By Kylie Wooliver

Transfer students make up 30% of our incoming class this school year. This semester, roughly 80 students transferred from other colleges like ECC and NCCC. The graduating class includes 33% of transfer students. So, why did these students relocate to Hilbert College?

Nicole Plucinski, a Marilla native and a junior, attended ECC South before transferring to Hilbert this year. She studied Liberal Arts and Humanities, so the Digital Media and Communication major caught her eye. Plucinski said  she enjoys the small, personable campus community. She also said Hilbert was the best choice for her financially. The transfer was made easier given that Hilbert has a soccer team. Nicole is a member of the Women’s soccer team, as well as a member in the Honors program. Her previous soccer coach at ECC knew of Hilbert’s coach. Plucinski competes on the soccer team while still maintaining Honor status. She said that through sports, she has been able to bond with her team, which has made the process of starting at a new school easier.

Jenah Schwabel, also a transfer from Erie Community College, said that “stopping  my college experience where be foolish.” After finishing her two-year degree in General Studies at ECC, Schwabel decided to keep going with her education. “Sometimes you believe you are making the right decision at that particular moment in time, but when it’s said and done, something feels like its missing,” she said. “Some people believe ‘transfer’ means failure—that they were wrong in their first choice, while others believe that it’s a race to improve yourself.” Jenah said she heard a lot of good things about Hilbert, such as the small class size, and she liked how close it was to her home in Eden. Schwabel appreciates how Hilbert’s programs allow students a lot of hands on experience. Overall, she saw Hilbert as a new opportunity to achieve a degree in something she was passionate about.

Kathleen Wengrzycki, Hilbert Admissions, said that students transfer from many different colleges, and that their attitudes are positive. New students seem excited to begin their careers at their school! Kathleen adds that Admissions work well on an individual basis, which in turn, shows that they care.