When recent graduates reflect on what mattered most during their time at Bridgewater College, a few things come up again and again: the relationships they built with faculty and staff, the support they felt to take risks in ways they might not have otherwise because of those relationships, and their confidence that the foundation of knowledge and skills they developed at Bridgewater has prepared them for whatever they plan to tackle next.
Anna Belan ’26 came to Bridgewater from a small town in West Virginia and knew she wanted the experience of attending a college that was small and supportive, while also being able to play soccer.
“It was a little bit of a leap for me to come to Bridgewater,” Belan said. “But as soon as I got onto campus, I could tell it was a perfect fit. It felt like home.”
Ben James ’26 also came from a small high school near his home in Portsmouth, Va., and knew that he wanted to attend college where he could continue to be part of a small community while also being challenged academically and socially.
“I wanted to be able to have personal relationships with my professors instead of learning from a teaching assistant,” he said. “But I also wanted to be somewhere where I knew I could grow as a person. I wanted to be pushed to think differently and learn new things.”
For Belan, a business administration major, the women’s soccer team gave her an instant community and opportunities to gain leadership experience, but she was surprised at how the sense of comradery extended beyond the athletic fields.
“The whole college community is so supportive,” Belan said. “Professors really care about you and even come to the games. It’s nice to be in a classroom and have the professors know you personally.”
According to Whitney Smith ’01, Assistant Dean of Students for Engagement, this sense of community and closeness is not something that happens at Bridgewater by accident. In fact, before they even arrive on campus, the Office of Student Life works hard to draw students into the BC community and integrate them into a culture that values connections and mutual support.
“We are here to make students feel like they belong and can be themselves here,” Smith said. “Student life staff know how important it is to reach out to students who might be on the periphery and try to engage them. This can often make the difference for a student who is struggling.”
About seven years ago, the Office of Student Life rolled out a student life curriculum designed to engage students in five key areas that staff identified as important to personal growth for young adults: identity formation, critical thinking, participation in community, cultural appreciation and creating a foundation for lifelong well-being.
“Everything we do on campus from first-year orientation to Bingo Night is tied thematically to one of the five pillars. We are thoughtful and intentional in our programming, even if all our planning happens behind the scenes and the students just experience a fun event,” Smith said.
By teaching—and modeling—skills such as conflict resolution, civic dialogue and problem solving, the student life curriculum also creates a culture where students feel free to develop their own values and beliefs while living and learning in community with others.
With that support, students can feel confident to take risks, explore new areas and challenge themselves academically and professionally. And they do, by presenting at conferences, working with faculty on research projects and participating in outside opportunities like internships and study abroad.
Emma Pultz ’26 got valuable experience working in environmental science through an internship at the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro this past spring. The biology major credits Dr. Tamara Johnstone-Yellin, Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Science, with encouraging her to apply for the internship, something that she said prepared her for her current position as a technician with the Shenandoah Valley Soil and Water Conservation District.
“We had several conversations about my interests and career goals. [The internship] pushed me outside of my comfort zone and introduced me to a side of conservation that I hadn’t considered before,” Pultz said. “Throughout the internship, she continued to check in with me, answer questions and help me reflect on what I was learning.
Those relationships between faculty and students often extend past graduation, and students tell stories of professors who provide connections for jobs or graduate school.
Last fall, when strategic communications major Laurel Edwards ’26 decided to apply to graduate school but worried about how to pay for it, Professor Ben Erickson, Senior Instructor of Communication Studies, helped her organize an independent study assisting him with a public speaking class so she’d be a competitive candidate for a graduate teaching assistantship. She is now at the University of Wyoming studying for a master’s degree in communications with her tuition covered by a teaching assistantship.
“The communications department was a huge help in getting into grad school and affording it,” Edwards said. She added that she never would have considered graduate school except for the encouragement of BC faculty. “The professors at Bridgewater can expect more from you because they know you personally and they know what you are capable of.”
Bridgewater’s small size and focus on teaching allow the time and space for faculty to get to know students. But Dr. Carol Scheppard, Professor of the College and Anna B. Mow Chair of Comparative Religion, said this sense of community is also “baked into the DNA” of BC. She said faculty and staff who come to Bridgewater come here because they believe in that mission and because they want to make a difference in the lives of their students.
“Faculty and staff here really care,” Scheppard said. “Everybody is making a difference and know they are making a difference every day.”
Kristopher Schultz ’26 said that one of the most important lessons he learned during his four years at Bridgewater is to have the confidence to ask questions and to never stop learning. This has served the health and exercise science major well as he navigates his first post-college job as a pediatric emergency department technician with UVA Health in Charlottesville.
“Professors at Bridgewater really modeled that there is always something new to learn. Seeing them be able to say, ‘Oh, I don’t know, but let’s find out,’ helped me understand that there is never going to be a point when I know everything,” Schultz said.
Ifeatu Udokwu ’26 said Bridgewater faculty and staff helped her learn to come out of her shell of shyness and take risks, both academically and personally. With their encouragement, the biology major took a job in the Office of Student Life and competed on the College’s VFIC Applied Ethics Bowl team.
“I think one of the best things about my time at Bridgewater was that I was surrounded by people who constantly pushed me to do better. Even when I didn’t always see my own potential, there were people around me who did,” Udokwu said.
As these six 2026 graduates left campus to begin jobs and/or graduate school, they all spoke of their appreciation for their BC education and the connections they made on campus and beyond.
“If someone is going to come to a small liberal arts college then that is an intentional decision to have that kind of a close, community experience,” Schultz said. “If students are looking for a challenging and transformative experience, Bridgewater is a great choice.”
“Bridgewater helped me become confident in who I am as a person and my ability to succeed,” James added. “You’re not going to find professors who care more than the professors at Bridgewater. They will invest in you emotionally and professionally. They will shape you to be the best version of yourself.”
– Heather Cole
Published: October 9, 2026
