Bryant University’s 24/7 learning environment offers a wide variety of cocurricular experiences help students discover their passion and enhances their personal and professional growth. The University’s student organizations are a great way for students to have fun and make lifelong connections. They also help students develop confidence, interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities.

Bryant offers more than 100 student-run clubs and organizations, including performing arts groups, professional development organizations, club sports teams, and affinity clubs united by a common interest—and more are being added all the time. The University’s Involvement Fair introduces students to all of the cocurricular options open to them. 

“Our goal is make available everything the University’s students could need for their student life experience in one event,” says Nicole Rigby, Senior Assistant Director of Bryant’s Center for Student Leadership and Inclusion (CSLI). “We try to make sure the organizations we offer reflect student interest and we’re always adding new organizations every year.”

The Org Fair, she says, not only helps students pursue the things they love, it also helps them discover new passions as well. “We always encourage students: ‘Try one thing you know you’ll like and one thing you’re not sure of yet in so you can expand your horizons,’” Rigby says. 

Making connections
When a group of like-minded students comes together, there’s no limit to what they can accomplish—or how much fun they can have, notes Ashley Siravo ’24, a member of Bryant’s award-winning co-ed a cappella group The Bottom Line. Siravo met a number of her best friends through the club, she says, and they’re all united by doing something they love. “There's so many great opportunities for everyone at Bryant—from club sports to singing and dancing,” she points out. “There’s at least one club that’s perfect for every student on campus.”

“Bryant’s clubs help students develop their interpersonal and leadership skills, outside their academic setting, as well as gain experience managing budgets, planning events and handling important logistics."

Bryant’s student organizations provide an important support network, says Cianni Thomas ’24, Treasurer for Bryant’s Multicultural Student Union “It's about having a community that you can always go to when you need to,” she states. 

“Events like the Org fair are really important for students because they help you to find your best fit as a person,” agrees Thomas’s friend Vaishnavi Velagapudi ’24, President of the MSU. “I first got involved with the MSU because it was a whole community of people I wanted to know more about. And when I joined, I never wanted to leave.”

Learning and Development
“Bryant’s clubs help students develop their interpersonal and leadership skills, outside their academic setting, as well as gain experience managing budgets, planning events and handling important logistics,” notes Brittany Murtaugh, Bryant’s Senior Assistant Director of Student Leadership and Involvement. “It also helps them pursue their passions in their own way, which will prepare them for their careers in that area and help them to shine.”

Groups like the Pre-Law Society and the Bryant Management Association aid students in preparing for their careers through professional development groups and networking opportunities. They also give them a venue to apply course concepts to a wide range of student life opportunities that get them ready for the real world.

Bryant’s Chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization offers programming that helps students embrace their entrepreneurial spirit and hone the tools that will aid them in bringing their big ideas to life. “We want to provide our members with enjoyable opportunities to work together as well as opportunities that will help them prepare for success,” says John Bocuzzi III ’25. Through CEO, Bocuzzi will be helping to organize the Bryant University Northeast Entrepreneurship Conference, the largest student-run entrepreneurship conference in the region. It’s an opportunity he’s excited for, and one that will provide him with a wealth of real-world experience.

“It helps you gain experience with projects similar to similar to what you would see in the real-world—and it definitely has real world implications.”

Taryn Walsh ’23, the Treasurer for Bryant’s Smart Women in Finance (SWIF) organization, which helps female students establish themselves in the investment world, sees her involvement with (SWIF) as a natural extension of her Bryant education. “It helps translate the concepts we're learning into real world situations,” she says. “And it gives you a source of inspiration because you're meeting people in your field who have accomplished so much using what they’ve learned. It's really nice to have a student-run group on campus that makes that possible.”

Immersing yourself in your future
Bryant’s student organizations can also be important steppingstones to bright futures. Andrew Leblanc ’23 is the President of Bryant University’s Think Tank, a group of Bryant Data Science and Applied Analytics students who conduct research and analysis to help the University’s DI sports teams make data-driven decisions. “A group like the Think Tank lets you take the things you learn about in the classroom and tailor them directly to your interests,” he explains. 

“It helps you gain experience with projects similar to similar to what you would see in the real-world—and it definitely has real world implications,” Leblanc notes. “We’ve seen Bryant students get jobs with professional NFL teams through getting involved with the Think Tank and really putting themselves out there.”