Fordham’s campuses returned to life on Opening Day last Sunday, when the University welcomed the Class of 2027 and their loved ones from around the U.S. and the world. 

The students and their families arrived at the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses, as early as 7:30 a.m., carrying keepsakes from home as well as new furnishings for their first year of college. As their cars pulled up to their residence halls, they were enthusiastically greeted by Fordham’s student welcome crew, who shouted the name and hometown of each new student while helping them move their belongings into their new home. 

A Place to Find ‘The Purpose and Meaning That Will Bring Joy to Your Life’

In her welcome speech to the newest Rams, Tania Tetlow, president of Fordham, praised their entrepreneurial spirit. Among them is a student who created a national awareness campaign to urge teenagers to donate blood as soon as they are legally allowed. Another created a nonprofit to create and sell art that donates profits to mental health organizations. Yet another, from Alaska, designed an alert system to address the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous people. 

At Fordham, all of them will work together to figure out a deeper goal—the purpose of their lives, she said.

“We want you to find not just your first job, not just your career, but your vocation—the purpose and meaning that will bring joy to your life, and the courage to follow that path,” said Tetlow. “There is nowhere better to do that than New York, a city that brings together the peoples from every corner of the world to make something amazing.”  

Some first-year students are no strangers to the city, like Sylvia Sonenstein. “I’ve always loved New York City—both my parents work out of New York City—so I’ve been in and out since I was very little, and I’ve always dreamed of living here, so it’s kind of surreal moving into this great apartment building,” said Sonenstein, a Connecticut native and new sociology major at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, while standing in front of McKeon Hall.  

Others have personal ties to the community around campus. “My grandfather grew up in the Bronx, so I’ve come here a bunch,” said Francesa Stella, a political science major in the honors program at Fordham College at Rose Hill. “I love being able to just see people living here … and the food and diverse cultures.”

Meanwhile, other families traveled farther from home. For many, the art and culture surrounding the Lincoln Center campus was enticing. “Broadway is my first love,” said Matthew Bloss-Baum, a journalism student from Virginia who might double major in music or theater. “But I also love the magic that New York City has. It’s so nice to have a campus that we can come home to at night, and also go around Manhattan and the Bronx and explore. Basically, we have the best of worlds.”

Stay Humble, Be Kind, and Enjoy the Experience

Another student, Samantha Go, chose Fordham for its reputation in business and its global opportunities. “I’m in the Gabelli honors program,” said Go, a global business major in the Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center, who is from Orlando, Florida. “I know for honors, there’s the two abroad trips, so I’m really excited for that.” 

For other families, Opening Day was a special homecoming. In 1999, Inez Diaz graduated from Fordham College at Lincoln Center with her bachelor’s degree in economics. More than two decades later, her daughter Isabelle is joining the Ramily. 

“It meant a lot to her,” said Isabelle, who will study theater at the Lincoln Center campus. “But I also feel like I have a sense of security because I know someone who went here and really liked it. … I have someone to back me up … give me advice … guide me through.” 

As families prepared to say goodbye to their children, they offered some advice. 

“It’s hard for us because we are so far … She’s our only child, so it’s very difficult. But Fordham—this is our third time here. Fordham is such a beautiful campus and it seems so secure,” said Tiffany Ragan, mother to Emerald, a political science student at Fordham College at Rose Hill from California. “I tell her to remember the way we raised her … as a good person. Be careful. Get good grades. We’re here whenever she needs us. Stay humble. Be kind. And just enjoy the experience.” 

*Numbers and stats as of Aug. 28, 2023.

—Additional reporting by Kelly Prinz and Rebecca Rosen
—Photos by Bruce Gilbert, Taylor Ha, and Hector Martinez
—Video shot by Taylor Ha, Hector Martinez, and Rebecca Rosen and edited by Rebecca Rosen 

Fordham welcomed just under 2,600 students to its incoming class on Aug. 28—the second largest class in the University’s history. 

Opening Day at both the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses saw students and families brimming with excitement as they carried their belongings to their new rooms and prepared for their first year of college. They were greeted bright and early in the morning by cheering older student volunteers, decked out in Fordham maroon, yelling each new student’s name and hometown as they arrived. Commuter students were also warmly embraced by their new Ramily, meeting up at the check-in tables and joining in the welcome receptions.

The Class of 2026 is one of the most diverse classes Fordham has ever had, with more than 46% domestic students of color and 7.7% international students.

The new Rams hailed from 47 states and Washington, D.C.; more than 50 countries; and all five boroughs of New York City. More than 500 students in the incoming class are from New York City, including more than 140 from the Bronx.* The average high school GPA for the class is 3.71.

In her welcoming remarks, Fordham’s president Tania Tetlow expressed solidarity with the class of 2026, as this is also her first year at Fordham. She started on July 1, after serving previously as president of Loyola University New Orleans.

“This class will always mean the world to me, because we are starting in this new place, for some of us in a new city, for the very first time together,” she said.

“And if any of you are like me from a warm place, we get to deal with winter and snow. I’m going to be in the biggest, most ridiculous down coat you’ve ever seen. Feel free to make fun of me, but I won’t care because I’m going to be warm.”

It’s OK to Stumble

She emphasized how much the University community expects from them, but also how much value there is in trying, failing, and trying again.

“For those of you who’ve never got an A minus in your life and are nervous about whether you’ll stumble, folks with the best of intentions will tell you, ‘Don’t worry, you’re not going to mess up. You won’t stumble.’ Those people mean well, but they’re lying. You will make a mistake and you will stumble. It is not about whether you’re perfect, because you are not. It is about how you handle it when you trip and fall,” she said.

“If you hear one thing from me today that you remember, it is that each and every one of you belongs here. If you have a really bad day and you’re doubting that, email me, and I’ll remind you. Tell me about all the brilliant things you do and succeed at while you’re here, but what I’ll be most proud of is if you send me your stories of when you stumbled and you picked yourself up.”

Crossing an Ocean to Reach the Big City

The ability to earn two degrees in five years is one of the reasons why Mariano Chegwin, who was born in the U.S. but grew up in Colombia, decided to attend Fordham College at Rose Hill.

“New York is a really big factor and the program is really cool—I’m doing the 3+2 program with Columbia,” said Chegwin, who is pursuing an engineering physics degree. “Getting those two bachelors in five years—it’s a major perk.”

Chegwin is also a licensed skydiver, which is one of his passions. Finding a local jump site is high on his current to-do list.

“I can’t live without skydiving right now—I love it, it’s a form of meditation for me,” he said. 

Coming as an international student, Chegwin moved in a few days earlier and participated in the Global Transition Program alongside William Foong, who came to Fordham from Malaysia. 

Foong, a Gabelli School of Business student with a plan to study finance, said Fordham’s location helped draw him in.

“I wanted to be in New York, I have family here—my sister’s at NYU, so it’s nice, everyone’s here,” he said. 

Josephine Spink, a native of London who was accepted into Fordham College at Lincoln Center’s honors program, always knew she wanted to go to school in New York City; she is interested in studying neuroscience, law, or joining the pre-med track.

“I feel like New York is quite a lonely place at times, because people are really independent, and Fordham was the only school that emphasized how I won’t be able to blend into the background and just disappear. They will notice me,” she said. 

Before landing in New York on Aug. 24 with her parents, Faye Gotsopoulou, a native of Athens, Greece, had never even set foot in the United States. Gotsopoulou said she was drawn to FCLC’s neuropsychology program, and although adjusting during the first two days was tough, things were looking up; on Sunday she was offering to teach her suitemates Natalie Sanvidge, from Redwood City, California, and Emma Hague, from Saratoga, New York, how to make Greek coffee.

“When I was very young, I remember writing in my journal that I wanted to go to New York City. It was just a dream at the time, but here I am,” she said.

“I have three sisters, so it was really hard saying goodbye, but everyone here has been so supportive.”

‘One of My Proudest Moments as a Dad’

Domenic Hoxholli remembers receiving the email that he had received a Cunniffe Presidential Scholarship, which is given to students with outstanding academic performance and a commitment to leadership and service. He was packing to go on a four-day retreat where he would be without his phone, and checked one last time when he saw the email come through. 

He remembered calling his dad, Armand, who was about to head to his third job, to let him know the good news.

“I’m really proud of him,” Armand said. “I came to this country 20 years ago as an immigrant, and seeing what he’s become is one of my proudest moments as a dad. I feel great because now he’s independent and I’m excited to see what the future holds for him.”

Domenic, who is from Somerville, Massachusetts, said that he was drawn to the Gabelli School of Business for its values and academics. 

“I think it’s a great business school,” he said, noting that he likes the liberal arts core. “The way that there’s an emphasis on a holistic approach to business was what I enjoyed about it,” he said.

Norbert Okoye was tucked tightly into the backseat of his parents’ SUV with his belongings all around him on Sunday morning as he waited in the line of cars entering the Fordham parking lot.

Okoye, who had made the drive from Long Island to the Rose Hill campus, said that he was excited to start at Fordham College at Rose Hill as a biology major on the pre-med track, something that he was inspired to do because of his mother, Jennifer, who works as a nurse. 

“I’m tearing up already,” Jennifer said in the front seat while smiling at her son. She said she hopes that he would get “as much as possible” out of his whole experience at Fordham and that it would help him become “a successful human being” and someone who contributes to society. 

“I’m just excited to live in the city and just experience being independent,” Norbert added.

Deepak Menon, a native of Sarasota, Florida, enrolled in the Gabelli Schools of Business Global Finance program, arrived early to participate in Urban Plunge, which he called eye-opening.

“The reality of the situation hasn’t set it. I feel like I’m at summer camp right now. I’m in awe, taking it all in,” he said, while taking in the city view from his room at the Lincoln Center’s McKeon Hall.

“Subways are really new to me. We don’t have them, and it makes the city accessible. 

Today I went down to Wall Street and just walked around. It was really cool.”

Laura Moshier, a native of Columbia, South Carolina, who is planning to major in new media and digital design, was already familiar with the Lincoln Center campus, having participated in The New York Times’ annual summer academy held there. 

Her mother Tammy Davis broke her leg two weeks before move-in day, but was so determined to see her daughter off, she recruited her friend to help. Although Davis was originally supposed to meet her daughter after she’d moved into her room, she surprised Moshier by showing up in a wheelchair while they were in line on Columbus Avenue.

“I’m proud of all of us, happy for my girl, and loving Fordham,” said Davis.

“I’m excited, and I feel slightly embarrassed, but it’s not too bad,” Moshier said, laughing. “Nothing keeps momma away,” 

Joana Riley, a native of Las Vegas, came to the Lincoln Center campus to earn an Ailey/Fordham BFA. 

“I’m excited, and a little nervous. It’s new and far from home, but dance is something I love doing, so I’m going to pursue it for as long as I can,” she said.

Riley was dancing before she could really walk, her mother Daria Peoples said.

“She was good at it, she enjoyed it, it made her happy, it made her joyful. I’m glad she found something she loved to do so early in life,” she said.

A New World, Just a Subway Ride Away

For Anne Sullivan, science has always been “that one subject that just clicks” for her. That’s part of why she decided to come to Fordham College at Rose Hill, where she’s planning to study biological sciences, astronomy, or medicine. Sullivan, who will be commuting to campus from Manhattan, said that she’s extremely “excited about the academics” Fordham has to offer. 

Her dad, John Sullivan, said that he’s glad she chose Fordham.

“I like the idea that she’s on sacred ground—it’s a Jesuit university—and of course the recognition, he said.

Her mom, Debbie, said that she’s a little emotional about her daughter starting college.

“I’m so proud of her, she made very good marks in high school,” she said. 

Nellie Podokashik, a commuter student at the Gabelli School of Business, made a point of meeting up on Opening Day with Zoelle Stepankovsky. The two attended the same dance studio in southern Brooklyn as children, but grew apart when Podokashik left to attend a different studio. They stayed connected through Instagram though, and so when Stepankovsky was accepted to the Gabelli School of Business’ global finance program in May, she shared the news there. As chance would have it, Podokashik, had been accepted to the Gabelli School as well.

Podokashik, who grew up in Mill Basin, said four years of participation in Model UN in high school had piqued her interest in global politics.

“It was interesting to see how the U.S. influences other economies, and I wanted to study this in college. Fordham has an incredible business school, so I’m here,” she said. 

She’s going to commute to the Lincoln Center campus from Manhattan. She’s thrilled that Stepankovsky, who hails from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, is also in her program.

“I feel like I’m so lucky to have a friend that’s coming into this new part of my life,” she said.

*Numbers and stats as of Aug. 29, 2022

—Additional reporting by Kelly Kultys
—Photos by Chris Taggart, Bruce Gilbert
—Video by Taylor Ha and Tom Stoelker

Fordham welcomed more than 2,800 students to its incoming class on Opening Day, making it the largest class in the University’s history. The Class of 2025 is also the most diverse class Fordham has ever had, with more than 44% domestic students of color and 6.5% international students.

The new Rams hailed from 45 states, 51 countries, and all five boroughs of New York City. More than 600 students in the incoming class are from New York City, including more than 160 from the Bronx—up significantly from last year. The average high school GPA for the class was 3.67.

In his welcoming remarks to families, Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, urged attendees to soak up the momentous nature of the occasion.

“For the students here, today marks the end of adolescence. You’re no longer kids. You’re young adults,” he said, adding that they have the opportunity to outshine their high school selves.

To the parents, he said, Fordham is honored to have been invited to be a part of their students’ lives.

“We will spend ourselves surrounding them with care,” he said during the Aug. 29 festivities.

“You must not get the impression that we’re going to be easy on them though. This is a Jesuit school. We believe that we have to mix rigor and love. We will cherish them and challenge them in equal measure and we will never insult them with low expectations.”

He also strenuously advised students to embrace the town that the University calls home.

“New York is in our DNA. When you come to Fordham, you’re taking on the city as well. The city is our classroom, our laboratory. Whatever you major in, minor in New York,” he said.

At Home in New York City

Many first-year students were already taking that advice, highlighting New York as one of the main reasons they chose Fordham.

First-year Gabelli School student Ryan Howard said that Fordham offered both the perfect location and academic programs.

“Fordham was the closest proximity to home, closest proximity to other things—you have [Manhattan], the Bronx, Arthur Avenue,” said Howard, who is from Long Island and will be studying at the Rose Hill campus. “The other schools [I applied to]—you walk 10 minutes away, you’re in the middle of nowhere. That’s one of the things that made Fordham appealing.”

John Perla, an incoming Fordham College at Lincoln Center student from Princeton Junction, New Jersey, was taking in the sights from his room on the north side of McKeon Hall. When he gets free time, one of his first treks will be to Citi Field in Queens to catch a Mets game. Manhattan, though, is what drew him to Fordham.

“The Upper West Side is one of the best neighborhoods in the city. When we came here, I just fell in love with it. Honestly, I’m just looking forward to getting back up here tonight and enjoying the view at night,” said Perla, who plans to pursue political science.

Natalie Foo, a first-year Fordham College at Lincoln Center student from California. grew up visiting New York every year, so going to college here was “sort of like a homecoming,” said her dad, Kent Foo. But that wasn’t her only reason for choosing Fordham.

“New York has a lot of possibilities, and that’s why I wanted to come here,” said Foo, who is interested in studying architecture and possibly art history.

“And what better place than New York?” she said, gesturing behind her to the gleaming glass-and-metal skyscraper she will now call home.

Marcelo Pachicano, a first-year Fordham College at Rose Hill student studying biological sciences, said that after growing up in Chicago, he chose Fordham partly because he wanted both a city and a vibrant campus.

“I wanted to stay where things were happening, but I also wanted the campus community,” said Pachiano.

His mother, Maria Pachicano, said that she was glad her son was getting to experience another city.

“And we’re Catholic so I like the fact that he went to a Jesuit school—that didn’t hurt.”

Pursuing Passions

Anton Karabushin, a first-year student at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, said that he plans to study political science on a pre-law track. But he also wants to make sure he has time for his other loves.

“I’ll also be doing a lot of music and theater while here because that’s my other passion,” he said.

Karabushin was selected for the “Tony Awards for high school musicals” in Colorado, his home state, for his performance as Frederick in Pirates of Penzance. He has a long list of credits so far, including Rooster in Annie and Shylock in Merchant of Venice. “I’ve been pretty much singing and acting all my life,” he said.

Elise Downing, a first-year student at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, said that she plans to study political science with a fashion minor. She’s looking forward to the fashion opportunities her new city has to offer, such as Fashion Week.

“I’ve always loved New York and I’ve always wanted to move here,” she said. “Fordham is one of the best schools in the area, so I’ve been drawn here from the start.”

Finding a New Home

First-year Gabelli School at Rose Hill students Snehsrishti and Gurbax Assie—twins from Mumbai, India, have a few things to get adjusted to, including living in the U.S. and attending school in person again.

“We haven’t been to school since 2019. So it’s our first time again, in an exciting environment,” Snehsrishti said.

Following in the footsteps of their parents, the twins are planning to study entrepreneurship, with Snehsrishti also looking to explore alternative investments and Gurbax hoping to study finance.

“We had a session with [Al Bartosic, head of the Fordham Foundry] … the Foundry really stood out to us,” Snehsrishti said. Both siblings were also impressed with Hughes Hall, the Gabelli School’s home at Rose Hill.

“As soon as I walked into the Gabelli building, the first thing I noticed was the Bloomberg terminals,” Gurbax added. “I’m really excited to go into the investment club, where they give us very big funds to manage.”

Both Snehsrishti and Gurbax have already gotten involved in the Fordham community, thanks to the Global Transitions Program, which serves as an orientation for international students. Both said that they were grateful for the welcoming reception they’ve received from the Fordham community—including those they spoke to before arriving on campus.

“I think what really got me to commit is the upperclassmen—everyone I spoke to was just so nice,” she said.

Being Back Together

Even though the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are still being felt across the country, one of the things many students said they were looking forward to was being around people again, whether in classes, clubs, or activities, even if precautions have to be in place.

Shehan Hussain, a commuter student from Midwood, Brooklyn, who enrolled in the Gabelli School of Business’ Global Finance and Business Economics program, said that after a year of taking classes remotely, the Opening Day festivities added to his excitement of being able to take classes in person.

“College itself would be a new experience regardless of whether there was a pandemic or not,” he said. “It definitely amplifies the experience that this is the first time I’ll be in school in front of a bunch of people after a long time,” he said.

Angel Ducret, a first-year commuter student at Fordham College at Rose Hill from Manhattan’s Cristo Rey High School, said that he was looking forward to being back in person, even if it meant some adjustments.

“[Being virtual] was very tough, emotionally, mentally, and physically on me. So I feel like coming back in person, it’s going to take a few weeks this semester to kind of get back to it,” he said. “But I think after at least the fall, it’ll just feel like school again.”

Kathleen Hollinger, a first-year Gabelli School student who plans to study finance and computer science, said that she was excited for “just getting a chance to go to school in person again and being with other people in a classroom (and) the social aspects.”

Traveling from Near and Far

Hollinger and her parents Danae and Mike Hollinger were some of the first to arrive on the Rose Hill campus on Sunday, traveling all the way from Seattle.

“I really liked that it was a Jesuit school—both my parents went to Jesuit schools—and they had a really good business school program,” she said.

She was excited for the opportunity to live on and explore the East Coast.

“We’ve had a lot of people say, ‘oh the East Coast? Why aren’t you staying on the West Coast?’ I think it’s exciting actually to check out other parts of the world,” her mom Danae said.

Sandy Wong traveled all the way from California to move her only child, Nicole David, a first-year Gabelli School student, onto the Rose Hill campus.

“She’s growing up, she’s on her own—I’m just happy for her,” she said. “As long as you give them a good foundation, I think by the time they’re 18, I just feel comfortable—my kid is growing up, she knows what’s right and what’s wrong.”

Nicole Bennett, a native of Mystic, Connecticut, who enrolled in the Gabelli School Global Finance and Business Economics program, was one of the first to move into Lincoln Center’s McKeon Hall.

Her father grew emotional when he reflected on the day, as Nicole is the oldest of three, and therefore is the first to “fly the nest.”

“She’s my baby. I know she’s going to be OK, so I’ve got to let her go.”

—Reporting from Nicole LaRosa and Patrick Verel
—Video by Taylor Ha
—Photos by Chris Taggart, Bruce Gilbert, Kelly Kultys, Taylor Ha, Mike Trerotola, and Nicole LaRosa

Despite the many changes this year, some things remain constant: Nothing could keep Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, from his long-standing tradition of personally greeting students and families. And though their smiles may have been hidden behind their masks, New Student Orientation leaders cheered on the incoming class with all the enthusiasm of years past.

More than 2,000 first-year students joined the Fordham community this August, both on campus and remotely. Members of the Class of 2024 hail from 47 different states and more than 40 countries. They are a talented bunch academically, with a mean high school GPA of 3.64.

Safety Measures

In an effort to make the transition back to campus as safe as possible, Fordham implemented new policies and installed a variety of new equipment. All members of the Fordham community will be tested upon their return to campus and again within two weeks. Daily check-ins via the Vital Check app are required to make sure members are in compliance with health guidelines. All those on campus are required to wear a face mask and follow appropriate social distancing measures. And students were asked to take the Ram Pledge to do their part to safeguard the community.

Throughout University campuses, hand sanitizer stations were installed, classroom seating was reduced, and new ventilation was installed to help maximize the use of outside air and reduce the amount of recirculated air. Enhanced cleaning procedures were put into place and new directional signs were added to encourage one-way traffic. In dining areas, protective barriers were installed and self-serve stations were eliminated.

Despite the unprecedented times, members of the Class of 2024 said they’re still excited to begin their college experience, even if it looks a little different than they’d imagined.

A New Media Artist

Araly Langomas never thought she would start college in a pandemic. But she’s very grateful to be on campus.

“I waited so long to get here,” said Langomas, a New Jersey native who now lives in Queen’s Court. “Fordham is doing a good job, and they’re definitely being very careful.”

Langomas is a new media and digital design student at Fordham College at Rose Hill. Her artwork has been featured in a statewide exhibition in New Jersey and sold on Redbubble.com. She also curates content about her life on her YouTube channel, including a tour of her new home at Fordham.

In the past week, Langomas has explored campus and visited the McGinley Center and the Rose Hill Gym with her orientation group. She has tried Cosi’s pesto chicken sandwiches—the “best thing” she’s eaten on campus so far—and she’s excited to become involved with the Office of Multicultural Affairs and join musical theater and art clubs. And she looks forward to exploring the city with her new friends, once it’s safe to do so. 

“Right now, [being]  here, I feel like a college student,” Langomas said.

A Motivated Bronxite

When Bronxite Syeda Rahman, a first-year student at Fordham College at Rose Hill, was deciding where to go to college, two things appealed to her about Fordham: the ability to stay close to home during the pandemic and the opportunity to mix liberal arts with her biological sciences major.

The pandemic forced Rahman to finish her senior year of high school virtually, and while it was tough at first, she said it helped prepare her for college, which she will also be starting fully remotely.

“It was difficult to make a smooth transition into quarantine life and online classes and to be consistently motivated,” she said. “I did not want to give up with the pandemic as an excuse for my experience falling short. I learned how to work in a virtual classroom setting, had a virtual graduation ceremony, … kept in touch with my friends online, and grew closer with my family. After all the remote experiences I have had so far, I feel a lot more confident starting college during this time than I was a couple of months ago.”

‘Gaga’ for Live Theater

When Trey Sullivan entered high school in Providence, Rhode Island, he set out to write a musical about issues facing his contemporaries, including poverty, divorce, and the difficulties of coming out. He wanted to complete the piece by the time he graduated and he wanted to tell the story using music by Lady Gaga. He accomplished both, including getting the rights to three dozen Gaga songs from her management in Los Angeles and, eventually, from Sony Publishing.

Though he remains passionate about theater—both plays and musicals—Sullivan plans to major in new media and digital design at Fordham College at Lincoln Center. Now, with the pandemic shuttering theaters, it would seem that Sullivan made a prescient decision, though he doesn’t see one as a substitute for the other.

“Even in the short time of quarantine, I did a lot of video editing [of performances]. My first impression is that even if you approach theater digitally, you’ll still want it to have that feeling of catharsis of when you witness live theater,” he said.

In a phone call, as he gazed out at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts from McKeon Hall, he said he’s confident he made the right choice.

“It’s only day three, and it’s not fully set in but I can see how amazing it’s gonna be,” he said.

Ready for Business

As Emma Burke was getting ready to leave Danville, California, for the Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill, she said her friends were getting news that nearby universities were shifting to online-only instruction. But she was determined to make it to campus.

“I’ve been looking forward to college for so long and worked so hard for this—and lucky that my family could financially do this, not everyone can. I just feel lucky to be here,” said Burke, who will concentrate in marketing.

“I was always interested in business and all the opportunities—how marketing can make or break a business. And it comes naturally to me,” she said.

After a two-week quarantine, Burke said she went to orientation and felt more comfortable than she was expecting to.

“I’m kind of impressed at how many people are out and keeping their distance. But it’s not just people sitting around, they’re making use of the opportunity to go outside. We don’t want to mess it up; we want to stay as long we can.”

A TikTok Star from Argentina

Margarita Fernandez Pereira will be taking her first Fordham classes from more than five thousand miles away.

Pereira is a first-year Fordham College at Lincoln Center student who will study remotely this semester from her home in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Pereira and her family decided it would be best for her to remain home during the pandemic. After some initial disappointment, she’s making the most of her first semester.

Through online orientations and meetings, Pereira has made friends with people from around the world. In one Zoom meeting, she met a first-year student from Brazil who had attended the same Global Young Leaders Conference in New York City as she did last summer. In another meeting, she bonded with students about TikTok, where she has nearly 80,000 followers. And she connected with peers over this summer’s shared read, The Colossus of New York.

“[After our first Zoom call], I told my mom, ‘I think this has been the best Zoom call I’ve ever had,’” said Pereira, who plans to focus on international studies. “We all talked about our own personal experience with New York, race, and identity. It was such a beautiful discussion.”

Sibling Inspiration

Charlie McAtee arrived in Manhattan from Punta Gorda, Florida, on Aug. 14 and spent two weeks in quarantine with his older sister, Morgan, in her apartment on West 85th Street. It was Morgan’s Fordham experience—she’s a junior now—that inspired Charlie to enroll at Fordham College at Lincoln Center. After two weeks sequestered in an apartment, he’s enjoying views of the Time Warner Center from his room in McKeon Hall and spending time in Central Park.

“When we first came to the University, we didn’t even know if we were on campus when we actually were, because the University blends in so well with the city. Fordham likes to integrate you in the city and make sure you understand that you are now part of it. You come to understand that real life is all around you,” he said.

McAtee said memories of his parents recounting old movies got him interested in screenwriting before he even knew how to write. His interest in that specific skill waned, but his desire for a career in television and film did not, and he’s hoping a major in New Media and Digital Design will help him get there.

It was a gloriously sunny New York day that greeted new students and their parents on both campuses for Fordham’s Opening Day on Aug. 25. Unseasonably cool and with no humidity, it prompted Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, to joke with students that “this is the way it is all the time.”

In welcoming remarks made between the actual move-in and getting-to-know-you exercises, Father McShane doled out practical advice alongside words of encouragement and comfort. For parents, he said, it’s natural to “ping pong between pride and panic.”

“You are dealing with the reality of saying goodbye to an adolescent who has already become an adult and who remains the joy of your heart and the pride of your life,” he said to the parents.

To the students, he said the University has been preparing for their arrival for 178 years, since the first class arrived on June 24, 1841. With 47,871 students applying for just 2,273 seats in the Class of 2023, this year’s first-year students are a far cry from their 18th-century brethren. They come from more than 50 countries with a mean test score of 1355 and a mean GPA of 3.64. Seventy-eight percent were in the top 25% of their high school class.

Father McShane told them that a world-class faculty who have never lost their love of the classroom awaits them. He added that their professors will “never insult them with low expectations.” And while he was on the theme of expectations, he said much would be expected from them, too. Referencing scripture, he said, “Of those to whom much is given, much is expected.”

An Early Start in the Bronx

As early as 7:30 a.m., new students and their families began rolling onto the Rose Hill campus. One family drove across more than five states to reach their daughter’s new home. They arrived to cheers from their fellow Rams and bottles of water being handed out by Father McShane.

“We drove from Mississippi, which is about a 21-hour drive,” said Noelle King, a first-year student whose family rented a minivan and drove from Wiggins, Mississippi, to move her into the residence hall, Queens Court Residential College. “We broke it up into three days.”

Other students had already settled into their residence halls a few days before. Angela Payne from Fort Worth, Texas, was among the first-year undergraduate students who participated in Urban Plunge, a pre-orientation volunteer program that introduces students to the Bronx community. Payne said she and her new peers spent time uprooting invasive species at the New York Botanical Garden, where they learned how much work goes into maintaining a public space. They also embarked on a hip-hop history tour in the Bronx. And the night before, she tried tacos at the Bronx Night Market and took the subway to Koreatown in Manhattan, where she bought boba tea.

“I got to learn about the Bronx, its history, and Fordham’s place in the Bronx,” she said, perched atop her new bed in Loyola Hall.

So did Francis Brown, a first-year student from Connecticut who plans on studying finance in the Gabelli School of Business.

“People talk about Arthur Avenue and the Botanical Garden, but they haven’t really explored the Bronx and interacted with the people who live there,” said Brown, who lives in Queens Court. “That was really special for me.”

The day was also special for first-year students who, after months of texts and emails, finally met their roommates in person, like Noah Kennedy and Ahan Dhar. Kennedy is a Connecticut native who plans on studying environmental studies; Dhar is a communication and culture student who was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands and raised in India. They soon discovered that they shared something identical—their navy blue towels from Bed Bath & Beyond.

“We ended up buying very similar bedding and exactly the same towels,” Kennedy said with a sheepish grin.

“By pure coincidence,” Dhar chimed in.

Kennedy also shares a special history with the University. His grandparents, who are Fordham alumni, were expecting their first child—his mother, Lea Graner Kennedy—during their first year of college. On the day of her final exam, she went into labor.

“Lo and behold, she failed her first and only exam because her water broke during the exam,” said Lea, who was born at Albert Einstein Hospital in the Bronx.

A few floors up from the Kennedy family were the Schmidts from North Carolina, moving in their daughter Jordan Schmidt. Her parents, Bill and Laurie, had already dropped off her twin sister in Boston. Today was Jordan’s turn.

“School [is your]first [priority], right?” said Bill, giving his daughter advice for the next four years.

“Yeah,” echoed Jordan. “Go to class.”

“Stay safe. Make good choices,” Laurie said.

“The most important thing, though—have fun,” said Jordan’s father. “This is going to be the best four years of your life.”

Later that evening, a candle-lighting ceremony and carnival rides on campus provided plenty of opportunities for the fun and memory-making to begin.

Living Up High at Lincoln Center

At Lincoln Center, 60th and 62nd Streets were closed to traffic so that families could pull up McKeon and McMahon Halls with ease. Like the Bronx, the newcomers were greeted by their fellow students with raucous cheers and bottles of water. The newcomers were told that they didn’t have to lift a finger—the student volunteers brought all their belongings to their rooms. It was a gesture that put many a parent at ease. Sonya Jefferson of Dallas said it made all the difference.

“The student welcome eased all the tension and made it easy for me to relax,” said Jefferson, whose daughter Miah hopes to major in screenwriting at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC).

After serving in the Navy for 23 years, Sonya said she had only been separated from her daughter once, when she was deployed to Guantanamo Bay. After moving around a bit, they settled back in her hometown of Dallas.

“It’s bittersweet; there’s a fear of the unknown,” she said. “I’ve never left my baby except for when I was deployed to Cuba.”

Down the hall, Griffin Harrington chose a bed near a window overlooking the Metropolitan Opera. He said that he’d been to campus several times before to see his sister McKenna perform plays with the Theatre Program and even stayed in the residence halls one summer when he went to The School of the New York Times, which rents space on campus each year. He said that the decision to come to Fordham wasn’t a clear one at first.

“I came to see the campus partly to humor my sister, but Gabelli [School of Business] ended up being the obvious choice for me,” he said, as his mother Lisa hung hangers in his new closet.

With two students at Fordham, Lisa said she and her husband were now empty nesters. The two will be taking a well-deserved vacation to Montreal and Lake Placid, she said. But she’ll be back to visit soon enough.

“We’re excited to come back and see the Fordham shows, we’ve never missed a show,” she said.

Outside of McMahon Hall, Mukund and Arti Kshirsagar waited by their car for their daughter Srushthi to register and begin to move in. Arti said that she was glad that as a Gabelli global business student, her daughter would be exposed to an international business community in New York. The couple came to the United States from India for their education and stayed on to raise their family in Maryland.

“Now this is home,” said Mukund of life in the U.S.

Meanwhile, downstairs outside of the Ram Café, Patricia Gillespi waited in line to rent a locker for her son Andre, a commuter from Manhattan’s Upper East Side. A born and bred New Yorker, Andre went to the Loyola School and Manhattan School of Music.

Mother and son live not far from the Carlyle, where Andre’s father headlined as a pianist before he passed away in 2017. Andre credits his dad for his musical talent and said that he felt he could have gone to gone one of the prestigious music schools in the city.

“Jazz and classical are literally in my blood,” he said.

But he only applied to one school—Fordham. His mother said he made the decision after a campus visit when he was a sophomore in high school. While he expects to major in music, he said he wanted to come to Fordham so that he could have a broad-based education with an opportunity to shift focus should he choose.

“I chose one school, and I got in to that one school,” he said, as his mother beamed a smile.

— Story co-author: Tom Stoelker
— Video by Dianna Ekins, Dan Carlson, and Elizabeth Houston

At the Rose Hill campus, many first-year students who arrived in SUVs stuffed to the gills were greeted in person by Fordham President Joseph M. McShane, S.J., who paired warm words with cold bottles of water. In an address at Lincoln Center in the afternoon, he told the Class of 2022 and their parents that the University has been “waiting for [them]  for 177 years,” and that he’s been praying for them through the summer, as they are now family. And he noted that within their own families, things will begin to shift.

“As of today, the family dynamic changes. To your mind, last night your child was an adolescent. Today they have become some new person, an adult. And the family dynamic changes to recognize that. Conversations at the dinner table will change as well,” he said.

“For the students, whether you’re a commuter or resident student, it makes no difference: Today you’re an adult.”

A Bronx Welcome

Olivia Jones, a Ridgefield, Connecticut, native whose parents Janet and Dana both graduated from Fordham in 1987, was settling into a room in Alumni Court South. She plans to pursue political science and the pre-med track at Fordham College at Rose Hill.

“No other school said that was possible. They’d say you have to do a science major if you’re going to go to medical school; that’s ridiculous. I spoke with Dean Ellen Watts [assistant dean for pre-health professions advising) and she was like, ‘That’s amazing, I can’t wait; That’ll be so fun!’ She was already talking about a schedule I could put together.’”

Her mother noted that Jones was the youngest of three, and that her two other children had attended other colleges. She and her husband met at Rose Hill, so she was excited one of their children would be a Ram as well. Asked how it felt to have an “empty nest” at home though, she gave two thumbs up and burst into laughter.

“They leave for Italy on Thursday,” Jones said, laughing. “That trip was booked as soon as I got admitted.”

Farrell Pelcher, also an incoming first-year student at Fordham College at Rose Hill, moved to the Bronx from Averill Park, New York, four days earlier to participate in Urban Plunge, a pre-orientation volunteer program for first-year undergraduate students. For Pelcher, who plans to major in communications, that meant working at a food bank and a local park.

“It was a really cool experience, because it wasn’t just doing service projects, it was learning about the history of the Bronx and the context of everything we were seeing,” she said.

“I really want to just go out and take pictures of the city, and not worry about how good they are. I want to go out and explore and see what I can find. It’s overwhelming, but it’s also exciting.”

At Rose Hill’s McGinley Center, commuter students were given their own red-carpet treatment, with cheers erupting when students checked in. Nadeem Majumder, a Fordham College at Rose Hill student from the Bronx neighborhood of Tremont, spoke excitedly of pursuing a career in computer science. His family moved to the United States when he was 6, and although he lived in California for most of that time, he remembered passing by Rose Hill on visits to his grandfather, who has lived in the Bronx since 1989. 

“I took a look one day, and that’s what made me want to apply in the first place. It was so beautiful,” he said.

Kelley Abunaw, a second-year transfer student from Douala, Cameroon, who was getting settled at Loyola Hall, said an extensive alumni network and the hard-to-beat location drew her to the Gabelli School of Business, where she plans to focus on finance and computer science.

She and her mother took Metro-North from their hotel in Manhattan, and were pleasantly surprised at how smooth the move was.

“It has a campus feeling, but New York City is right here. I love that I can go to the city but at the end of the day I can come back to a campus,” she said. Coming from a town where there was little to do, she was eager to get take in all of New York City.

“I’m in love with food, so I may just go to restaurants. But I’ve also never seen a show on Broadway. Also, it’s almost fashion week!”

Making a Home in Manhattan

Fordham College at Lincoln Center first-year student Kayla Thomas and her parents Felton and Linda drove seven hours from Cleveland Saturday and spent a night in New Jersey before continuing on to the Lincoln Center campus, where Thomas will pursue a Fordham/Ailey School BFA in Dance.

“I love Ailey because I see people that look like me on stage, and not only because of the diversity in people and backgrounds, but also in dance styles,” she said. 

Her father said that despite New York’s reputation as a safe city, he and his wife were nervous because they were dropping Thomas off so far from home.

“The great thing about New York is there’s so much that you can get into,” he said. “But the scary thing about New York is there’s so much you can get into.”

Maryanne and Tom Tice were excited to drop off their son Aidan. An experienced traveler who had already spent two summers in China learning Mandarin, he will be majoring in global economics at Fordham College at Lincoln Center.

“We honestly don’t expect him to move back home to California, but we’re OK with that, we just want him to be the best version of himself and to embrace the opportunities he’s been given,” said Maryanne.

Fellow Californian Chase Gallion set her sights on moving to New York during her first years in high school, where she had a pretty rough couple of years. “My ultimate goal was to do everything and anything to get to New York and I did it. It was a process, but the I knew the way to get here was to work hard academically,” she said.

She plans to study writing in film and television, an industry her mother, Vicky, works in. Her father, Michael, said that Gallion’s drive made it easier to see her attend school so far from home.

“The fact we have a child who is so focused on what she wants to do makes us feel completely comfortable, because she took charge and made this happen,” he said. “I’m fascinated.”

Students and parents at Rose Hill were also given a chance to savor one last moment together as the day came to a close, with a mass in front of the University Church, and some time set aside for goodbyes. Afterward, students held a candle-lighting ceremony on Edwards Parade, marking the close of one chapter and the beginning of a brand new one.

John W. Buckley, vice president for admission and student financial services, said he couldn’t be more pleased with the 2,286 members of the incoming class.

“We are delighted to welcome this extraordinarily talented and diverse Class of 2022 to the Fordham family,” he said.

“They were selected from an impressive applicant pool of more than 46,000, and are among the most accomplished students from across the country and around the globe.”

Related: Introducing the Fordham Class of 2022

Additional reporting by Tom Stoelker
Video by Tom Stoelker, Taylor Ha, and Miguel Gallardo

Father McShane chatted with the new arrivals on everything from Arthur Avenue’s best thin-crust pizza to what they can expect as new Rams.

“You’re in Loyola?” Father McShane asked a freshman hailing from Minnesota who was in the back seat of her family’s car. “You’ve hit the jackpot. That used to be a former Jesuit residence. You’re going to love it.”

The 1,344 families who arrived for opening day at the Bronx campus came from 42 states— from New Hampshire to Maryland to Illinois to Kansas.

A second home

Awaiting their arrival at the freshmen dorms were upperclassmen and football players like Matthew Donovan of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. The greeters hauled boxes of clothes, storage containers, TVs, and mini refrigerators for the new students.

Jordan Better and his family were grappling with the damaging effects of tropical storm Harvey in their home town of Houston, but Better was relieved by how smooth move-in went with the help from his new community. “They don’t leave you on your own here,” said the Jogues Hall resident, who joked that he was lucky to be paired with a “minimalist” roommate since he probably brought one too many boxes.

Christopher Wildes of Astoria, Queens, was looking forward to transitioning into a “new chapter of life.”

“My brother is a senior here, and when I visited it just felt like a second home,” he said.

Sotiris Georgakopoulos, of Saint James, New York, decorated his room with a map of the world and some photographs from his frequent globetrotting.

“I’ve been all over Europe—England, Scotland, France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Greece,” said Georgakopoulas, who hopes to study international political economy. “I’m kind of a nerd for economics, but I have a particular interest in geopolitics, and understanding how other countries function.”

‘Minoring’ in New York

Down at Lincoln Center, near the heart of Midtown Manhattan, Father McShane encouraged students to take advantage of one of the University’s greatest assets: New York City.

“Whatever your major, be sure to minor in New York,” he said. “This is an important part of your existence here at Fordham.”

The skyline views from McKeon Hall drove home the point to students and their parents that they were in one of the world’s great cities.  On the 22^nd floor, Jessi McBrearty and Sara Duffy settled into their southward facing room, with the Hearst Tower and the Time Warner Center soaring in the background.

Just a few floors down, Teagan Giese of Mechanicsville, Virginia, savored the view of the Metropolitan Opera with her parents, John and Nicole. Her father said that, while he’s not a city person, he couldn’t deny the impact.

“My reaction is ‘holy smokes,’” he said.

Her mother Nicole said she “loves” the big city and mentioned visiting here when Teagan was young. When she decided to go to school in New York, Nicole admitted she was concerned.

“I said, ‘No we can’t afford it, you have to go to a Virginia school,’” said Nicole. “Well, little did I know there are all kinds of ways to help pay for private school. Who knew?”

Down on the plaza, Rachel Kim and her mother Amy represented the less awestruck, though no less appreciative, New Yorkers. Amy plans to commute from Queens.

“When I applied [for colleges], I thought ‘Everyone wants to be in New York City and I’m already here,’” she said.

Class of 2021 snapshot 

Gonzales interviewed his son, Fordham upperclassmen, parents of other Freshmen, and Father McShane. Listen here: “When the Kids Go Away to School.”