As many members of the admissions staff write their biggest answer to “Why Holy Cross,” it just so happened two Associate Directors of Admissions — Andrew Carter and Lynn Verrecchia — separately chose topics that blend quite well together: the general personality and affect of the student body.
Recently at a college fair, I was asked a most intriguing question by a current high school junior – “What’s your favorite thing about Holy Cross students?”
This is a great question – a departure from the usual questions about average GPA’s, average class size and overall student enrollment.
After a brief moment of thought, my answer was simple – Holy Cross students say “thank you.”
And it’s not just that they say “thank you,” but that they have a reason to say “thank you.”
This is a campus that values door holding. And not just door holding for the delivery man carrying a stack of boxes – but door holding for anyone, any time.
The Jesuit principle of “Cura Personalis” encourages all of us to consider and to care for the entire person and while that influences the way we teach and learn and think about our world, it also reminds us that we are not alone – we are not alone in this world, in this moment or in this doorway.
And that is what I’m reminded of every day when I walk around this campus – Holy Cross students know they are not alone and while there might now always be someone to hold the door for, they always pause and check.
And for that pause, that awareness, I say, “thank you.”
Andrew Carter
Associate Director of Admissions
Why HC? For the smiles.
When I first visited Holy Cross as a prospective student, one thing stood out to me. Everyone was smiling–at one another, to themselves, and at me. I as looking for a sign that this was the right place for me. What I read in those smiles was that HC students like one another, are content with themselves, and are eager to welcome newcomers.
As a student, I certainly found myself smiling–and being smiled at–a lot. As an alumnus, I find myself grinning on the highway when in traffic behind a car sporting a Holy Cross sticker and in line at the grocery store behind someone wearing a Holy Cross sweatshirt. I’ve made fast friends with other parents simply because of a shared affinity for our alma mater. Nothing brings a smile to my face faster than hearing my 3-year-old carefully spell out H-O-L-Y-C-R-O-S-S!
Holy Cross–it can even make you smile in traffic. That’s why.
Lynn Verrecchia ’01
Associate Director of Admissions
