Bay Path University

Bay Pathway Winter 2015 CAROL CAMP NORMANDIN '82 *'14 BAY PATH JUNIOR COLLEGE "I grew up on a dairy farm in Vermont," Carol offered as an explanation of how much was new and exciting at Bay Path Junior College. "Meeting people from different walks of life… eating Mexican food…it was a whole new world!" For Carol, it was also the start of a completely different journey. She graduated, went to work for Aetna Insurance, moved to Connecticut, and started a family. One day, a postcard came that changed her world yet again. It was from Bay Path, advertising an online degree completion program. Her daughter, en route to college in New Hampshire, told her to seize the day. Juggling work, online classes, and being a full-time mom was hard, Carol admits, but there were moments she will always treasure. "My daughter sometimes yelled at me to stop procrastinating and do my homework!" she said, laughing. "And often, my youngest son and I were in the same room together, working on our computers. In a way, it was kind of nice." She's hoping for this next step of her life to push once again beyond her familiar. "I knew I needed something more," she said, her voice filled with pride. "Bay Path was there for me once, and I know that I will get something even better once again. Bay Path and I are both moving forward into the future!" *Carol Normandin '14 earned her bachelor's degree in the inaugural class of Bay Path's Online Degree Completion Program. MARY WIELKIEWICZ BESKO '46 BAY PATH SECRETARIAL SCHOOL Commuting to school every day with her brother from Palmer, Mary was dropped off near MassMutual; she would then take a bus down State Street to get to class. "It was ten cents for one trip," she remembered. She was a student when Bay Path moved to our present location in Longmeadow. Was it a big change from downtown Springfield? "There were two more bus exchanges. It was harder for me to get to!" Mary joked. Her studies focused on the medical secretary curriculum, and after graduation she put her degree to good use in her hometown. "A doctor had just come back from the war," she remembered. "Bay Path asked if he needed a secretary. He said 'I can't pay you much. But I'll give you a shot.' I stayed there fifteen years." Eventually, she went to work at the Friendly's headquarters in Wilbraham, Mass. As the secretary for the plant manager, her skills ultimately benefitted all the supervisors in the building. She's proud to see how her school has evolved yet again. "It's exciting to read and see how the school is growing. I'm always proud to say that I'm a graduate of Bay Path." "I'm always proud that I'm a graduate of Bay Path." "Bay Path is a community that takes pride in each individual success." 14

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