While at Bellarmine, you could almost always find recent graduate Anderson Reeves playing clarinet, singing and composing original music.
He found lots of ways to get involved at Bellarmine that allowed him to flourish as a musician while developing skills needed for a career in arts administration.
Whether it’s the arts, like Anderson loves, or something completely different, Bellarmine’s small, welcoming campus and numerous supportive groups makes for an environment rich in relationships.
“At Bellarmine, we have such a tight-knit community, it’s so inviting for people to express themselves in whatever way they feel comfortable,” Anderson said.
There are more than 70 student-created and led groups on campus and most students belong to at least one of them.
Bellarmine’s learning communities and
specialty programs also help students get connected and make friends, receive support from faculty and staff, and get involved at Bellarmine and beyond. The Office of Identity and Inclusion, and numerous other student groups, engage the Bellarmine community in identity exploration and social justice.
“Whether you are looking for a community focused on an area of study or your beliefs you can find your place here,” said Helen-Grace Ryan, vice president of Student Affairs.
The university also maintains a 12-1 student ratio, which means classroom connections are also easily made with other students and professors.
“Our professors truly care about your success,” Ryan said. “They know when students are struggling or need answers, and they make themselves available. Whether it’s sticking around after class to work through
a problem or being available after hours, you will get the support you need.”
Robbie Jones, a senior majoring in business and sports administration, experienced that close classroom attention first-hand.
"I was supposed to meet with one of my professors for 40 minutes, but it turned into a two and a half hour conversation about everything in life,” Robbie said. “It’s just awesome to be connected with somebody like
that who wants to know you not just as a student but as a friend."
Paya Yazdanpanah, a recent graduate in biology, found that Bellarmine’s relationships made all the difference when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a rare cancer, his junior year. His professors were instrumental
in supporting him through his treatments and helping him finish his education, so he could graduate on time. His Bellarmine friends rallied around him, too, providing community when he needed it most.
“Bellarmine has been top-notch in caring,” he said. “That’s not an empty platitude. It’s real to me. That’s what I love about this school.”