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A chance to thrive.

Aug 30, 2021 | Stories

When Priscilla Huyhua ‘20 thinks about Mitchell College, she recognizes all it has done for her future.

Since graduating with her bachelor’s degree in both early childhood studies and human development and family studies, Priscilla completed an intensive 11-month graduate program at the Neag School of Education at UConn. She earned her master’s degree in educational psychology and special education and recently accepted a position as a special education teacher at Stamford Public Schools.

“Ultimately, Mitchell gave me real-world experience, especially options to do internships throughout the community. Mitchell is great about that. And I used a lot of the knowledge gained through these opportunities in my online graduate classes at UConn.”

After taking a special education course offered at Mitchell, Priscilla knew she wanted to pursue it as a career.

“Once I graduated from Mitchell in December, I got a job as an intervention specialist at the Regional Multicultural Magnet School (RMMS) in New London, where I last interned.”

Priscilla worked at RMMS through the spring then began her graduate program in June 2020.

When she looks back on her years at Mitchell, Priscilla understands the role the faculty, staff, her coursework and internships all had in her accomplishments.

“Mitchell is a small community. The campus is very close, and it’s easy for you to have a voice there. I was very shy starting as a freshman coming from a big high school and grew so much during my years at college.”

She became a student ambassador, leading tours of the school.

“I really enjoyed my time speaking to potential students about what Mitchell had to offer but also stressing that, as a student, you have to know how to ask for help. People are willing to assist and guide you, but you have to be willing to put in the work as well.”

Priscilla, who has a learning disability, worked with the Bentsen Learning Center (BLC) throughout her time on campus to learn how to prioritize and structure her day.

“I struggled a lot with my writing. I have a lot to say, but putting it into writing was difficult. Increasing the hours that I worked with my BLC specialist helped me. Once I could get outside of my shell, I asked for more help and got it from my professors, which led to me graduating a semester early!”

At Mitchell Priscilla also played sports for the first time.

“I was new to sports but played soccer and lacrosse at Mitchell. I was grateful to be given the chance, and I felt important. Mitchell is like that. My grades in high school weren’t the best, but Mitchell gave me a chance, and I thrived.”

Up before the sun.

Aug 27, 2021 | Stories

Waking up at 4am isn’t for everyone, but for junior Ahmani Browne, it’s one of the best parts of his day.

Ahmani, who studies marine biology at Mitchell, is taking part in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, a collaboration between Mystic Aquarium and the University of Connecticut (UConn) Avery Point, funded by the National Science Foundation.

From June to August, he is spending most of his days in the lab at UConn Avery Point doing research and experiments. He goes to Mystic Aquarium for professional development activities, seminars, job shadows and, at the end of his internship, his poster presentation on his research.

“My favorite part of my internship is having to wake up early in the morning at low tide to collect fucus (seaweed) and nucella (snails) to run our experiments. The experiment I am working on looks at the effects that green crabs, the predators, have on snails, the prey. We set up containers with some snails exposed to a crab and some not. I record data to see if the exposed snails are hiding or eating less.”

Ahmani works at least 40 hours per week at his internship, ensuring that the experiments run smoothly and data is collected and entered into digital files. Over the course of his internship, he has put many of the transferrable skills he has learned at Mitchell to work.

“I interact regularly with other lab members to communicate what work needs to be done and sometimes use critical thinking to fix an experiment if something goes wrong. I also had to sum up my experiment clearly and concisely for a post on the Mystic Aquarium Instagram page.”

Coming into the internship, Ahmani was unsure about the process of doing independent research.

“I haven’t done independent research before, so I wasn’t clear how I would tackle it. After working more and more each day on it, I have gotten the hang of it by asking the necessary questions to help with my progress.”

Through his internship, Ahmani has realized that he wants to continue on to graduate school after Mitchell to do more research and conduct his own experiments.

Hailing from the Caribbean nation Antigua and Barbuda, Ahmani considers Mitchell College a home away from home.

“Coming from a small island, I was drawn to Mitchell for its proximity to the beach and my interest in marine biology on the East Coast. With the small community and personal connections, the professors, staff and peers push you to be the best person you are and help with any challenges you face.”

When he isn’t busy thinking about marine biology, Ahmani also plays on the Mitchell men’s basketball team, an opportunity given by Mitchell to play at the collegiate level, and works in the library.

Endless possibility.

Aug 23, 2021 | Stories

Jason Buehler ’19 describes his years at Mitchell College as “transformative” and “multidimensional,” a wellspring of inspiration for both his work as a teacher and for his life.

“Mitchell is a melting pot for endless possibility, courageous learners, and for individuals to become truly who they were meant to be. The ‘Mitchell Effect’ is real. When you step foot onto campus, you are instantly hooked.”

What hooked him?

The beachy campus and the small community were among many things, but the individualization for students who learn differently drew him the most.

“I am neurodiverse, and the feeling of coming to a campus that recognized this and had the resources to help me succeed was the biggest reason for me coming to Mitchell.”

Always intending to become a teacher, Jason discovered at Mitchell that he had a passion for working with students in the lower elementary grades, kindergarten through second grade. After graduating with a B.S. in early childhood education and human development and family studies, he put his skills to work, most recently as a kindergarten teacher in central Connecticut. 

He will begin a new position teaching first grade at The Gordon School in East Providence, Rhode Island, this fall and plans to pursue a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with a focus on reading and language arts.

In his work in the classroom, Jason has found that he often draws on lessons learned from Dr. Nancy Parent’s Cross-Cultural Development course.

“She exposed us to different cultures in places I had never heard of, most of the time. I not only learned about cultural appropriations but expanded my mind to things I had never known before. I use this when working with students; learning to sit back and listen to kids tell me about things in their families that they do that may be singular within our classroom.”

He also uses the Mitchell Abilities every day, such as communication, critical thinking, technology, ethics, social interaction, and diversity and global perspectives.

“I work with a diverse group of individuals whose ideas, thoughts and perspectives globally are represented, heard and understood on a collegial and personal level. This happens with both the faculty and the students within our classrooms.”

Jason recognizes the value of mastering these transferrable skills.

“While a student at Mitchell, one does not realize the crucial impact these Abilities have. In class, I never thought these would come about in life so plainly, but they have. These are key components to living a successful and meaningful life.”

Getting in the game.

Aug 23, 2021 | Stories

When senior Mike Adams heard that Mitchell College would be adding Esports to its athletics lineup, he was excited. A gaming spectator in the past, he joined the team, which was ready for play in Spring 2021. Through that experience, he decided he was curious about how things worked behind the scenes.

“Playing the game was a lot of fun, but it also pushed me to learn about the operations process on the back end.”

Mike took the initiative and messaged the director of TeamMETA (Maryland Esports Training Academy) – the Esports management and development organization that organizes and supports Esports teams, including Mitchell College’s – to ask about internship opportunities.

He landed one for the summer.

Working 100% online, Mike assists with managing tournaments and organizing teams.

“We log information about the teams and the games onto the website and manage the brackets, making sure there are no issues and everyone is where they need to be.”

Using many of the skills he has learned at Mitchell, including technology, problem solving and adaptability, he was challenged early on in his internship when he was added to the social media team.

“I’m not an artist. I tried to contribute, but my work isn’t up to snuff in that area. I was honest with my supervisor about my skills and got moved to another area. Speaking up was a big thing for me, but it worked out well.”

When he first started at Mitchell in the Leadership and Business Management core studying communication, Mike was interested in pursuing a career in writing. While he still has an interest in it – perhaps even script writing – his plans have shifted.

“Making money in an area you enjoy is important to me. I would like to keep working with META when I graduate, and if that doesn’t work out, I’d like to pursue marketing in the gaming space.”

For now, Mike is focused on his favorite part of his internship.

“I love learning about everything. It’s exciting for me to gain more skills.”

Oh, Baby!

Aug 4, 2021 | Stories

Alana Berkman ’21 has always had an interest in women’s health. When she was younger, she often asked a family friend, who was also a midwife, many questions about her job. She also attended the birth of her stepsister’s child and, in high school, shadowed on the labor and delivery floor at Backus Hospital in Norwich.

Now Alana’s summer internship with Oh, Baby! Lactation Care in Glastonbury falls right in line with her interests. Completing the requirements for her health science degree, Alana is working 200 hours with Lori Atkins, RN, IBCLC, and loving every minute, as she learns by observation how to help breastfeeding moms successfully feed their babies.

““I shadow Lori, sit in on every appointment and watch everything she does. I am learning so much and, after I complete my internship, I plan on getting my IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) certification and applying for an accelerated BSN program in 2022. Typically, you have to be an RN to be an IBCLC, but my health science degree from Mitchell allows me to pursue it without being an RN because I already completed the health science classes with my major. Now I will only have to complete lactation education.”

Alana has already been able to draw some connections from Mitchell coursework and abilities.

“I took a scientific writing course and did 12 weeks of research on breastfeeding. A lot of what I learned has been coming up in the office lately, which is rewarding. I am also seeing how many Mitchell Abilities will tie into my future work as an IBCLC. Problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills are all used when coming up with interventions for the mom. Diversity and global perspectives – we have seen same-sex couples, people of color and moms with language barriers. Ethics are also important for maintaining HIPAA rules, privacy and modesty for the moms.”

Alana said consultation appointments last 90 minutes to two hours and involve weighing the baby, doing an oral assessment on the baby and assessing the mother for issues with milk production. After a detailed conversation with the mother, a plan is put into place with the goal of getting the baby fed.

“Every breastfeeding mom has said how challenging breastfeeding is. My favorite part is seeing the sheer happiness on these moms’ faces when they are able to feed their baby and the interventions were successful. Of course, seeing all of the newborns on a daily basis is another favorite part. It’s not work when you love and are very passionate about what you are doing.”

Because of volunteer and visitor restrictions during the pandemic, Alana had a difficult time finding an internship opportunity that aligned with her health science major.

“I was turned down by 15 places before being offered an internship with Oh, Baby!, where I am their first intern. I worked closely with Paul Dunn in Integrative Career Development to find this placement, and I’m so happy because this work is really what I want to be doing!”

A transfer student to Mitchell College, Alana’s biggest challenge was completing enough credits to be able to participate in the 2021 Commencement.

“I transferred to Mitchell in Fall 2020 and had 42 credits remaining to fulfill. It took extreme dedication, but I took a full course load in Fall 2020, Winter MiniMester, Spring 2021 and Spring MiniMester. Satisfying all of those requirements and planning a full-time course load that worked for me as a commuter, while working 25 hours a week at my job, was very challenging, but I did it. My advisor Cheri Ouimet said I was one of her hardest cases yet, but she was amazing and helped me be successful.”

Alana says that there are not many options for commuters to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Southeastern Connecticut, and Mitchell was the perfect fit.

“Mitchell is so welcoming and genuine, and my time there was very rewarding. I was just getting started and now it’s over. I want to go back so badly. I love this community so much!”

Expanding the field of careers.

Jul 17, 2021 | Stories

Senior Brandon Reynolds is having a ball in his summer internship with the Mystic Schooners, a Groton-based collegiate summer baseball team, part of the New England Collegiate Baseball League.

“I have a passion for sports and love being able to watch baseball for free and, of course, see what it takes to run a team. I also enjoy working with people who I never would have met in my life, both volunteers and the team. I am a social person and having those connections matter to me.”

Brandon, in the Business and Leadership core at Mitchell with a concentration in communication, says he does any job that is needed – from running the scoreboard to assisting with gathering video footage for Major League Baseball (MLB) talent scouts. He also draws on many of the abilities he has learned at Mitchell, including critical thinking, communication and technology.

The biggest challenge?

“Sometimes communicating can be a problem. Some people say text me whatever you need, but I don’t get a response. I understand, though, that life is not straightforward. Things come up. Everybody has things going on that people might not know about. If I learned anything living through COVID, it’s learning to be flexible. Being on the autism spectrum, that’s hard for me sometimes. The pandemic showed me that I need to be flexible in being able to adjust to whatever’s coming my way.”

Brandon also understands the foundation for good communication.

“I like to look at my job from all perspectives.”

That means keeping eyes and ears open to what people might be experiencing at the ballfield and then making suggestions based on what he hears.

“The Mystic Schooners game day operations are currently cash only, so visitors to the games are not able to use a credit or debit card to purchase items. I heard a family say that they would buy merchandise but didn’t have any cash to purchase. My solution was talking with the director of marketing to propose having an electronic option. A credit card machine is now in the works.”

A Vermont native who volunteered in the past with the Mountaineers, a collegiate team based in his home state, Brandon said that the players come to play for the Mystic Schooners from many different states, with the goal of getting looked at by scouts to be drafted into the MLB league or because they lost a season of play because of COVID, which also postponed Brandon’s internship from last summer.

“This internship has expanded my idea of what I can do when I graduate. I knew when I came to Mitchell that I was interested in sports communications. I love broadcasting and am the director of sports for Radio Mitchell. But now I’ve learned that I don’t necessarily have to just do broadcasting. I can work for the team in many ways. I know I can do anything if I keep my mind open.”