Stories Archives

Unexpected Turn at Mitchell Puts Alum on Path to Help Others

Dec 2, 2025 | Stories

When AJ Marini ’24 enrolled at Mitchell College as a transfer student, he intended to play baseball for the Mariners and major in sport management.

“From the very beginning I wanted to stay involved in athletics long after my own career would finish,” he said.

Little did he know that his collegiate baseball career would be cut short by injury and that he would later pursue a career helping and guiding other athletes.

“One of the biggest challenges I faced as a student-athlete was tearing my shoulder twice. That ultimately forced me to stop playing baseball, a sport I loved. I had always identified as an athlete and suddenly that part of my life was taken away.”

Finding Purpose

After the initial shock of his life change, he focused on “finding purpose beyond the field.”

“I suddenly realized there was more to life than just sports. My injury pushed me to grow as a student and as a person, and the experience taught me resilience and adaptability. I focused more on my academics and developed stronger leadership and communication skills. I also found new ways to stay connected to teammates through my coursework and campus involvement.”

AJ credits the Mitchell faculty and staff with helping him transition out of baseball.

“The incredible faculty and staff went above and beyond. They taught me in the classroom and guided, mentored, and supported me through every challenge, both on and off the field. Their encouragement helped me find new purpose. It pushed me to reach my full potential as a student, leader, and a person. Looking back, I was drawn to Mitchell for its close-knit, supportive community. From the start it felt like a place where I could truly belong and grow. Growing is just what I did.”

After graduating from Mitchell (and delivering the student address at his commencement ceremony), he enrolled in a master’s program in sport management at the State University of New York at Cortland.

As a graduate student, he interned with STEER for Student Athletes. The community-based nonprofit organization provides mentorship and support services to student-athletes, helping them graduate from high school, prepare for further education, or enter the workforce.

AJ plans to use this experience to pursue career opportunities in advising, student-athlete development, mentorship, or possibly college athletic administration.

Thanks to his unexpected turn at Mitchell, AJ is now poised and excited to pay forward the support he received.

“It’s important to help others see the same opportunities and support that made such a difference in my own journey.”

Kervick Receives Literary Award for History of Windsor Locks Canal

Oct 9, 2025 | Stories

J. Christopher “Chris” Kervick, an instructor of local history at Mitchell College, was recently awarded the 2025 Literary Award by The Connecticut Society of Genealogists for his book “The Windsor Locks Canal: Yankee Enterprise and Irish Muscle.” The award recognizes the most outstanding genealogical resource of the year.

Since 2022 Kervick has brought his love of history to students in the Thames at Mitchell College program through his “New London Stories” course. Together they have researched and written numerous articles about New London history, some of which have been published by The Day and its imprint The Times newspapers.

The result of over 20 years of research, Kervick’s book tells the story of the creation of the 19th-century Windsor Locks Canal, which served as the backbone of a water-powered industrial center.

The historically detailed book is of interest to genealogists because it humanizes the 400 Irish laborers who built the canal. Kervick introduces the reader to many of the remarkable men by name and identifies laborers who remained in the area and raised families following completion of the canal.

“The Windsor Locks Canal, Yankee Enterprise and Irish Muscle” (Madison, CT: The Connecticut Press, 2025) is available for checkout at the Mitchell College Library. It is also available for purchase in both softcover and hardcover editions online from Amazon Books, Barnes & Noble, and IngramSpark.

Kervick recently completed three terms as First Selectman of his hometown of Windsor Locks, Connecticut, and, prior to that, served as a Connecticut Judge of Probate. He has been practicing law for over 37 years. A 1984 graduate of Fordham University, he is a 1987 graduate of Catholic University, Columbus School of Law.

Mitchell Faculty Host ‘Pints & Professors’ Speaker Series in Downtown New London

Oct 2, 2025 | Stories

Mitchell College faculty are taking their knowledge and expertise from the classroom to the street (Bank Street, New London, that is!), giving back to and engaging with the local community.

“Pints & Professors,” a free speaker series for the public, kicks off on Monday, October 6, at 7 p.m. at The Social Bar + Kitchen, 208 Bank Street, New London. (Watch for announcements about additional talks.)

Professor Luke Walden, M.F.A., who teaches digital communication at Mitchell, will share his perspective as an “accidental historian,” filmmaker, educator, and co-director of the documentary “The Narcotic Farm” (2009). The film, which aired nationally on public television, explores the story of America’s first federal narcotics prison-hospital in Lexington, KY. The institution became both a treatment center and a research hub and is considered the “Ground Zero for American’s first war on drugs.”

Professor Elyse Gessler, Ph.D., event organizer, said, “Knowledge and education are two things that everyone should have access to. I wanted to create an intentional event where we leave campus, meet the public in a relaxing and approachable space, and have some engaging discussions. In my experience, there is nothing that brings people together like good food and drink. Giving our faculty an opportunity to share their research, practitioner, and education experiences over a pint make for a fabulous event to showcase the depth of knowledge and expertise across the Mitchell College faculty.”

Watch “The Narcotic Farm” here: https://vimeo.com/91392115
Read about the researchers’ experiences here: https://lnkd.in/g_hYPDAS
Read more from The Social and reserve a table here.

Mitchell Internship (and Fandom) Led to Working with WNBA Team

Aug 6, 2025 | Stories

Longtime Connecticut Sun fan Kilian Okech ’25 joined the team for the summer as a community relations ambassador. In his internship role, he works with the organization that is part of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).

The sport management major, who played on the Mitchell men’s basketball team, said, “When it came time to find an internship, I already had the idea to work with the Connecticut Sun.”

Kilian worked with Paul Dunn in the Integrative Career Development Office to secure the internship.

“Thanks to his connections, I was able to apply and get a response quickly,” Kilian said.

Tasks on Game Day
Kilian attends every home game at Mohegan Sun and handles other aspects of his work remotely. On game day he arrives in the morning to work in the office and arena before the game. Pre-game tasks include helping to prospect leads for groups to attend games. He also assists with “seat notes,” envelopes containing special offers that are placed at seats around the arena.

In addition, Kilian observes office calls about ticket sales and other questions. At game time, he helps fans at a concessions table or booth. He said he uses the Mitchell Abilities, especially diversity/global perspectives and social interaction, to effectively interact with the broad mix of fans.

When he transferred as a sophomore to Mitchell, Kilian was drawn to the college for a variety of reasons. He liked the opportunity to play basketball, Mitchell’s waterfront location, and its campus and residence halls. He said his Mitchell advisor supported him in helping transfer past credits to be on track to graduate.

Future Plans
Through his internship Kilian has a close-up and behind-the-scenes look at a professional basketball organization.

Looking to the future, Kilian said, “My internship has inspired me to continue going after a career in the front office at a sports organization. Mitchell has good internship options for students. The great help I received from Paul Dunn and my peers at the Sun have prepared me and given me the valuable experience that I need to take the next step.”

Kilian plans to pursue a master’s degree in sport management.

Kilian Okech stands in front of a mural feature Connecticut Sun basketball players.

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

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.

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