2025 News 2025: UMass Dartmouth featured on Amazon Prime series 'The College Tour'

University highlighted through the stories of ten extraordinary students

UMass Dartmouth's vibrant campus, extraordinary students, and unique learning and research experiences were recently highlighted on Amazon Prime's hit show The College Tour.

The episode, hosted by Amazing Race winner Alex Boylan, follows ten UMass Dartmouth students to tell the story of the University, campus life, and how students are prepared to succeed after graduation. The students featured were Apeksha Prasai, Clivens Joseph, Conner Robidoux, Dominik Aguilar, Jesseley Gomes, Logan Wornham, Jackie Sassin and Kailey Sousa from Acushnet, Parker Sowersby from Somerset, and Nathan Upchurch from Tiverton.

"The idea for The College Tour TV series came to me from my 16-year-old niece. Because of the pandemic and finances, she wasn't able to travel to tour colleges," said Boylan, who won CBS's The Amazing Race in 2002 and went on to produce and host leading shows on PBS, CBS, the Travel Channel, and more. "So using our skills as executive producers, we created a series inspired by her and millions of other young people who are interested in attending college."

"UMass Dartmouth, more than anything else, is about the community. Our students, faculty, and staff are what make it special. They work hard, they are supportive, and our students graduate being ready to be an important part of a larger community," said Sam Mead, the University's Chief Marketing Officer. "I couldn't be more proud of the 10 students who shared their personal journeys in this 30-minute episode. Their experiences and observations speak to what makes UMass Dartmouth extraordinary."

During the five-day shoot, the College Tour crew filmed athletic competitions and student organization events and followed students to learn more about life at UMassD.

"Watching the final product made me so incredibly proud to be a Corsair due to the fact that I truly believe that UMassD is so amazing, and they captured it so beautifully," said Kailey Sousa, a sophomore bioengineering student from Acushnet. Sousa's story focused on her passion for cancer research that began after her brother's diagnosis and how UMass Dartmouth provided the hands-on opportunities to fuel her drive to make a real impact.

"It was great to learn about UMass Dartmouth, explore the campus, and, most importantly, get to know the incredible students we featured. I was so impressed by their stories, their hard work, and how they've risen to the challenge to succeed in college," said Boylan.

"I had so much fun working with the College Tour Team to showcase my story at UMassD. We got quality filming done but were also able to joke around and have a good time, so I was very appreciative of the fun environment that we created when filming," said Connor Robidoux, a sophomore nursing student and member of the football team from East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. Robidoux's segment explored the support UMassD provides for its student-athletes as they balance a demanding schedule on and off the field.

UMass Dartmouth's episode will air on Amazon Prime on May 27, 2025, and can currently be viewed on the University’s website.