Accounting Association, and there’ll be all sorts of career options.” She also took advantage of the Rubel School Summer Scholarship Program, which allows incoming freshmen to jumpstart their college careers by taking two free summer classes. “One of them is required to be Accounting 101. The second one you can choose, and I’m in psychology starting next week,” she said. “I’m meeting some other incoming accounting majors and it’s going to be a very close group, and I really like the teacher, Keith Richardson, and I’m hoping psych will go well and... I’m excited!” With her college choice made and her major decided, it was time for the work to begin. By July, it had begun in earnest. “I’ve been studying like crazy,” she said. “When I’m not studying, I’m working at Papa Murphy’s Pizza. Just yesterday I took an hour-and-a-half timed accounting test, then went back for an intense study session over the next three chapters that we’re going to be quizzed on Monday.” Sound like a busy summer? “It’s completely worth it,” she said. She was also looking forward to moving onto campus, a move made possible by the new Beeny Residence Life Scholarship. Endowed this year by Claudia and Richard Beeny, it provides full room and board for a freshman who agrees to become involved in student government. The Beenys’ idea is that living on campus and being involved helps students become leaders. “I wasn’t planning on living on campus, but the scholarship has given me this opportunity and I’m really excited,” Ms. Badgett said. “I’ve seen from just the past couple of weeks of being in class, going back and forth and doing all the study sessions, it’s crazy. But I’ll be living in Siena Quarto. I’ve already met my roommate and I think we’ll really get along.” Building such camaraderie among incoming freshmen is another unexpected piece of the admission puzzle. Last year, Bellarmine started a social media campaign called “Bellarmine Bound” to give the Class of 2017 a way to start communicating with each other via Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram and other networks. The Bellarmine Bound program included a free T-shirt and instructions to connect via the Twitter hashtag #BellarmineBound. Excited class members took to the tag in droves, posting “selfies” wearing their Bellarmine Bound shirts. The Class of 2017 Facebook page also offered a way for students to meet each other early. “Bellarmine Bound is fun,” said Ms. Badgett. “It’s a good way to reach out to people. I really enjoy seeing all the T-shirts that pop up in the Bellarmine Class of 2017 page, and it’s been a really nice convenience. We haven’t even started our freshman year but we’re already being drawn all together. … There are people from Canada, people from Arizona who are chipping in to say they’re Bellarmine Bound as well. It’s fantastic! Using technology to bring people together, to bring them closer, who normally wouldn’t be able to connect – it’s very interesting to see.” Because Ms. Badgett decided on the school early and qualified for a lot of financial aid, her journey to Bellarmine was relatively painless. Many students struggle with tough academic, financial, social and personal decisions before making the final call. But judging by the Bellarmine Bound posts, one thing hasn’t changed since the ’50s: Incoming freshmen are very excited about starting college. fall 2013 31 #BELLARMINEBOUND
Bellarmine Magazine_Fall2013_Web
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