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Saint Mary’s Sisterhood: As Told By Recent Alum, Vanessa Fisher

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Hannah Drinkall
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Saint Mary's chapter.

The Saint Mary’s alumnae have always been a special group of people who love to share all of their Saint Mary’s experiences with the biggest smiles and happiest hearts. This week, we have a feature poem from recent graduate Belle, Vanessa Fisher, who also tells us all about her life early-post Saint Mary’s! Read her beautiful way of capturing the wonderful experiences every Belle has:

Saint Mary’s Sisterhood

It all started with the drive down the Avenue

Taking it all in, the perfect college view

Green leaves, tall trees

Then walking into your dorm to retrieve your room key

The RAs welcomed you, knowing how it felt to be brand new

Parents and siblings helping you unpack your stuff

Trying to decide whether to loft or bunk

A welcome week shirt waiting for us on our desks

We come to find out it’s what we wear to Domerfest

A big room full of freshman from Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross

Exchanging numbers with boys, hoping you didn’t forget your lip gloss

You go through the first week of classes like it was a breeze

Then you find out syllabus week was just a tease

Activities night overwhelms you with numerous clubs to join

In order to decide which ones to choose, you end up flipping a coin

Football weekends are all you start to live for in the fall

Cheering for old Notre Dame to win over all

Saturday nights riding on the trolley

Texting friends hoping to find a dorm party

You discover some of your friends have never seen snow before

Many come from places that only have sandy shores

Spring semester brings All School Formal

Dancing with your friends and dates any way but normal

You study until finals week suddenly arrives

Before summer starts, you don’t know if you’ll make it out alive

That first summer is really hard being away from your girls

Sophomore year begins, classy and fabulous in our pearls

The year we start to seriously think about our major

When sometimes you’re more worried about being an under-ager

Hoping that party doesn’t get busted

To be safe you go back to your dorm and order a pizza that is cheese-crusted

We attend other sporting events like basketball, baseball and hockey

We find out the players who are humble and those who are cocky

By this time we are tight with the drivers of blinky

A van full of girls that on the surface looks kinda creepy

All of a sudden your college years are half way over

Our wardrobe is made up of French crosses and clovers

Junior year, your friends start to turn twenty-one

Don’t forget your friends that are babies, they still want to have fun

Then classes are suddenly in full swing

You are excited to finally order your class ring

Celebrating when Notre Dame scores with touchdown push-ups

Watching away games in an Irish pub

In the spring you get to enjoy Junior Moms

Drinking wine and cheese with your mother was the bomb

Academically they say junior year is the hardest

When you make it through, you feel like one of the smartest

The most anticipated senior year is here

Already thinking about grad school or a career

Tailgating is still a routine activity

Wanting anything but being in the library in captivity

Senior Dads weekend is revolved around beer and football

It ended up being one of the best weekends of them all

Who could forget peaceful walks to the Grotto to light a candle

Praying to God that He doesn’t give us anything we can’t handle

Notre Dame Stadium tours, hitting the sign “Play Like a Champion Today”

Really hoping time slows down, not wanting it to ever be May

Wherever it may be – Brother’s, Fever, Corby’s or the Backer

We are living it up like we are seniors forever

A year of lasts, everything seems to be going way too fast

Sister Madeleva promised the discovery of ourselves, the universe and our place in it

She was right and we found friends that are closer than anyone could knit

We find out that we came to this school not to find our misters, but to find our sisters

Graduation day comes and you can’t help but think: “What have I done?”

I don’t want to leave, maybe I can stay longer if I just believe

You get your diploma regardless of how hard you wish to stay

It is more rewarding than you think walking across that stage

You obtain a degree from the best college you could dream of

Nothing can take away your Saint Mary’s love

College ends, but the sisterhood never does

Once a belle, always a belle

It’s hard to describe your experience in a nutshell

Dressed with a cap and gown that are black

The best thing about Saint Mary’s College is that you can always go back
 
 
Q&A WIth Vanessa:
 
1) What was your major? I was a nursing major with a biology minor.
 
2) What do you miss most about Saint Mary’s? I miss the Avenue, being on the beautiful campus and being able to see my friends literally every day of the week.  Being in the dorms made it a sleepover 24/7, which I loved.  
 
3) Where is your favorite spot on campus? That’s tough.  I would have to say either Lake Marion or in front of LeMans, you can’t beat those views.  
 
4) What are you up to now? I passed my nursing boards this summer and now I am in the phase of interviews, career fairs, and job searching. 
 
5) What has Saint Mary’s specifically helped you with? Saint Mary’s helped me tremendously.  I mean, nothing can actually make you ready for such a big transition, but Saint Mary’s definitely gave me the tools to be successful.  I can say that all the things I have learned at Saint Mary’s, academically, spiritually and socially, have made a huge impact on my future already.  There is not a college where I could get the experience I got at SMC.
 
6) What are some of the greatest things you gained from your Saint Mary’s education? I gained life skills such as complete independence, balance, and how to make the best out of any situation.  SMC focuses on being a successful and independent woman and I believe I would not get that anywhere else.  SMC is unique in an inexplicable way.  
 
7) Where are you living now? Currently, I am living in Traverse City, Michigan (the pinky of the mitten).  I am considering jobs all over the Midwest, so I may be moving soon. It’s a hard decision!
 
8) How has your job search been? I would say the job search was a little easier because Saint Mary’s is really starting to become well-known and when I talk to career recruiters they almost always know Saint Mary’s.  Of course, they always say “Isn’t that the sister school of Notre Dame?”  That question is inevitably unavoidable.  As new grads, the job market is really tough right now and we are also competing against people that have years of experience.  Specifically with nursing, there are a ton of nursing jobs available, but mostly for people with years of experience as a registered nurse.  The career center was great and helped me formulate my resume and cover letters.  The new Alumnae Resource Network was what really helped me.  I contacted some SMC alumnae and even though getting a job is ultimately up to you, they are always willing to direct you.  I networked with an SMC alumna I had never met and we instantly connected because of the sisterhood.  She had her class ring on and her nursing class photo hanging up in her office…she was just so Saint Mary’s.  Things are definitely looking up from here with job interviews and reunions with fellow smicks!  I just gotta say, live it up Belles!   
 
Thanks so much, Vanessa! 
 
Photos provided by the author
 
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Hannah Drinkall

Saint Mary's

Hannah graduated Saint Mary's College (May 2016) with a major in Communication Studies & a minor in Public Relations & Advertising. She was the Campus Correspondent of Her Campus Saint Mary's, which she co-founded in December 2013. She's from Florida, and she is now working in New York City with New York Times best selling author, Adriana Trigiani. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter, @hannahdrinkall!