Spring 2006

Fast track to success:
Saint Mary's-Holy Cross Linkage Program

By Cara Ford '00

Senior Tai Baird's journey to Saint Mary's follows a path familiar to many current students and alumnae: "I learned about Saint Mary's through my mother's friend, Sister Elizabeth Panero, a Holy Cross nun and seminary librarian. We used to visit her and stay at the guest house. Ever since I was little I knew that I wanted to become a part of the Saint Mary's community."

South Bend's distance from her native California did not pose an obstacle for Baird who, when applying to colleges, knew that Saint Mary's was her first choice. "I liked the idea of a small school where I was a name instead of a number," she says.

Unfortunately, Baird's standardized test scores did not correspond to her grades and the effort she put forth in her high school classes, and she was not accepted to the College.
"At first when I wasn't accepted, I was crushed," she says. "But Jamie Humbert ('00), my admission counselor, believed in me enough to offer me participation in the linkage program.
I was honored to have the opportunity to prove my ability to succeed at Saint Mary's."
Established in 1992, the Saint Mary's College-Holy Cross College Linkage Program is designed for students who do not meet all of Saint Mary's admission requirements, but who demonstrate academic promise and a strong desire to graduate from Saint Mary's.

Susan Vanek, associate dean for advising and director of first year studies, has been involved with the program since its inception. According to Vanek, the program has many advantages: "Students who are not ready for Saint Mary's have the opportunity to live on campus, receive a good academic preparation at Holy Cross College, and experience academic life at Saint Mary's through two Saint Mary's courses."

Linkage students take four courses at Holy Cross and one course at Saint Mary's in each semester of their first year, where they work with advisors on both campuses to strengthen their study habits and overall academic preparation. While in the program they live in a Saint Mary's residence hall and have the opportunity to fully participate in residential and student life, with the exception of varsity sports. Students who achieve a requisite "B" average at the end of their first year are admitted to Saint Mary's as transfer students without going through a formal application process.

Erin Mahoney '08, a social work major, recently completed the program and attributes her current success at Saint Mary's to the preparation she received.
"The linkage program was a good place for me to start. Having the opportunity to prepare myself for the rigors of Saint Mary's helped give me confidence in the subjects I am not particularly strong in."

Baird, a humanistic studies major, also believes that the linkage program instilled in her an immeasurable confidence. "Because of the motivation to succeed, we challenged ourselves and became strong students who knew how to utilize the various on-campus resources, such as the math and writing centers," she says.

Both Mahoney and Baird are quick to dismiss any negative associations about being a student in the program. Mahoney recalls, "Everyone was encouraging and helpful. I became very close to the girls in the program, and we have stuck together through our sophomore year as well."

Baird agrees: "The camaraderie of the linkage students, who all had the same goal, was something that helped form a bond as friends and as students. We all carpooled to Holy Cross, or walked over together and rode the shuttle together. It's a misconception that the linkage program is easy. Students have to work extra hard to prove to themselves and Saint Mary's that they can make it."

When she learned she was accepted as a full-time Saint Mary's student following her successful completion of the linkage program, Baird was overwhelmed with the intensity of her mother's reaction (which involved tears) and felt very proud.

"The linkage program made my dream of being a Saint Mary's woman a reality," she said.

Cara Ford is an instructor in humanistic studies and the assistant director of first-year studies.