Elms College to Present Experiential Learning Showcase on April 26

CHICOPEE — Students at Elms College are nearing the conclusion of the spring 2024 semester and are making a difference throughout the region.

“At Elms, we strive to provide every student with at least one high-impact experiential learning opportunity during their college career,” said Jennifer Granger Sullivan, director of the Dolores Donlin Noonan ’39 Experiential Learning Program. “We want our students to be cognizant of their community and ready to step into their careers, and experiential learning is a way to make that happen.”

Elms College will highlight all of the experiential learning opportunities over the past year at the annual Experiential Learning Showcase on Friday, April 26 starting at 9:30 a.m. on the Keating Quadrangle.

Elms is the only college in the area that has as a stated goal of providing every student at least one high-impact experiential learning opportunity during their tenure.

Indeed, experiential learning is one of the five pillars of the college’s 2020-24 strategic plan. Elms offers its students several options to learn outside the classroom, including internships, research projects, mission trips, service-learning experiences, study abroad, and course-based, community-engaged learning opportunities. Central to the mission and core values, the goal is for an Elms graduate to be career-ready and community-minded.

Two examples of how Elms students have made a difference are ArihJey Villion-Nahue ’25, a criminal justice and psychology double major, and Adam Rochette ’24, a social work and sociology double major.

Villion-Nahue completed her internship at the Community Justice Support Center in Springfield. Her work included observing group sessions, part of cognitive behavioral therapy, and participating in assessments that help determine how much time clients need to spend within the program based on feeling remorseful for their crimes or recognizing that crime is bad.

Rochette completed his internship with state Rep. Shirley Arriaga. He worked in Arriaga’s constituent services department, meeting with members of the community, listening to their personal needs, and calling agencies to advocate on their behalf.

Several other organizations offered Elms students experiential learning opportunities throughout the academic year, including Baystate Medical Center, Pioneer Valley Life Sciences, Polish Center of Discovery and Learning, the Springfield Thunderbirds, and Hartford Healthcare, to name a few.