Rivier University’s Class of 2025 connects on campus

Start strong, finish stronger. Rivier University set the stage for incoming students’ success with a series of on-campus orientation sessions. Hundreds of first-year and transfer students gathered on campus in Nashua, New Hampshire, over the past few weeks to meet with advisors, staff, current students, and their new classmates. The Class of 2025 is anticipated to be one of the largest in Rivier’s history.

“We are grateful that so many students and families have said ‘Yes’ to Rivier this year. The energy of the Class of 2025, renovated Nursing and Business facilities, and the launch of our men’s and women’s ice hockey programs promise to make 2021-22 a banner year for our community,” says Paul Brower, Vice President for Enrollment Management.

Five waves of Rivier University’s Class of 2025 students took part in on-campus Orientation activities, and an online session was held for those students unable to make the trip to campus. Parent Orientation was conducted remotely.

Activities helped students connect with their future roommates, teammates, and friends. Additionally, students met with faculty, academic advisors, and student life staff to focus on preparing for a successful fall semester. In a RIVNET 101 class, students established their necessary online accounts and explored the platforms and tools available to them. Other presentations offered insight on navigating college academic life and helped set first-year expectations.

Some incoming students have longstanding connections to Rivier, like Mickailey Walsh from Berlin, New Hampshire, whose mother and Godmother attended Rivier. Unsure if she wanted to attend her mother’s alma mater, she was convinced after her initial visit. “The outreach has been so nice, and the community is just awesome,” said Walsh. “When I walked onto campus, I knew it was home.” Accepted into Rivier’s Nursing program, she will also play Raiders’ field hockey and be a member of the inaugural women’s ice hockey team.

Other students were drawn to Rivier based solely on their admissions experience. Being able to tour the campus during the pandemic was a big plus for B.J. Jenkins from Newport, Rhode Island. Jenkins plans to major in Sport Management and to play on the men’s basketball team. While he was recruited by other programs as well, “Riv was the only school that I got to see in person,” said Jenkins. Touring campus and meeting with admissions and athletics staff made the difference. “I got that feeling that Riv would be a good home for me.”

Taking place during a record heatwave, the Orientation program was a blazing success. “These students have been waiting for this moment—their first on-campus experience—for a year-and-a-half, and they are soaking it up,” shared Kurt Stimeling, Vice President for Student Affairs. “A new place, new people, and new opportunities—it all starts today for them at Rivier.”

The University is still accepting applications for the fall 2021 semester. Interested students are invited to apply at apply.rivier.edu and to schedule a campus tour at events.rivier.edu. Rivier offers more than 70 programs from the associate to doctoral degree level in business, nursing, public health, biology, biotechnology, education, computer science, cybersecurity management, and a variety of other in-demand fields.