In September, Bottom Line’s office began to fill with boxes. By exam season, our back room was teeming with snacks, branded dishes, empty mailing boxes, and turquoise crinkle paper. On October 27th, Bottom Line’s halls filled with the sounds of stuffing, taping, labeling, and the laughter of Bottom Line staff. In assembly-line style, we made care packages for our college students.

Care packages are one of the most revered parts of Bottom Line’s College Success Program, by staff and students alike. Last week, our office got to pause for an afternoon to package what we hope are the comfort and support our students needed to make it through their exams and midterm papers. After the last care package was wheeled away in a mail bin, the assembly line disbanded and we returned to checking emails, making calls, and meeting with students. Then the thank yous started coming in.

“I just got my care package! I totally love it! The package came right on time too… I just came out of an Orgo exam and the package made my night!” -Jen, Northeastern University

“Thank you so much for the care package that I got. It was such a nice surprise (I haven’t gotten any packages yet!). I’m already 90% done with the food that you sent me. Thanks!!” -Valerie, Boston College

“Thank you for the care package… I love the soup bowl and spoon! You guys are awesome. :)” -Leticia, Tufts University

While helping students plan study schedules, connect with tutors, and prioritize classwork during exam season is necessary, reminding them that there’s someone out there rooting for their success is just as important. That’s why we focus on delivering a “life” curriculum: our students need someone who can offer well-informed advice and the support and encouragement they need to get through the tough times.

Thank you to all our supporters and alumni who made it possible for us to send nearly 900 care packages this semester.

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Notes From the Field

Greetings from UMass Amherst!

It’s 5:30 pm, and after meeting with 34 students, the UMass Amherst crew is still going strong. We will meet with 9 more students this evening and 25 more students tomorrow before heading back to Boston in the afternoon. Total students helped: 78.

We have more Success students at UMass Amherst than any other college, which is challenging because the campus is 2 ½ hours away. Organizing these campus visits is quite a production: for this visit, eight counselors are at UMass for two days. We left Boston at 9:00 am this morning, and won’t get back until almost 6:00 pm tomorrow. These visits are long, but they’re also fun: last visit, we hosted a campus social (with pizza!) for students in the evening, and this visit, counselors are already plotting post-meeting dinner plans. These two day expeditions occur four or five times per semester.

It’s midterm season at UMass, so we’re focusing on academics with all first years and sophomores. We’re also meeting with other students to discuss study skills, start job planning, and solve bill issues. Overall, students seem stressed but happy: the biggest complaint from first years so far is the amount of walking required to traverse the huge campus.

I’ve met with three students today. My first student, Jenea, is a sophomore and just transferred from MCLA. I was her counselor last year, too, and I helped her complete the transfer process.  Although we’ve checked in over the phone, this was my first time seeing her on campus since she started at UMass, so it was great to hear that she’s doing so well.  She’s majoring in Theater, likes her classes, and already has a lot of friends on campus. She’s been doing well in all of her classes except one, so we looked up the professor’s office hours, and I showed her where tutoring is on campus. I also met with two seniors who are starting the job search process; one student is looking for environmental or government jobs, and the other wants to work as a parole officer. I’m excited to see where they end up after graduation.

That’s all from UMass; check back soon for more updates!

Jen Bees

Success Coordinator

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