Steven Hull: Feeling at Home...
Getting Support and Direction at Gwynedd-Mercy College
When you know, you know. That’s what Steven Hull thought after he visited Gwynedd-Mercy College.
“During my visits to other schools, I just kept thinking about Gwynedd-Mercy,” Steven said. “So I actually didn’t apply anywhere else.”
Coming from a Catholic high school in Northeast Philadelphia, Steven was looking for a college with a similar profile, one that
was service-oriented and promoted community. He found those qualities at Gwynedd.
During his “First Year Experience,” an orientation program that introduces students to the
service-based community at GMC, Steven met his group’s orientation leader, now a mentor and close friend. She guided him through those uneasy
first weeks and motivated him to join the Student Activities Committee, a group that coordinates school dances and events. He’s since been
promoted to the group’s treasurer!
That same academic year, Steven participated in the college’s “Alternative Spring Break,” a trip centered on volunteer work and
organized by the Campus Ministry. Following his week in Cincinnati helping out at homeless shelters, he stayed in touch with the group,
frequently visiting the Campus Ministry House.
“They say just to come in if you’re having a bad day. It’s so relaxing to know that. It’s a comfort zone. That’s how it’s
always been here. I feel at home,” Steven said.
Hull’s support system extends into academics as well. Although he started out as a math major, he switched to business when he found
his favorite course (so far!), “Introduction to Business,” taught by Professor Carlo Silvesti. “I loved that he told
us tidbits of his own story and why he became an accountant—he made it real for us,” Steven reflected.
“I have a very good support system here.”
— Steven Hull, Business Major
Mostly, Steven appreciates the faculty’s approach to his academic growth. “You get to focus on what you want to learn and the
faculty really bring their lessons to life,” he said. The transition has been made even easier by the Academic Resource Center,
where peers who have been through the same classes offer tutoring.
With these resources at his fingertips, Steven (who recently lost 45 pounds and feels drawn to personal training and nutritional
counseling) feels capable of achieving his ultimate dream—managing, or even starting, his own gym.
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