BY Angela Vivona
Staff Reporter
Are you one of Sacred Heart University’s happiest students?
“I do consider a lot of SHU students happy, as this was one of the first things I noticed about this school. My previous school was incredibly dark and depressing, and it seemed like no one was really happy to be there. When I visited Sacred Heart on a beautiful, bright spring day, everyone was in a good mood. I had never experienced such friendliness before,” said junior Gabby Fezza.
According to the August edition of the Princeton Review, Sacred Heart University ranks number 10 for happiest college students in the nation.
Not only was Sacred Heart University ranked number 10 for having the happiest college students, the university was also ranked number 13 for most engaged in community service as well as one of the best 385 colleges to earn a degree from.
Sophomore Brooke Sleavensky said, “I came to Sacred Heart because there were so many options for me. I like the size of the campus, and the student body is small enough to where I can constantly see a familiar face around and the professors actually remember your name.”
Sacred Heart offers over 60 student-run clubs and organizations to all full-time undergraduates on campus. Students are also given the opportunity to start their own club.
“I went through recruitment this year, but I decided it wasn’t for me. Instead, I tried the clubs on campus and got involved in the Autism Awareness club,” said Sleavensky.
Sacred Heart also offers 70 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and certificate programs, which gives students a wide variety of choices and opportunities to succeed in their desired professional field.
The Princeton Review recognized Sacred Heart’s state of the art technology and priority for exceptional academics.
According to the Princeton Review article, “Distinguished by the personal attention it provides students, Sacred Heart University is recognized for its commitment to academic excellence, award-winning advisement program, cutting-edge technology, championship Division I athletic teams, and nationally ranked community service programs.”
Many students feel as though the professors at Sacred Heart play a crucial role in their academic experience.
“The professors here truly care about your success and getting you to where you want to be. My classes have always felt super personal and comfortable, and sharing is always celebrated,” said Fezza.
Senior Bobby Chi transferred to Sacred Heart University after seeing how happy the students are here. “I transferred from a school in the Midwest and most of the students at that university were miserable and it was crazy how few people were genuinely enjoying their time at school, me especially. Coming to Sacred Heart, I found it super easy to be happy and enjoy my time here,” said Chi.
Many students feel that the social life on and off campus allows them to express themselves and spend time with like-minded people.
“I am definitely happy here and I think my friend group has a lot to do with it. When you’re grabbing food at Linda’s or walking through main campus you see groups of friends chatting it up or see events going on in the quad and it makes me feel good knowing that other people are happy, and I can feed off that energy,” said Chi.
Freshman Olivia Logiudice found adjusting to Sacred Heart was an easy process with the guidance of mentors and peers.
“Although I have only been a part of the Sacred Heart community for a short amount of time, I can confidently say that this college campus is one of the friendliest and most welcoming environments to be in. From the minute I stepped onto campus, I was greeted by mentors and peers offering a helping hand to make the transition into college life that much smoother,” said Logiudice.
The university is known for being a “door-holding” school which many students enforce and agree with.
“Sacred Heart students are a special group of individuals who have each other’s best interest at heart. We are known as the door-holding school for a reason. No matter how far you are behind someone they will wait and keep that door open for you. This proves that our community is one that values kindness and compassion,” said Logiudice.
Overall, many students are proud to call Sacred Heart University their home.
“I couldn’t agree with the Princeton Review article more. Students here are happy because they have a sense of belonging at SHU. It is a place where we feel accepted and are free to express ourselves. Throughout my next four years at SHU, I’m excited to see how much happier our community will grow to be, and I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to be able to contribute to that prosperity,” said Logiudice.
