The Belonging Project

Southern students discuss their transition to college

Abigail Ferland

My major
Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in English: Lang, Lit, & Writing and Social Sciences

My hometown
Berlin, CT

My interests/campus involvement
Jumpstart Program, Alpha Sigma Alpha, traveling

Rikee Curtis

My major
STEM - Foundations for Nursing

My hometown
Watertown, CT

My interests/campus involvement
Peer mentor, reading

What I want you to know about me
I am an African American female and I hope to get into the nursing program here at Southern.

Peter Chukwu

My major
Computer Science

My hometown
Hamden, CT

My interests/campus involvement
I love to play indoor and outdoor soccer

What I want you to know about me
I am living life the way I see it and I’m doing my best.

Samuel Martin

My major
Special Education

My hometown
Woodbridge, CT

My interests/campus involvement
Watercolors, vintage furniture, hiking

Camron Brown

My major
Psychology

My hometown
Bridgeport, CT

My interests/campus involvement
I like hanging out with my friends, playing football, and working in the FYE office

What I want you to know about me
Come stop by the FYE office and say hi!

Lionnell Wilson

My major
Communications

My hometown
Bridgeport, CT

My interests/campus involvement
I love music, and I love making videos. When I make my videos I put my all into it. I love using the form of art to make my vision come to fruition.

What I want you to know about me
I am a first-gen, African American male. I want to tell incoming students to not be afraid of change. It is so hard when you try your best and the outcome might not be what you expected, but it is good to practice adaptability under any circumstances. There will be ups and downs, but the most important part is to make sure you never lose hope and always keep your head up. 

Eiruelle Pendon

My major
Healthcare Studies

My hometown
Branford, CT

My interests/campus involvement
Playing guitar and piano, singing, making new friends, and reading.

What I want you to know about me
My pronouns are She/Her, I am Filipino American, born and raised in New Haven CT.

Andrew Keeton

My major
Psychology (Undergraduate), Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Graduate)

My hometown
Bethel, CT

My interests/campus involvement
Sports, student leadership, video games, and bacon, egg, and cheeses.

What I want you to know about me
I am an Asian-American, cisgender man. I was adopted from Saigon, Vietnam

Abdel Ben-Toukour

My major
Communication (Undergraduate), Sports Entertainment (Graduate)

My hometown
Waterbury, CT

My interests/campus involvement
Filming/photography, playing basketball for a men’s league, and listening to music

What I want you to know about me
I am a first-gen student.

Suhanee Patel

My major
Nursing

My hometown
Berlin, CT

What I want you to know about me
I am the President of NSNA (National Student Nurses Association), a sister of Delta Phi Epsilon, I am an Indian American student, and I am an Orientation Ambassador

Ariane Cloutier

My major
English Secondary Education (Undergraduate) English (Graduate)

My hometown
Danbury, CT

My interests/campus involvement
Working out, cooking, and going on local adventures

What I want you to know about me
I am currently working on my Master’s thesis on Emily Dickinson’s Fascicle 25 and I am a teaching assistant (TA) in a British Literature I class.

Britny Gildersleeve

My major
Communication Disorders

My hometown
North Branford, CT

What I want you to know about me
I am the class president for class of 2024 as well as an orientation ambassador and a first-generation college student.

Za’haun Simpson

My major
Exercise Science

My hometown
Vernon, CT

My interests/campus involvement
I am a part of club lacrosse and football. I also enjoy working out.

Spencer Lane

My major
Communication with a concentration in Film, TV, and Digital Production 

My hometown
Derby, CT 

My interests/campus involvement
I enjoy video games and watching TV, also I participate in SCSU TV.

Daniel Ybanez

My major
Nursing

My hometown
West Haven, CT

My interests/campus involvement
Band (saxophone), volunteering, going to the gym

What I want you to know about me
I am a Filipino-American male who wants to pursue a masters and maybe doctorate. I also want to go into leadership management because I love participating in extracurriculars. I am in bronze/silver leadership program, a peer mentor, and a part of the college of health and human services.

Araya Munoz

My major
Healthcare Studies with a minor in Psychology

My hometown
New London, CT 

What I want you to know about me
I am a first-generation student. My goal is to become a pediatric pharmacist.

Ange Bamureke

My major
Healthcare Studies with a concentration in Nursing

My hometown
Colchester, CT

My interests/campus involvement
Peer mentoring

What I want you to know about me
A tip, don’t be afraid, you deserve to be here and you belong here.

Brianna Forbes

My major
Psychology

My hometown
Naugatuck, CT

My interests/campus involvement
Choir, art, documentaries, writing

What I want you to know about me
I want to specialize in financial trauma.

Autumn Smith

My major
Environmental Systems and Sustainability with a concentration in Marine and Coastal systems and an honors minor

My hometown
Monroe, CT

My interests/campus involvement
SCSU Women’s rugby and peer mentoring

What I want you to know about me
I work at the Werth Center at Southern. Also, I am in the Honors College, and a female in STEM.

Niera West

My major
Psychology

My hometown
Hamden, CT

My interests/campus involvement
Reading, listening to music, a member of the Black student union, and anime club

What I want you to know about me
I am a Black female who is pursuing pre-med for psychiatry.

Riyanna Singleton

My major
Psychology

My hometown
West Milford, NJ

My interests/campus involvement
Poetry and anime. I am in the Black student union and the anime society.

What I want you to know about me
I am a first gen Nicaraguan/African American woman and the first to go to college.

Ben Martin

My major
Journalism

My hometown
Woodbridge, CT

My interests
Ultimate frisbee, hiking, camping

What I want you to know about me
I have a learning disability and am a student in the Honors College.

Gian Melendez

My major
Theatre

My hometown
New Haven, CT

My interests
Theatre, acting, and dance. I love hanging out with friends and family. I love listening to music and going on walks.

What I want you to know about me
I am a first-generation student.