Western New England University ushered in a new academic year by welcoming the largest number of first year students in the institution’s history.
More than 900 freshman and transfer students are expected on the first day of classes Monday, August 27. Many of them arrived on campus Friday, moving into residence halls, meeting with peer advisors, and attending the traditional year-opening Fall Convocation with the faculty.
Incoming students hail from 372 public and private high schools spanning 20 states and 16 foreign countries.
"This is a campus, as you will quickly learn, that welcomes, supports, and embraces all students regardless of differences in appearance, manner, ideas, culture, ethnic heritage, sexual orientation, or personal belief," President Anthony S. Caprio told students in his Convocation address.
Along with being the largest incoming class, Caprio noted that it is also the most academically impressive group, with diverse experiences and the highest average SAT scores in the University’s history. Many of the newest students are already part of the Golden Bear family, as 23 have a parent who graduated from Western New England, 15 have a sibling, and 135 have grandparent, aunt, uncle, or cousin who earned a degree.
Whether they are first-generation Western New England students or not, incoming students arrive at an auspicious time in the history of the University, which started out in 1919 as a branch of what was then Boston’s Northeastern College.
"There have been many adventuresome pioneers in the history of this great institution, and you are the newest pioneers, all of you here today," said Caprio. "We all share the responsibility to shape our new destiny, especially as we embark upon our Centennial Celebration in the calendar year 2019."
