Move-in day for Bryant’s Class of 2030 was filled with a little sweat, a few bittersweet tears — and a whole lot of excitement and smiles.
On a sunny and slightly humid late August morning, activity began buzzing early as first-year students and their families arrived to move everything from boxes of clothing and TVs to golf clubs and guitars into dorm rooms and suites.
“I've been weepy on and off since I saw the Bryant University sign pulling into campus,” said Sandy Alves-Rodrigues of Monroe, Connecticut, who had just arrived with her husband, Armando, to move in their youngest son, Nicholas. “At least he's only two and a half hours from home," she added while drying her eyes.
Nicholas, a Finance major, described move-in day as "a little nerve wracking, but I think I'm going to do a good job here."
"I just want to make my family proud," he added. "Bryant has one of the best business schools, with a top 1% ROI, so I think it will really help me in my career. I can tell that this community is tight knit. My dorm room is nice, and I can't wait to make some memories in it."
Sharing the burden of lugging and towing student belongings from parking lot to stairwell to suites was an enthusiastic squad of Bryant volunteers — some sophomores who made an identical move just a year ago and other students who will serve as resident assistants for the new arrivals.
"I feel very happy for the new students, because this is an exciting moment in their life," said sophomore Amanda Maldonado-Casalduc '29, an Accounting major who also works as a RA on campus and spent move-in day directing traffic.
Another student volunteer and RA, Finance major Jaden Jean '27, paused after hauling a heavy box to the fourth floor of Barrington House. "I'm here to help people out, make sure that they've got the things they need to become successful. Part of that is step one right here: moving into the dorm."
Kristin Harris spotted Bryant University President Ross Gittell, Ph.D., in the Warren House parking lot and gave him a warm hug. The two became friends when her daughter, Catherine '24, a Politics and Law major, attended Bryant.
"Our daughter had such an amazing experience here: the academics, the networking, the connections she made," said Harris. "So, when our son Nick '30 got accepted, we were over-the-moon thrilled."
A former Student Government vice president who is now attending Northeastern University School of Law, Catherine — who met her fiancée, Andrew Hinckley '23 at Bryant — was equally delighted. "There's a picture of Nick and I from my graduation day that he photobombed, and I remember that day thinking it would be so fun if he came here in two years," she said. "I really think it will be a great fit for him."
For Nick, running a automobile detailing company in high school gave him a taste of entrepreneurship that he'd like to continue at Bryant. "I'm majoring in Management because I'm interested in starting my own company," he explained.
Kevin McCormick's job on move-in day included watching the family dog, Alyeska, who made the trip down from Northborough, Massachusetts, to provide emotional support for him, his wife, Kara, and incoming first-year student Meghan '30. "I'm the mover and the dog handler," he said. "I'm good at getting things from point A to point B and then relaxing."
A high school football star who arrived on campus with his pigskin and golf clubs in tow, Ryan Ceylan '30 of Bridgewater, Connecticut, said Bryant's small-school atmosphere and community were the university's biggest selling points for him. "To know a bunch of people on campus, to know your professors — that's all I can ask for," said the incoming Finance major.
It's said that some people are born to be Bulldogs, but it's truer for Cam Pelletier '30 than most.
"My husband, Chris '08MBA, was in class at Bryant when I went into labor," recalled Cam's mother, Pam. "I called him and said I'm going down to the hospital, this is it, this is real. And he was like 'okay,' and then finished his class before he came home."
"True story," affirmed Chris between moving runs.
"When they say Bryant is your blood, it started early for us," said Pam.
Eighteen years later, in another happy twist of fate, Cam found himself moving into Barrington House with Ian Kane '30, his best friend since fourth grade. "We didn't get to pick our roommates, it just happened that way," said Cam.
While Kane is seeking a degree in Finance, it was Bryant's new major in Applied AI that sealed the deal for Cam. "I had a couple of schools in mind, and when I was talking to my friends about Bryant I was like, 'I don't know, I don't know.' And then when they announced the undergrad AI major, I was like, 'That looks really cool,'" he said.