Colleen Siferd

Dear Prospective St. Mary’s Families,
   
As a parent I found that where you want your child to go and where they want to go may not mesh.  But the decision must ultimately be theirs.  You have to trust your child's judgment/decision.  They are the one who are going to spend the next four years (hopefully) living, learning, and working there. If I have learned anything through all this it is the importance of being happy where you are.  If your child is happy they will succeed academically and socially.

St. Mary's was one of the first colleges my daughter and I visited.  I was impressed by its beauty and vibrancy.  We went on a beautiful spring day.  The sun was shining off the river and students were milling about going from class to class.  I saw happy students engaging and laughing.  A few even shouted from their dorm windows "Come to St. Mary's!"  I was impressed by the warm welcomes we received from the admissions department to the student interviewer.  I left there thinking to myself that I would like to be a student here!  Several college visits later my daughter came to feel the way I did and chose SMCM over other private liberal arts schools.  SMCM has given my daughter a sense of freedom that she hasn't experienced before.  She has been exposed to many new experiences both academically and socially.  She is excelling and loves her professors and classes.  There have been bumps in the road but I think the fact that SMCM offered so many ways to get involved from clubs to sports to volunteering that she was able to find her niche.  Encourage your child to get involved as it makes the transition from home to college smoother and allows them to meet other students and forge friendships that can last a lifetime.

Choosing SMCM was the right decision for my daughter.  She is truly happy there and has made many connections both personally and professionally.  She is involved with sports, clubs, and school publications.  She has received encouragement from her professors and mentors.  She even found time (though I don't know how) to have two jobs that she loves.  She works at the Daily Grind, the coffee shop/grocery store. Through this she has met more people from students, staff and the crew that maintains the college.  Her second job is in admissions as a student counselor. The admissions office has even created a position just for her-yet another opportunity created by SMCM for their students in goal of transitioning them into the world through job creation and training.

I am glad my daughter chose SMCM.  It's a beautiful, serene and caring environment for her.  She's being challenged academically in the same manner as any private liberal arts college.  SMCM is not only the right fit for my daughter, she's the also the right fit for them.

Colleen Siferd
Parent of a student in the Class of 2013
csiferd@comcast.net

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