- There is no typical Ada Comstock Scholar,
and one size doesn't fit all.
We have Adas who go full-time
and go part-time,
who live on campus,
who live off campus.
Some Adas attend Smith very quietly.
They might take two classes,
and then leave campus to go to work
or take care of their families.
Whereas others may attend full time,
live on campus and get very involved in student activities,
athletics and social events.
- I've been an esthetician for the past 13 years,
and I work at a salon spa in downtown Northampton,
which is pretty close to the Smith campus,
where I attend as an Ada Comstock Scholar.
I'm hoping to work in the cosmetic chemistry industry afterwards.
I think it's a great tie-in to the field that I'm in now,
with the esthetics.
- Before I came to Smith, I was newly divorced.
I was working as a retail manager.
I hadn't been in a classroom in 16 years.
And I wondered if I was smart enough,
and if I had what it took.
But I had this dream,
and for me an education was something that I never ever thought I would do,
and I thought it was beyond my reach.
But after I got divorced,
I made a decision to change my life,
and to do something for me.
- After high school and after the military,
I did not have a long-term goal.
The real reason behind me going to school
and behind my need to actually do something with my life,
was the birth of my daughter.
- She's pretty much the reason why I'm here today,
and she's pretty much the reason why I've figured out a career that I'm proud of.
- There are many resources available for Adas for academic support,
including a center that will help students with their writing
and with their quantitative skills,
we have tutors available for most classes at Smith,
and we have workshops on time management,
on speed reading,
on organizing your research,
organizing your work,
and we have academic advisers who help guide them,
as they try to decide what to major in,
and then faculty members serve as major department advisers
once students declare their major.
- Don't think you're not good enough,
don't think that you are going to be out of place on campus
amidst a sea of 18-to-22-year-olds
because you're not.
There's people there that are going to help you through whatever you need,
and the opportunity is amazing. Don't miss out.
- This program took into account that I was a single mother,
this program supported me emotionally
when I felt that maybe I wasn't cut to compete against young traditional-aged students,
but the reality was this program gave me so much more.
The Ada Comstock Scholars program gave me the strength where I had some weaknesses.
- Being in the Ada Comstock program,
I felt like I had a second chance to start over.
The program really allowed me to have my kids, my husband, my family here with me,
which is my major support system.
My classes are going really well,
I was actually afraid when I started classes
because I was nervous,
and once classes settled, I started to enjoy it a little more.
The professors connect with you, and there's a lot of help on campus.
- What makes Smith such a wonderful place is that everyone is unique.
It's a tapestry, if you will, of people coming together to make this amazing community.
- Be yourself and be open to the possibilities,
and realize that although Smith is a wonderful, amazing place,
it's going to challenge you.
Well, that's why you come to Smith,
not because it would be easy,
but because it will be hard.
But the rewards that you'll get are so worth it.
When you're walking across the stage,
and they're calling your name,
and get that diploma in your hands,
there's nothing that is better than that.
So apply to Smith, come here, you'll love it!