Despite the technical difficulties that come with beginning a new academic program and adjusting to a heavy workload, Messina College students have managed to build a community within their 100-person class.
Nestled in the wooded grounds of the Brookline Campus, Messina College opened its doors to its first class in July 2024, marking the launch of the two-year residential college designed to support first-generation students from low-income backgrounds.
The Heights visited Brookline Campus and spoke to 15 Messina students to learn more about their experiences at the innovative, new program, from the opportunities it offers to the strengths and challenges it continues to face in its inaugural year.
Academic Opportunity at a Competitive Cost
The key advantage of Messina, according to students, is the commitment to meeting their financial needs.
“I always wanted to go to BC,” said Maaz Shaikh, UGBC senator and Messina ’26. “But I felt like I wasn’t financially stable enough to do that, and Messina kind of gives me that opportunity through all of the financial aid that they offer.”
The Messina College website states that its financial aid program meets 100 percent of students’ demonstrated financial need.
“[Messina] helps us with its financial aid,” Edmond Dotse, Messina ‘26, said. “ I want to go to medical school, yeah? That is also something that I appreciate a lot.”
Beyond lowering costs, Messina also provides access to all resources on the Chestnut Hill campus, including the O’Neill and Bapst libraries, as well as low-cost textbooks and free laptops to students.
“I would say the best aspect of Messina is going to a high-end institute like Boston College but paying for it like it’s a community college,” Shaikh said. “We get all the benefits for Boston College as well, and then we’re also counted as Montserrat students.”
Academic Support
The Messina College curriculum consists of courses offered on both the Brookline and Chestnut Hill campuses. The Brookline Campus courses are taught by a faculty consisting of five full-time professors and 24 part-time instructors.
Laetitia Duroucroix, Messina ’26, expressed her appreciation for the academic support at Messina, citing the small student-to-faculty ratio as one of the program’s major advantages.
“There’s not a lot of students, so you’re more able to connect with the teachers,” Duroucroix said. “And I also feel like the school itself has helped me personally when it comes to my assignments.”
Jennifer Dorlean, Messina ’26, initially wanted to attend a community college because she had moved to the United States from Haiti only two years ago and feared her English was not up to par.
“They were very helpful with giving me teachers, like for writing, literature, philosophy,” Dorlean said. “And I think my writing class we probably had, like, 10 or 12 [students] maximum, and so we had connections with the teachers.”
Dotse said the smaller cohort made it easier to adjust to a residential college experience and to better absorb classroom material.
“Personally, I like it because I’m not the type of person that likes [to be around] a lot of people,” Dotse said. “So I kind of like just [having] only freshmen, like 100 students here. I also like the small classes.”
Students at Messina who earn a cumulative GPA of at least 3.4 are guaranteed transfer admission to BC to finish their undergraduate studies and earn a bachelor’s degree.
Messina offers degrees in applied data science, health sciences, applied psychology and human development, and general business.
The goal of transferring to BC after completing their degrees leads many students to feel pressured to succeed.
“We have to keep the 3.4 GPA to keep the scholarship once we get to BC,” said Emanuel Gaviria, Messina ’26. “If we don’t have that GPA, we can still go, but we will have to apply as a regular student.”
Despite the challenges of maintaining this requirement, many students said they feel supported by the academic resources and faculty dedicated to helping them succeed.
Stacy Jean, Messina ’26 and a Messina ambassador, expressed her appreciation for the academic support Messina offers.
“It’s such a great program to have—especially if you are truly, truly focused on your education,” Jean said.
Early Struggles and Successes
As a brand-new program, administrators and students at Messina College are still working through logistical challenges.
A common concern among students is the bus schedule, which some feel is inconvenient. Located about one mile from BC’s main campus, Messina students must take the bus to travel between campuses.
Garcia said the larger issue stems from a lack of diversity in activities on the Brookline Campus. To take advantage of events and opportunities on BC’s other campuses, Messina students have to navigate an infrequent bus schedule.
“My only complaint is really there’s not much to do here,” Garcia said. “So we go to Chestnut Hill pretty often, and the buses don’t run that often.”
Messina College Dean Rev. Erick Berrelleza, S.J., did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Jean acknowledged the transportation issues but also highlighted the administration’s responsiveness.
“Since it’s the first year of Messina, they want to know what problems are occurring, so all we have to do is tell them, and they come up with solutions,” Jean said.
Another challenge is the campus itself, which is still under development. With multiple buildings undergoing renovation, the student hub is Ashby Hall, serving as an all-in-one dining hall, study center, classroom building, and chapel for students.
“Honestly, the majority of the campus life is in this building,” said Sophie Braddock, Messina ’25.
Zharick Quispesayhua Chacon, Messina ’26, recalled arriving at the unfinished Ashby Hall in July and feeling that the campus wasn’t yet prepared for students to move in.
“I remember the only picture I’d seen was a picture of the admin building—it was like on the website,” Chacon said. “And when we came, the [Ashby] building wasn’t even finished.”
Despite the rocky start with renovations, students report that faculty and staff have been very receptive to feedback.
“At the start of the year, we didn’t have prayer rooms for the Muslim students,” Shaikh said. “But I brought it up to Resident Ministry, and then people associated with that, and we now have a really, really nice prayer room.”
Looking Ahead
With their time at Messina nearly halfway complete, students continue to reflect on their first year at the college, expressing gratitude for the program and offering advice for the incoming class.
Braddock shared her appreciation for the dedication of the Messina faculty and administration.
“I think that they’ve done a great job of integrating everyone and giving everyone opportunities to succeed here,” Braddock said.
Daniel Rocha, Messina ‘26, also highlighted the quick friendships and strong sense of community that have developed.
My experience here on Messina is amazing,” Rocha said. “The people here are very nice. We all just became friends so quickly because we all know our students, and that’s like, what means the most to me, like the connection of community that we have here.”
As Messina prepares to welcome its next class in the summer, Shaikh encouraged incoming students to take advantage of the resources available to them, including reaching out to current students for advice and traveling to the Chestnut Hill campus to experience its offerings.
“Reach out to people, especially at Messina, because we’re here,” Shaikh said. “We start in the summer, so there’s not a lot of things going on at Chestnut Hill. And so your family is right here—your people are at Messina.”
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