From the day she moved into Mount Saint Mary College’s Sakac Hall in August of 2019, Kristen Dwight of Newfield, N.J. was looking forward to joining the college’s swim team.
As it turns out, her time as a swimmer at the Mount would help set a standard for success both in the pool and in the classroom.
“The swim team absolutely exceeded my expectations in every way,” Dwight explained. “The amount of bonds and friendships I have made over the past four years will never fade. When looking at it from a student perspective, it really helped me with my time management, and coming up with a good schedule for myself.”
Now just weeks away from graduation, the Business Administration major is planning on attending graduate school in the Fall of 2023 and will also be working as a swim coach as she does so.
Fittingly, some of her most impactful Mount mentors have been Scott Russell, associate professor of Sports Management, and Chris Mance, her swim coach.
Russell “helped me realize the potential I have in the business world,” Dwight explained. “He’s helped me to overcome many obstacles throughout the Business program and he truly cares about every one of his students.”
She added, “I definitely wouldn’t have made it this far without Coach Chris. The amount of faith and encouragement he gave me was unmatched. He’s not only looked at me as an athlete, or student, but also as a person. He’s watched me struggle, and always helped me back up and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Looking back at the last four years, Dwight says there are three things about the Mount that she will miss the most: The community, the stunning views of the Hudson, and her room in the College Courts residence halls.
“These three things have really always been important to me,” she explained. “The second I stepped on campus, I loved the atmosphere and all the people around. Also, nothing is more breathtaking than the view of the Hudson River, especially on a clear, warm day. Last but not least, CC392 has been my home away from home for the past three years, and I couldn’t have asked for a better place to live.”
Her advice to incoming Mount freshman is simple: live your college experience to its fullest.
“Be involved with different things around the college,” Dwight said. “They offer so many opportunities, and most of it is a lot of fun.”