A Place to Call Home
Students find community, build friendships, and foster school spirit in the university’s residence halls.
By Mallory Dupuis ’26
Photos by Nancy Sheehan and Matt Wright ’10
As far back as 1891, Worcester State University had a mission to make on-campus housing a reality for students. The first residence hall on the original St. Ann’s Hill campus was known as Stoddard Terrace and housed 20 young women and faculty until 1931. Today there are four residential areas occupied during the academic year and by visitors over the summer.
Faith Boutin finishes end-of-year schoolwork in her room in Sheehan Hall.
“I think the most important thing that our residential community now offers is a sense of community,” said Kristen Nelson, Worcester State director of Residence Life and Student Experience. “They have all been built with the intention that community space is available, lounges are comfortable, study space plentiful, and that our students have places that they feel comfortable and safe. Our main goal is to create spaces that bring a feeling of home.”
First opened in 1973, Chandler Village offers townhouse-style living for students. There are 26 townhouse-style buildings for a total of 63 apartments that can hold between four and 11 residents. It was built to be close to academic buildings but far enough away to maintain a sense of independence.
Junior nursing student and Chandler Village resident Michaela O’Brien says that living there gives her the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of being on campus while maintaining a feeling that she lives off campus in a neighborhood-style community.
“As a nursing major I spend the majority of my time in the library, and being able to wake up, walk three minutes, and be there is something I am very grateful for. It brings ease to studying in a way,” said O’Brien.
O’Brien also found a home in Dowden Hall during her first year at Worcester State. Built in 1990, it offers traditional corridor-style living specifically for first-year students—the type of hall you see in the movies. Dowden Hall offers an immersive environment for students who are new to living on their own and/or with a roommate. It is a building that is built on community.
Students Ava Favreau, Jadah Stokes, Alison Manley, and Jenna Niemczyk hang out in Sheehan Hall.
“I lived in Dowden my freshman year, and I wouldn’t change it for anything,” O’Brien said. “I met my best friends on the third floor of Dowden, simply by embracing it as a building full of people in the same spot as me—a first-year. On move-in day my roommate knocked on so many doors just to be able to meet people, and it was so cool to have the opportunity to do that.”
Current first-year student and Dowden resident, Jessica Forbes plays for the women’s soccer team at Worcester State. As a result, Forbes enjoyed the advantage of moving in two weeks earlier than the general student body and said that living in Dowden made the transition that much easier.
“Most of the freshmen live in this residence hall, so it was super easy meeting people at the beginning of the year that were in the same boat as you,” Forbes said. “Another thing I love is the Dowden Market that is just an elevator ride or staircase away from my room, when wanting a late-night snack. The rooms in Dowden are also pretty spacious and have nice big windows, when you’re wanting a bit of sunshine.”
In 2010, Dowden was expanded to include a convenience store, now known as Dowden Market, common rooms, private study spaces, and a fitness center. It’s an active place, with students utilizing its amenities and stopping to chat with each other. Resident assistants (RAs) also make sure to offer lots of programming opportunities as a way to encourage students to participate in activities while meeting new people and getting out of their comfort zone.
Dowden RA Annalease Marino likes to make sure there is something for everyone to enjoy. “It’s just reaching out to every different resident that you could,” Marino said. “Kids who like doing arts and crafts and kids who like doing sports. Last year I did the Lancer Cup, and that included all sports activities, and that gave kids who don’t really like arts a chance to come outside and do things.”
Marino has taken pride in being an RA at Worcester State, especially as one for first-year students. Her main goals as an RA are to bring a sense of community and be there for her residents. She acknowledged how intimidating college can feel as a first-year student, so cultivating a safe space is most important to her.
“I see my role as someone who is a bigger sister to all of these residents who are freshmen who come from all different backgrounds. And some people have no idea what it is like to live alone. And I love being that person who can be someone they can talk to and just make sure that they’re all safe and they have a home to come home to,” Marino said.
Worcester State residence halls ease the transition not only for first-year students but for transfers as well. Sophomore Ava Speidel transferred from Saint Michael’s College in Vermont after one year and now finds home in Wasylean Hall, built in 2004. An apartment-style residence hall, it is six stories and houses 348 students. Wasylean offers the first opportunities for students to try apartment-style living which includes a kitchen, living room, bedrooms, and a bathroom.
“Wasylean Hall offers a logical next step towards independence. ‘I’m living in an apartment, I’m kind of on my own, but I’m still walking through a lobby through security, so that feels comfortable and safe,’” said Nelson.
Speidel says that even though the lounges and study rooms in Wasylean are nice, she most enjoys having her own kitchen and living room to hang out with friends. “I love cooking and baking, so having that option rather than having to go to the dining hall is amazing! Also, having our own living room. It’s somewhere everyone can hang out together rather than hanging in a study room on one of the floors or cramming into one room,” she said.
The newest residence hall, Sheehan Hall, was built in 2014 and is named after university benefactor USMC Lt. Col. James Sheehan, who graduated from Worcester State in 1955. It is a six-story building that houses 400 students—200 first-year residents and 200 sophomores and juniors. Sheehan Hall includes the Residence Life offices, Health Services, multi-purpose spaces, a game room, fitness area, community kitchen area for residents, lounges, and the 575-seat Sheehan Dining Hall, a hub of campus life. Nelson said that the presence of the dining hall is a convenience for residents of Sheehan. “It’s a huge asset to our Sheehan Hall residents because they don’t ever have to go outside if they don’t want to,” she said.
Sophomore and Sheehan RA Kody Osborne has enjoyed residing in Sheehan Hall, saying it offers everything it can in terms of basic living. With several common spaces available, there is never a dull moment in Sheehan Hall as both campus-wide and resident-only events take place there.
“We just have a lot of people coming through for the events, like ‘The Price Is Right.’ And then recently we had an event inspired by Squid Game. The other ones we have are random photo ops such as the JCPenney photo shoot,” Osborne said. “There’s so many different things. I just really love when everybody’s together.”
Students say being an RA at Worcester State offers many benefits, from making new friends and building communities to training for real-life situations and learning to navigate college life. For Osborne, being an RA has been one of the best ways to be involved on campus.
“It’s probably the number one way you can feel integrated into the system around Residence Life and the halls themselves,” they said. “You learn everything about everybody, and you end up meeting everybody in some capacity. If you have trouble being social, then being an RA is one of the biggest ways to mitigate that.”
Even if you are not an RA, living on campus at Worcester State offers just as much, from lessons learned to memories made. Speidel says that learning independence is key, as is holding yourself accountable, while Forbes says she has learned that everyone has different lifestyles, and that is okay.
“Living on campus is a way to make new friends, create many memories, and learn how to live in the real world and take responsibility for things in your life,” Forbes said. “I have learned that not everyone has the same living conditions as yourself. Some people are tidy, some are very messy, some are loud, while others are very reserved and quiet. I have learned to just go about my business, and let others live how they want.”
Students in the residence halls celebrated the end of the academic year with games, food, prizes, and fun in May 2024.
When describing life in the residence halls at Worcester State, the most commonly used word used by students is “community.” Students say the memories created in each hall will last a lifetime, from movie nights in Wasylean to “Friendsgiving” celebrations in Chandler Village.
“The day before a snow day, me and all my roommates had a huge movie night. Then we found plastic bin covers and went outside to use them as sleds. Also birthdays are big in this suite. Everyone goes all out, and we decorate the rooms,” Speidel said as she reminisced on her fondest campus memories.
O’Brien went on to describe her favorite memory, which was a celebration she and her roommates put together right before Thanksgiving break. They described it as “Friendsgiving,” which entailed cooking their own Thanksgiving meal and dessert together. “This is still one of my favorite nights on campus because it was filled with just so much laughter,” she said.
As the director of Residence Life, Nelson aims to ensure that every student has resources available to them for any situation, whether they are struggling with classes or a difficult living situation. She wants students to be ready for the real world through intentional support.
“I really want them to learn and grow while they’re here and in that space, be allowed to make mistakes, but also be able to learn from them. And then, when they leave, to remember how awesome it was and how many friends they made and how comfortable they felt and how successful they were.”
Top image: Students in the residence halls celebrated the end of the academic year with games, food, prizes, and fun in May 2024 on Wasylean Patio.
Students Ava Favreau, Jadah Stokes, Alison Manley, and Jenna Niemczyk hang out in Sheehan Hall.
