Carlo Marchetti IDP’05, P’25 

I came to Trinity as a transfer student from Manchester Community College through the IDP program. When I first arrived on campus, I was overwhelmed by the beauty as I walked through the arch on Summit Street overlooking the quad at the beginning of the Long Walk and the eastern part of the city beyond and below. Being the first person in my family to go to college, I didn’t really feel like I belonged or was worthy of such an institution. I felt almost as an adopted child would coming into his or her new home for the first time. I was in my early 20s at the time, so I didn’t really get into the whole college party scene. Furthermore, I was a commuter, and unlike many of my fellow undergraduates, I had to work nights in order to support myself. As a consequence, I didn’t make many student friends. However, I did make some memorable connections with some of the professors, who doggedly pursued me and tried to encourage me to excel. I found the professors at Trinity to be very caring, engaging, and extremely invested in their students’ lives and academic successes, not unlike a parent or other guardian might. They took the time to meet with me whenever I had a question . . . not only at scheduled office hours. And I never felt rushed in any of our meetings. As a matter of fact, I remember occasionally getting together for coffee on the avenue (Franklin Avenue) with one of my professors at an authentic Italian café, where we would discuss a particularly difficult assignment or just chat and hang out together over an espresso or cappuccino and a pastry, of course. Trinity College is a diamond inside a rough area of a sometimes-struggling city . . . not unlike many other cities today. I worked in Hartford for over 20 years, so I know the good and the bad. Trinity is like an oasis for students who want to go to school inside a city but want the comfort and safety of a secure home base. The curriculum is extremely challenging, but the professors are all in, joining their students on the journey in order to help them succeed. I love Trinity, and I cherish my time there. I now have a sophomore attending Trinity College who is also loving her experience there (she gets to live there). And I have a son committed to joining her as a freshman this fall. Trinity is family.