When Mary Hall was in high school, attending college in California was a dream. But the idea of being 2,600 miles away from her home in Rochester, NY was intimidating. Little did Hall know that becoming a student at St. Joseph’s University, New York (SJNY) would give her a second chance to fulfill that dream.
Hall, a junior pursuing a degree in hospitality and tourism management on SJNY’s Brooklyn Campus, studied at Mount Saint Mary’s University (MSMU) last fall through the Association of Colleges of Sisters of St. Joseph (ACSSJ) Student Exchange program.
The ACSSJ program is open to undergraduate students at member campuses—including St. Joe’s—who have completed at least 24 semester hours and meet certain GPA requirements. Students pay tuition and room and board to their home campus while studying at their host school. Each of the eight colleges in the ACSSJ program agree to host up to ten students per semester.
“As soon as I heard about the program, I knew I wanted to participate in it and I started taking the steps to do so,” said Hall. “I had always wanted to go to California for college, but committing to being so far from home for four years made me hesitant. Being able to experience college far away for one or two semesters was the perfect solution for me, and the best decision I’ve made at St. Joe’s.”
Hall said her experience living away from home as a freshman and sophomore in Brooklyn made it easier to live even farther away in California during her junior year—but it still required some adjustment.
“To be honest, the early days were a little difficult,” said Hall. “I definitely missed home and my St. Joseph’s friends a lot in the beginning.”
But Hall was soon acclimated.
“After I was comfortable with my schedule and classes at MSMU, and as I met more students, I began to love it more than I could have imagined,” she said. “The more I got to know the area of Los Angeles, the shuttle schedule and the importance of participating in events, I became obsessed with the atmosphere and school culture.”
In particular, Hall loved MSMU’s Chalon campus, which is located at the top of Santa Monica Mountain. It overlooks both the city of Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean.
Hall was enrolled in many electives while at MSMU, including Cell Phone Cinema, Entrepreneurship and American Government/Politics classes.
Her favorite course was Women in Hollywood, taught by Nicole Haggard, Ph.D.
“That class gave me the chance to go to a few very cool events and meet actresses/activists such as Miranda Cosgrove and Geena Davis,” Hall shared.
What did she miss the most about the Brooklyn Campus? Public transportation.
“I made friends with a few people who happened to have cars on campus and that gave me really cool opportunities to explore outside of LA, such as day trips to Laguna Beach and San Diego,” Hall said.
Before heading to the West Coast through the ACSSJ exchange program, Hall played two seasons on SJNY’s women’s soccer team. She was a midfielder and forward for the Bears.
According to the NCAA, one quarter of Division III student-athletes will study abroad during their collegiate career.
“I felt very supported by my team and coaches to participate in the program. I would recommend to student athletes to participate in the program during their off season of their sport,” Hall said.
In fact, Hall urges all students to explore and take advantage of study away programs.
“There aren’t always going to be opportunities to live in another new, exciting place, so I would say to take advantage of it now—and if anything, you will learn something about yourself or the new area you lived in,” said Hall. “I was truly changed by this experience, which I have found to be a common feeling among others who have participated in the program.”
