Emma Quinn, Junior

Hospitality & Tourism

Junior Emma Quinn points to her election as the first female president of Thames at Mitchell College Student Government Association as a defining moment in her transition to a confident student leader. The process included a campaign, a debate and an acceptance speech.

“I would never have done that in high school. It was the start of changing, of saying I can hold on to this big responsibility – that I can do it because of the support I received.”

Thames at Mitchell College is a holistic college transition program on the campus of Mitchell College for students with learning differences or students who would benefit from additional preparation to succeed in college, offering a highly individualized learning environment and supportive, safe and strong social network.

Emma’s smooth transition continued, from Thames student to Mitchell student.

“Nothing surprised me about being at Mitchell College, coming from Thames at Mitchell. I was already immersed in the community, so it wasn’t that much of a change for me. Being involved in the clubs at Mitchell while I was at Thames meant that I was able to meet people, so coming to Mitchell wasn’t a huge shock.”

The Hospitality and Tourism major from Boston, Mass. – who also manages the Mitchell women’s soccer and lacrosse teams and is a student ambassador – credits the Bentsen Learning Center (BLC) with her success, too.

“There weren’t any surprises with the help of the BLC. They’ve been a great support network for me. Reading is not my strongest, so my BLC specialist has been able to break down concepts so I understand what the teacher is asking me to do for an assignment and chapter readings.”

She also counts other learned skills among the factors in her progress.

“I’ve learned how to advocate for myself and not just rely on my BLC specialist. I take the initiative if I’m having a hard time to go to my professor, instead of having to get the nudge from people saying, ‘You might want to go talk to your teacher.’ I also use the organizational skills I’ve learned, like using my planner and my audio note taker in classes.”

Emma’s confidence goes back to the year she spent at Thames at Mitchell. Given the chance, she would go back to her high school to share her success and talk about the program…

“I would say, ‘Back when I was here, guys, I didn’t feel as confident, but now I am.’ Thames at Mitchell is full of students who have unique minds, but it is very individualized with the amount of support that advisors give. It is one-on-one support. It is teaching the skills that you definitely need. Even though it will take longer, why would you pass up on a once-in-a-lifetime chance to build on your academics and be more successful in your life?”

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