In early April, Merrimack’s Office of Graduate Admissions hosted a panel discussion featuring seven Double Warrior students who completed their undergraduate degrees at Merrimack and are currently pursuing or have finished their graduate degrees at the College. The event was moderated by Liana Caffrey, Director of Graduate Admissions, and attended by Graduate Admissions Counselors and Double Warriors, Cara Cahill and Callie Fraint-Bulens; Catherine Chandler, Director of Graduate Student Academic Success; and Megan Haggerty, Director of Graduate Professional Services and a Double Warrior herself. This panel event provided those in attendance with valuable insight into Double Warrior benefits and resources, as well as fellowship opportunities, and what to expect when transitioning into graduate school. The panelists also shared why they chose Merrimack, offered tips for managing time and succeeding in graduate school, and discussed what to expect in classes and interviews.
With the guidance of Liana Caffrey, panelists began by introducing themselves and explaining what made them interested in Merrimack’s graduate programs. Collectively, the panelists highlighted the strong sense of community within their graduate cohorts. Bailey Parks, expecting to graduate in May 2025 with her M.A. in Communication and Media, led the conversation by reflecting on her experience returning to campus for her graduate program, and her Graduate Digital Marketing Fellowship position. She said, “after taking a few years off it was hard to get back into it, but when I returned I remember my professors [from my undergrad years] being excited to see me.” The small class sizes in Merrimack’s graduate programs encourage students to build strong connections with their professors and peers, and expand their professional networks.
Panelists also discussed their smooth transitions into graduate school and how the connections they built during their time as undergraduate students prepared them for graduate opportunities and fellowships. Fellowship opportunities are open to graduate students in many of Merrimack’s master’s degree programs and provide professional experiential learning with up to a 100% discounted tuition. Brooke Bolduc, a current M.S. in Exercise Science student, and Strength and Conditioning Fellow at Merrimack, spoke about making connections in the athletic department and how she was connected to her current position. Brooke highlighted her undergraduate interning experience and encouraged prospective students to take advantage of networking early on to set themselves up for success as a future Double Warrior.
When the topic shifted to career preparation, panelists reflected on how their Merrimack experience continues to shape their professional journeys. Zachary Fiore, a student in the M.S. in Criminology and Criminal Justice program, spoke on interviewing for his first job after graduation, saying, “when I get asked the question, ‘why are you a good fit for our company?’ I always think about ‘why I [was a good] fit for Merrimack’.”
The conversation also touched on the benefits available to Merrimack Double Warriors. Students in the Double Warrior program have the opportunity to complete 8 graduate credits for free in their senior undergraduate year at Merrimack. Those who enrolled shared that it helped them feel prepared to enter into their programs. Raice Szott, a student in the M.S. in Management program said, “[taking Double Warrior classes] made this year’s load a lot lighter, so I didn’t have to crowd a whole bunch of classes into one year and it helped me stay way ahead.”
As the discussion progressed, panelists shared what to expect in both online and in person graduate classes and gave valuable insights into their specific programs. Erin Lincoln, a Graduate Teaching Fellow in the M.S. in Applied Chemistry program, takes on-campus classes and spoke about her transition from undergraduate to graduate. “In undergrad we learn the theories and in grad it’s very application based,” she said. “You know the basic stuff, [but now you learn] what you can do with it and how you can transfer it to your career.” Despite the program being hybrid, Raice Szott also opts to attend classes in person for her M.S. in Management degree and added, “in class you are engaged and can interact with your peers and professors. I have grown my network significantly just from chatting with my professors.”
Bailey Parks, discussed her experience taking asynchronous classes in the Communications master’s program saying, “in my program we have a lot more freedom, but the professors give us all the tools we need. Then we take them and make something they love.” Zachary Fiore also shared his experiences in hybrid classes and encouraged prospective students to choose a learning modality that will work for them and their schedule. Zachary said, “it depends on what kind of learner you are… [but] the professors bring a lot of real world experience and [the combination] of real world experience and normal material was a big part of what drove me to the graduate program.”
As the event concluded, panelists shared final pieces of advice for future Double Warriors, encouraging prospective students to have confidence both inside and outside of the classroom. Erin Lincoln said “everyone is on your side and everyone wants you to succeed, and you will have the opportunities to do really incredible things as a Double Warrior.” Bailey Parks reminded students that the graduate school journey is not always going to be easy, and emphasized that prioritizing their own needs is essential to their success. She said “[you have to] find time to take breaks, to go to the library, grab a coffee and decompress. I commute an hour and a half home, and I would do it again and again because I love the community.” Liana Caffrey encouraged attendees to take advantage of the campus resources available to them and to connect with the Office of Graduate Admissions for more information on graduate programs, fellowships and experiential opportunities. After the panel discussion concluded, undergraduate students were given the opportunity to network with the Double Warrior Panelists, the Graduate Admission team, and Graduate Center team, to ask any questions they had about graduate school.
