The Corsair tradition highlights the narratives of incoming first-year students as they embark on their collegiate journey
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UMass Dartmouth recently announced the winners of the UMassD Believes Provost Writing Contest. Modeled after NPR's This I Believe, the contest recognizes four notable incoming students for their 500-word belief statements about what matters most to them. The incoming Class of 2028 wrote blog posts and engaged with each other through thousands of comments that allowed students to reflect on themselves, learn about and from one another, and join the conversation about student life at UMassD.
Students could submit their belief statements to be judged in a competitive, anonymous review selection process. The following students received the honor of having their essays selected for first, second, and third place, respectively:
First place - "A World of Success" by Anna Sturdahl
First-year Chemistry student from Warwick, Rhode Island
"I learned that hard work is truly the stepping stone and backbone of success. It doesn't matter what your strong suits are, or what your last name is. It doesn't even matter if you grew up as a so-called "gifted student," In the end, hard work and ambition are the deciding factors of success."
Second place - "Guilt & Religion" by Grace Kelley
First-year Illustration student from Lebanon, Connecticut
"When people live in guilt, not only do they destroy their own lives a little at a time, but they also continue the stupid game of telephone that Christianity has become subject to. Religion isn't supposed to hurt, and I'm done putting myself through hell to become worthy of heaven."
Third place - " Beneath the Surface" by Shae-Ann Millett
First-year Nursing student from Taunton, Massachusetts
"I want to share and hopefully change this belief that foster care youth are bad, because most of us are not. Help us thrive among others, and encourage us to be the best version of ourselves that we can be, even under the extenuating circumstances we didn't ask to be placed upon us."
UMassD Believes, formerly titled This We Believe, began in 2015 by Academic Affairs and Student Affairs to engage new students in UMass Dartmouth's values. Professor Meghan J. Fair has run the program since 2016.