Senior Aicha Santos, who is majoring in criminal justice with a minor in psychology, described herself as “the biggest cry baby” when she took a public speaking class at Mitchell College.

“I cried four times,” she said. “But my professor was tough and she pushed and said, ‘Get up there and be proud of yourself.’ You had to talk about yourself in the class and that’s something I had a hard time doing.”

Today, Aicha is happy to share her story of how much she’s grown at Mitchell College.

“I want to talk about my life now – my transition – which is more important than my struggles.”

Aicha came to Mitchell College as a non-traditional student, having taken some classes at a community college several years ago when her son, now in high school, was a young child.

“It was very difficult and stressful. My son was 5. I had no support, and I failed. But I kept hearing about Mitchell College’s criminal justice program, and I wanted to come here.”

Years passed, and Aicha decided to give Mitchell a try.

“I was embarrassed to apply here. My grades were not that good, and I was afraid I wasn’t qualified. But I talked to [Director of Admissions] , and he never focused on the negative. None of the classes that I did badly in were mentioned. I felt like I was given a second chance. That moment, those seconds, those minutes that I spent in the Admissions office just changed my life.”

Aicha, who came from Puerto Rico to work at Mohegan Sun 21 years ago, works nights and thought she couldn’t juggle full-time classes with work.

“But challenged me. Because of my age, he was realistic with me about what my future was going to look like if I didn’t go full-time. It took me a day to decide, and I said I would do it. The first year was hard, but he kept checking up on me. With the academic support here, I was able to succeed.”

With her newfound confidence, Aicha is setting and accomplishing goals for herself, with an eye towards the future. She recently completed an internship with the State’s Attorney’s Office in New London, where she shadowed several positions, including a bail bondsman, prosecutor and a victim advocacy group. She also had the opportunity to meet three superior court judges, including one who allowed her to go into his chambers and observe a civil case.

“My internship supervisor was open to me learning about any opportunity. Through this process I found that my interest lies with juvenile probation. After a day of working there, I knew it was for me. Even though I completed my internship hours, I can continue to volunteer in that unit until I graduate in 2023. That will make it easier to transition into a job with the State of Connecticut when I am ready to apply.”

Aicha said that her internship helped her focus on her career path.

“Without the internship, I wouldn’t have found what my passion is. I learned that I can advocate for minors and make a difference in their life. During college, we’re taught about our field, but the internship helps put you into your spot. I learned that I can do a lot of things that I never thought possible.”

Aicha is also making other plans to invest in her future.

“I am going to take the LSAT exam this summer, with the goal of being accepted at the University of Connecticut School of Law to pursue a Juris Doctor (JD) degree and passing the bar exam in three years of my Mitchell graduation.”

Aicha is grateful for the opportunities that Mitchell has given her and wishes that others who are in the same shoes she was in could do the same.

“I see single moms at work who are so lost and have no support and don’t know what they are doing. Everyone has a different story. It’s been a long journey for me, but a good journey. If I can do it, thousands more can. They just need to be heard, like I was.”

“Not only has Mitchell been a good school for me, but it’s challenged me to the point that I feel so confident. I feel like I transitioned to an educated person, and I am happy that I did that. Very happy.”

Mitchell College students in Professor Diane Barcelo’s “Naturalist Journal” class recently spent time at Alewife Cove with members of the Alewife Conservancy, who talked about the cove’s history and importance, as well as the need for dredging to maintain the health of the ecosystem there.

With so many beautiful and interesting natural environments located right in Mitchell’s backyard, the class has had the opportunity to visit several other New London area destinations:

• Connecticut College Arboretum
• Lyman Allyn Museum and grounds
• Waterford Beach
• Ocean Beach
• Mitchell Beach
• Mitchell Woods

Professor Barcelo said her focus for the class is on connecting to the natural environment through observation by drawing, writing and poetry readings and discussion.

In addition to those from the Alewife Conservancy, guest speakers have included professionals from different fields. A biological illustrator from the Smithsonian Institution talked about her career in science and art. A scientist from Save the Sound discussed invasive species in the marshland and explained their effects on the health of native flora and fauna, water rise, and the future of coastal wetlands and communities. Mitchell adjunct professor Peggy Morgenstern talked about invasive plant life at Mitchell Beach and efforts to remediate the problem.

The semester culminates with independent projects that require the students to reflect on their experiences over the duration of the course.

It was all hands on deck during Dev Surprenant’s internship at the Mystic Aquarium. Just two days into working there, he had the opportunity to assist with and learn about “backwash,” the process of changing water in the huge tanks that are home to the marine life.

A senior environmental studies major who started at Mitchell in the Thames program and was drawn to the college for its accessibility services, Dev worked in his top-choice area at the aquarium — the Fish and Invertebrates department — during his 200-hour internship.

“I worked with the sting rays and sea turtles and several other animals, groupers and sharks. I am more familiar with them than with the belugas, sea lions and penguins that are also at the aquarium,” he said.

“My favorite part of my internship was getting to learn about the animals, their behavioral aspects and water quality. I was able to apply some of what I learned in math and chemistry classes. It was also interesting for me to learn about the job of an aquarist, who handles the animals and does what needs to be done to keep them healthy.”

Dev said that the work done at his internship varied and piqued his interest for possibly pursuing work in an aquarium after graduation.

“First it was a lot of learning, knowing what to do when and where and what was okay to touch. After the first month, I was trusted enough to do things on my own. My job was to help with the overall goal of making the aquarium run as efficiently as possible without sacrificing manpower.”

The most common thing that Dev did was clean the algae off of the inside of the tanks, but he also had the opportunity to feed the animals, including his favorite, the sting rays.

What else did he learn?

“I watched and did target feeds on a bunch of different animals, and I bonded a lot with some of them. The challenge of my internship was learning many things very quickly, but it helped with the understanding to put my hands on something and figure out how to apply it. I was able to understand how something works by looking at it instead of seeing a diagram.”