put it all together. The staff that has been working on this and the Michael’s Dairy Board that brought it to life actually listened to our ideas, and it showed in the final product. It was really nice to see as a student because you get to essentially see your ideas that you spent weeks coming up with in real life, and it was incredible!”

“With a mission of supporting our students (all proceeds from the dairy directly support Mitchell College students), to get to share in the building process with them was an amazing experience. To hear input from a core demographic and customer base was invaluable,” Padin said.

Graduates, friends and family wait in line at the Michael's Dairy Ice Cream Trailer at Commencement 2023.

The Michael’s Dairy Ice Cream Trailer was open for business at Commencement 2023.

Prepared to Pursue Dreams

May 5, 2023 | Stories

As Hana Rihani looks to the fall semester as a first-year student at Mitchell College, she reflects on how her year as a student in the Thames at Mitchell College program has prepared her.

“I heard about Thames when I was creating a list of colleges to consider at the beginning of my senior year of high school. After looking at the Thames website and meeting with the admissions staff, I thought it would be a great place where I would be supported and successful,” Hana said.

Hana came into the Thames program with a couple of challenges to overcome. In addition to figuring out what to bring (“I didn’t know what to pack for it being my first time in college!”), Hana said that she is usually shy when meeting new people. Her social-emotional learning class helped by teaching her how to be social and be a good friend.

“I have learned important skills that can help me be a better person in the world. After the first week of school, I started getting to know people and making them my friends. I didn’t expect to know everybody in my residence hall in such a short time,” she said.

Paint-and-Sip nights, bingo, bowling trips and a ping-pong tournament are some of the activities that kept Hana busy and socializing.

“The ping-pong tournament was a highlight because I had a fun time playing and watching the teachers’ faces when people won or lost,” she said.

Another highlight was a Halloween community service event with her classmates and social-emotional learning teachers.

“It was a fun event because I hung out with my amazing professors and classmates while handing out candy!”

Hana said that she has been challenged by her coursework, but her instructors have worked closely with her to provide direction and feedback. She said that she has grown in independence and confidence while developing skills for life as a college student and as a job-seeker after college.

“Being on a college campus as a Thames student really helped me prepare for college life. I like to be active and do interesting things. Taking college classes, eating in the dining hall and going to school events really benefited me.

I want do something with marine biology or communication and performing arts. I love being around animals, and I also love being on stage and expressing myself, so I will be joining the chorus and auditioning for the play and the musical next year.”

Now that Hana is prepared to take on the first year of college, she can look forward to setting out to accomplish her dreams.

Ready to Fly

Apr 28, 2023 | Stories

Senior Rachel Ricciuti’s internship in the marketing and sales department of Water’s Edge Resort & Spa melded perfectly with lessons learned through her major in communication and her minor in hospitality and tourism.

“Every day was different,” she said. “One day we were writing meta descriptions for the website, and the next day I got to create a post for social media. My favorite part was being surrounded by several managers in the sales office. Each one oversees a different operation—corporate, social and weddings. To watch an event like a wedding or a major corporate meeting was so interesting and fun. It was a bonus of my internship placement to get to see, learn and do so much.”

When Rachel started her internship, she second-guessed herself and her abilities.

“I was worried that, despite years of education and even experience, I wouldn’t be prepared for an internship in the ‘real world.’ But Mitchell taught me to be ready. It sounds cheesy, but all of my classes really helped sculpt me to be and do the best that I could for this internship. From a marketing viewpoint I had to think critically about who we were trying to reach and how we were trying to reach them. I also had to communicate effectively with coworkers and clientele,” she said.

Her internship experience affirms the work that she will pursue after graduation.

“From working at Water’s Edge, I know that I want to work in a place with the same type of atmosphere doing the same kind of work. It is rewarding and fun!”

She chalks up her success as both a student and an intern to Mitchell’s size.

“The small community drew me to Mitchell. I knew I wasn’t going to be just another number in the student population. You truly get to spread your wings and make the most out of the four years. It’s crucial development before going into the real world, being able to build my resume and have support doing it. The opportunities are there, and I knew I had to take advantage of them.”

“Mitchell has challenged me, supported me and helped me network and gain connections. I have come out on the other side stronger from the experiences that I have had,” she added.

Renowned Disabilities Advocate Shares Story, Poetry, Inspiration

Apr 18, 2023 | News

Spoken-word poet, advocate for people with disabilities, and motivational speaker LeDerick Horne has appeared at the White House, the United Nations, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and State Departments of Education across the United States. He recently spoke at Mitchell College to students, faculty and staff, sharing his poetry and story of growing up with a learning disability as part of a program hosted by the Bentsen Learning Center (BLC) and sponsored by the Aramont Foundation.

Horne recounted his struggles with reading and his fear of being publicly embarrassed during read-aloud time in the classroom, saying he “spent time hiding in the bathroom and at the nurse’s office” and figuring out how to pre-read passages to familiarize himself with difficult words before being asked to read. Labeled with a learning disability in third grade, he was moved to a special education class, which he likened to being in “solitary confinement or a deserted island.” After a few years began to call himself stupid and dumb.

However, later in his school years he felt he was looked at as “an intellectual” in school, enjoying debating with others and excelling in track and cross country, as well as art. Despite these accomplishments, as he neared the end of high school and began thinking about his future he worried about his “sub-par reading skills” and wondered if he could do work that he would be proud of. He struggled with mental health issues and school absences and suffered an emotional breakdown during his junior year of high school.

But with the support of his parents (Horne said he “won the parent lottery”) and his own resilience, he used that experience to redefine who he was, realizing “there was nothing wrong with me.”

Horne decided to pursue college and began at community college at Middlesex County College in New Jersey. There he built up his skills and found a community of other people with disabilities, and together they shared their stories and celebrated their victories. He also developed more of an understanding about how the mind works. He eventually transferred to New Jersey City University, where he graduated with honors and a B.A. in mathematics with a minor in fine arts.

Co-author of the book “Empowering Students with Hidden Disabilities: A Path to Pride and Success,” Horne shared his words of wisdom, encouragement and advice:

  • Disability is a natural part of human diversity.
  • If there is normal, normal is all discrepancies that happen in human beings.
  • Develop an understanding of who you are, regardless of disability or not.
  • Be self-reflective.
  • Practice an asset-based understanding of a disability—what strengths are.
  • There is a need for people to be celebrated for places where they are excellent.
  • Be open about challenges.

Finally, he shared his formula for happiness: “Don’t judge yourself by other people.”

Attorney General William Tong Named Mitchell College Class of 2023 Commencement Speaker

Apr 7, 2023 | News

Mitchell College marks its 79th Commencement Exercises on Sat., May 13, with Attorney General William Tong delivering the keynote address to the Class of 2023. The ceremony takes place at 10 a.m. on the Mitchell College Green.

William Tong is the 25th attorney general to serve Connecticut, taking office in 2019, and now serving his second term. He was the first Asian American elected to statewide office in Connecticut, and the first Chinese American to be elected attorney general nationwide. He served for 12 years as a state representative in the Connecticut General Assembly, where he served as House chairman of the Judiciary Committee as well as the Banking Committee.

Dr. Tracy Y. Espy, Mitchell College president, said, “We are truly honored that Attorney General Tong will deliver the keynote address to our graduating class. As a public servant he has addressed issues that touch the lives of Connecticut residents, including many of our students and their families. His lived experiences are sure to inspire our graduates, and we look forward to welcoming him.”

In his work as attorney general, and previously as a state legislator, William Tong has been dedicated to safeguarding civil rights and freedoms, protecting the rights of women, minority communities, immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community. Attorney General Tong is a national leader in many of the most consequential lawsuits and investigations in our country today, including bipartisan, multistate efforts to hold companies and individuals accountable for their role in the opioid crisis; to restore fair competition and prices in the generic drug industry; to hold social media companies accountable for the harms they may cause to kids and young people; to stop robocall scammers; and to ensure corporations safeguard our personal information from misuse and respect consumers’ rights regarding the collection and use of their information.

A Connecticut native and the oldest of five children, Attorney General Tong grew up in the Hartford area working side-by-side with his immigrant parents in their family’s Chinese restaurant. He attended schools in West Hartford and graduated from Phillips Academy Andover, Brown University and the University of Chicago Law School. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Stamford with their three children.