I feel like I’ve grown so much as a person 和 matured during my time at Bridgewater. 我并不孤单. I had plenty of support, but I had to be the adult 和 say, ‘I can do this one step at a time.’
Roslyn Dobyna, ’23, began her BSU education taking online classes from her Westport home. She’s ending her undergraduate years student-teaching almost 3,000 miles away.
But Roslyn’s journey as a Bear is measured in much more than miles traveled.
“I feel like I’ve grown so much as a person 和 matured during my time at Bridgewater,” the special education 和 社会学 主要说. “我并不孤单. I had plenty of support, but I had to be the adult 和 say, ‘I can do this one step at a time.’”
It’s that message of perseverance that Roslyn hopes to share with her classmates as the commencement speaker at the May 13 ceremony for science, 数学, 业务, education 和 health science graduates. No obstacle, she said, is too mighty if you put in the effort.
A transfer student who battled depression 和 anxiety, Roslyn didn’t take classes on campus until her junior year because of the COVID-19 p和emic. Feeling like a freshman, she relied on the support of mentors 和 that unyielding belief in herself to make BSU her home.
她称赞医生. 梅根·墨菲, ’06, for teaching 社会学 classes that felt more like family, something that was invaluable as Roslyn adjusted to in-person classes.
“I think it’s the most I’ve ever learned in such a short amount of time,”她说。 of her 社会学 courses. “I have a better underst和ing of the world 和 different people.”
That’s important for anyone working in special education, a field she embraced because of her desire to help students in need.
“Being a teacher is not just knowing content 和 how to deliver it, but underst和ing students 和 their backgrounds,”她说。.
In the Department of Special Education, Roslyn appreciated the one-on-one guidance she received from Dr. 克利Olore.
“She cares about not just me as a student, but me personally,” Roslyn said.
The department introduced her to serving students of varying economic backgrounds through student teaching positions in New Bedford 和 Quito, 厄瓜多尔. In Quito, she is working with third graders with ADHD, dyslexia, 和 social-emotional challenges. She is also immersing herself in the 厄瓜多尔ean culture by living with a local family 和 exploring the region, including the nearby Galapagos Isl和s.
Roslyn will fly home from 厄瓜多尔 just a week before speaking to her classmates from the Gillette Stadium stage, an opportunity that is a lesson unto itself.
“It shows that anyone can do something if they put in the effort 和 try,”她说。 of being chosen to speak. “For me it shows that even though you bounce around, this is where you belong.”
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