A Warm Welcome for Incoming Freshmen and Parents

By Evan Cash Rosen

At a recent Purchase Financial Scholarship event at Broadview, incoming freshmen were given the opportunity to connect with heads of departments, as well as some Broadview residents.

Beatriz Martin-Ruiz, associate director of admissions, says, “Something that Milly Peña believes in is that there is great value in intergenerational learning.”

Scholarship recipients Veronica Arrow’king, Marcus Owens, Lucia Marino and Eva Kuliyeva at the Broadview Learning Commons. (Photo by Evan Cash Rosen)

When students entered the Broadview event space, they were given their scholarship, a commemorative water bottle, and stickers to encourage and support their future academic career here. After a presentation from President Milly Peña on the qualities that make Purchase unique and the opportunities students have, they networked with Purchase staff and Broadview residents.

Julia Shock, a Broadview resident, says she hopes that if there is one thing students realize after the event, it is the opportunities and connections at their fingertips. Shock says, “Students at Purchase have a lot of opportunities to learn from our older folks, and Broadview has a lot of people who have accomplished a significant amount in their field like medicine and law.”

Jordan Prusinowski, an admissions counselor, says the partnership with Broadview helps with Purchase funding. Prusinowski says, “A lot of the Broadview money is getting turned into additional scholarships for incoming students.” With the price of college becoming more expensive by the year, the Broadview partnership benefits both the residents and students.

Asher Rossetti, an incoming psychology major, says that being able to talk to Purchase faculty and staff at the event helped ease some of the anxiety she had about transitioning from high school to college. Rossetti said, “I’ve always been nervous in general, but having the ability to talk to the staff who work here and speak with other incoming freshmen helped.”

The jump from high school to college can be daunting for students, with many parents having concerns for their children. The event gave incoming freshmen the opportunity to speak to heads of various departments at Purchase, including Julian Osorio, who is the theater and design program coordinator. Osorio said, “I hope what they take is that they have a lot of support here. Not just from faculty or staff, but from this community.”

Students and residents at Broadview talk in the Broadview Learning Commons. (Photo by Evan Cash Rosen)

Victoria Woisin, director of Student Financial Services, says she hopes students and parents realize they are not alone and that the college offers support to navigate the financial process of college. “Purchase has a lot to offer from a financial aid perspective and a student financial services perspective. State schools are a real good option for students who do not want to accumulate a lot of debt.”

At the event, students also learned about Broadview’s mentor program and the opportunities available to connect with the residents. Martin-Ruiz says, “They’re very eager to meet our students and to support them in any way that they can. They’re excitable and just really wonderful humans; I think that adds an element that doesn’t really exist anywhere else.”

Aviva Taubenfeld, associate professor of literature and writing and the director of the School of Humanities, says, “[There are Broadview residents] who are retired doctors advising pre-med students, actors who are advising actors…the staff can’t provide that. Most of us don’t have the personal connections. We’re having people who have lived lives and had successful career years being able to interact and give to our students.”

After being asked what she thought about Purchase College after the event, Veronica Arrow’king, an incoming visual arts major, said, “This campus is beautiful. I’ve taken tours, but this event has made me really excited.”