The first cohort of students to graduate from Fairfield University’s Bellarmine Campus has been studying at the North Benson campus for a little over a month now and things are going well, students say.
On May 15, 2025, the inaugural class at Fairfield Bellarmine held its commencement ceremony at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, celebrating the completion of their two-year associate’s degrees. Following their graduation, they were given the opportunity to continue their studies here, at North Benson Road.
Despite some discourse regarding housing arrangements and opportunities, the transition has been relatively smooth. When the students were introduced to the idea of continuing their studies at North Benson, they were told that only 15 students would be able to live on campus based on the conditions set by the Bellarmine administration.
The housing applications were need-based, but some students were frustrated because students who were involved on campus and had high GPAs were not at the top of that list. The students who came from Bellarmine are thriving socially and academically, and they are enjoying all that Fairfield University campus has to offer.
When responding to questions about their progress a month into the academic year, the students who came from the Bellarmine Campus were asked to share their greatest accomplishment in their educational journey at Fairfield University, thus far.
Junior Scarllet Lopez, who majored in Health Studies/Nursing at Fairfield Bellarmine, shared her struggles with her Anatomy class and her eventual rise to the Dean’s List. She credits her hard work and dedication for her success, saying that earning a 90% on her Anatomy final “brought [her] to tears because it showed how much [she’d] grown and how determined [she] was to succeed.”
Jaheim McKie, an Accounting major at Fairfield Bellarmine and recipient of the St. Oscar Romero student achievement award, reports he has been able to keep everything balanced during his first month, acknowledging the gravity of this change and putting one foot in front of the other. “Being able to adjust, stay motivated and continue improving academically and socially has been something I’m really proud of,” McKie says. He has been excelling socially as well as academically. The environment is new, the people are friendly, and “[e]ach day feels like an opportunity to grow and discover more about [him]self.”
A major facet of the success former Fairfield Bellarmine students are having is their ability to foster new connections while also keeping their old ones intact. Lopez enjoys living with her fellow Nursing students in the townhouses on campus, and says having this experience makes them feel like a family. In the face of challenges, these students support each other and “remind [themselves] why [they’re] here.” Lopez says that being on the main campus has brought them all even closer, and studying at Fairfield Egan “has been such a rewarding experience.”
Aside from succeeding socially and academically, the former Bellarmine Campus students have fallen in love with the North Benson campus. “My favorite part about being at North Benson is honestly just being here. The environment feels built for you to thrive,” says Lopez.
She appreciates the professors’ desire to see their students succeed, and she praises the library for its “calm and quiet” atmosphere, saying that being in an environment like that helps her to stay focused and motivated, even when things get tough.
The Office of Student Diversity Programs and Multicultural Affairs (SDMA) is where McKie likes to spend a lot of his time. “It’s the kind of place where I can focus, reflect, and recharge between classes.” He used positive adjectives to describe the campus, saying that his first month has been “exciting and refreshing,” and that studying here is “peaceful and inspiring.”
These recent graduates have already done so much here at North Benson Road, and Fairfield University is making an effort to ensure that they will continue to do so.
