A College Experience

Kelsie LaPlante never had a prom of her own. Her small school and class of 14 students was LaPlante’s life before she experienced the college world. The New England Christian Academy, located in Swansea, Massachusetts, was where LaPlante attended school since first grade. It’s a small school where the students wear uniforms and have to be friends with each other.

LaPlante, who will be 20 this May, grew up in Bristol, Rhode Island and moved to Swansea at the age of nine to be closer to her school. Her junior and senior year of high school she was given the opportunity to take classes in Fall River at Bristol Community College as part of a dual enrollment program. “When I first went there I was 16. I couldn’t even drive myself. Our first class my friend’s mom walked us to our class and it was like wait, were in college now you don’t have to walk us to our class.” That wasn’t the only thing that was different for LaPlante. She describes her private school schooling as “sheltering” and BCC was a different transition.

After graduating Salutatorian, LaPlante planned like most graduating seniors to move away to college. She was planning on attending Lasell College in Newton, MA but her emotions about it were mixed. “I was excited about college but nervous about moving away,” LaPlante said. Once moved in, LaPlante realized this wasn’t for her and a week later she was moved out. She doesn’t know if it was the adjustment that she didn’t like but she did know that she didn’t want to take time off.

Thinking about what to do next, LaPlante thought back to the credits she already had from BCC. She went back to the school and completed her first year out of high school earning her associates degree.

While at BCC one day, LaPlante saw a representative from Roger Williams University. Roger Williams wasn’t a school she originally looked at the first time but she decided to talk to the rep. She ended up applying to the school and was awarded a scholarship because of her good grade point average from BCC.

This is LaPlantes second semester at RWU and so far “for the most part it’s going smoothly.” The school turned out to be a good choice for LaPlante allowing her to commute from home, continue working at Sears, and make time to study and teach karate. At this point in time, LaPlante is considered either a second semester sophomore or first semester junior. This will be determined when she declares a major which is currently undecided.

Still unsure of what she wants to major in, LaPlante is leaning towards Communications and a core in philosophy. So far she’s not active in any clubs but she would consider joining the Public Relations club, PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America), to determine if PR is what she wants to do.

Having attended BCC before transferring to RWU made the transition easier. LaPlante said the work at RWU is more challenging than at BCC but attending the community college helped her get a sense of the college life.

A normal day for LaPlante usually consists of classes, karate and then work. She tries to give herself breaks in between classes. Laplante works at her job at Sears a lot on the weekends and then one or two days a week. “I manage it,” she said. “Every time I’m on break I always have to be doing [school work] or I fall behind.”

LaPlante has also been studying karate since the age of seven and is continuing to work hard. She has earned her first degree black belt in American Martial Arts and is currently working towards her second degree. When she is graduated from college she doesn’t want to make karate her life. She currently does it to stay in shape and also teaches a children’s class.

One could say that LaPlante has experienced all different types of college life. Finally settling down somewhere that works for her, LaPlante can now focus on what she wants to do. Whether she is doing something with PR or philosophy her hard work and determination from balancing school, karate and work will help her succeed anywhere in life.