After all but one of the Saint Mary's hall directors left the College at the end of last year, three new faces were on hand to greet students as they settled into their dorms.
Kirsten Mannion, Nicole Clery and Sarah Allard took on the positions left vacant by women with years of experience at the helm of the residence halls.
Mannion, now at the helm of LeMans Hall, is a New York native and a 2001 graduate of Trinity College, a small women's school in Vermont. Mannion fell in love with Saint Mary's after she posted her resume on the resident life website and began corresponding with Saint Mary's ResLife director Michelle Russell.
Ready for the new year, Mannion said she hopes to get to know her residents, promote greater hall spirit and instill a sense of community among the women of LeMans Hall.
"Move-in weekend was exciting. I could put names to faces," she said. "The Saint Mary's women have been open and eager to help and made me feel right at home."
Clery's journey was a mere puddle-jump, as she shifted from a veteran resident advisor in LeMans Hall to the director of Holy Cross.
"It was a natural progression," Clery said.
The 2004 Saint Mary's graduate and current Florida resident served as a resident assistant in LeMans for three years while she pursued a bachelor's degree in communications. After toying with the idea of becoming an admissions counselor, Clery decided the hall director position more her calling. Clery enters this school year with optimism and plans to inspire hall spirit.
"I want Holy Cross residents to get involved in their hall and college," she said.
This year, along with the usual dozens of freshmen McCandless Hall welcomed its new director Allard.
A Northern Illinois University graduate from outside Peoria, Ill., Allard stumbled upon the position over the Internet.
"I chose Saint Mary's because it was so different than NIU," she said. "I wanted a different experience."
Allard said she found the summer-to-school year transition surprisingly smooth because the resident move-ins were sporadic and manageable. She added that she wants the women of McCandless to enjoy their time at Saint Mary's and take advantage of all the opportunities the College offers.
"I hope they will have fun but maintain focus on their studies," she said.
Hall director duties include supporting and directing the resident advisors of each hall, coordinating hall programs and events, distributing Residence Life-issued information and overseeing the front desk workers of the hall.
The women are replacing former hall directors Christine Artz, Melissa Peters and Natissa Kultan.
