Thanks to the Student Exchange Program created by the Association of Colleges of the Sisters of St. Joseph (ACSSJ), St. Joseph’s College students can study in another part of the country for up to a year while attending another college founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph.
Each of the colleges show a commitment to the values of the Sisters of St. Joseph — the same commitment students see demonstrated through the five pillars at SJC Brooklyn and SJC Long Island — leading the students to feel right at home.
Danielle Fieseler, who graduated from SJC Long Island this past May, studied at the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York, last fall. She’s the first student from St. Joseph’s College to participate in the exchange program.
“If I had the opportunity to extend my stay, I would’ve,” the mathematics and computer science major said. “I wish I knew about this experience sooner. I wish I could have done it for the fall and spring. I wish others students knew about it.
“Seek out opportunities,” she encouraged other St. Joseph’s students. “Take every opportunity that you can.”
Estefani Alarcon, a student from Mount Saint Mary’s University, studied at SJC Brooklyn while participating in the program.
“I was seeking an adventure,” she said. “I wanted to be exposed to different communities, cultures and needs by exploring and becoming a part of a different community. I came back with a different mentality and a motivation to end my undergraduate journey strong.”
Where You Can Go
1. Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri
2. Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
3. College of our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee, Massachusetts
4. Fontbonne University in St. Louis, Missouri
5. Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles, California
6. Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts
7. St. Catherine University in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota
8. St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn and Patchogue, New York*
9. The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York
*Students who attend SJC Long Island’s campus have the opportunity to study at SJC Brooklyn and vice versa.
How It Works
Those interested in participating in the Student Exchange Program must have completed a minimum of 24 semester hours and have a GPA of 2.5 or higher.
Participants can study at an affiliated college for one or two semesters. The two semesters can be spent either at the same campus or two different campuses. During this time, students work with their academic adviser and one of the program’s coordinators to enroll in classes relevant to their major.
While in the program, St. Joseph’s students still only pay their SJC tuition, and most of their financial aid package remains intact. If they decide to live on campus, room and board fees are billed at SJC according to the rates of the host campus. Additional course fees may apply.
Students with questions should contact the ACSSJ at acssj1@gmail.com, acssj.org or 317.721.1153.
