Joy, laughter and a warm welcome at Bobcat welcomed the first two students admitted to Quinnipiac’s centennial class of 2029.

Gianna Pagliaro ’29 and Finn Mara ’29, new freshmen for next fall, received the exciting news Friday morning when a team of Quinnipiac Ambassadors, accompanied by Boomer, made surprise visits to their high schools. Both students received their official acceptance packets while family, friends and members of the school community surrounded them with cheers and applause.

Quinnipiac, founded in 1929, will mark a milestone next year by welcoming its 100th class of students. Pagliaro and Mara are the first two students to join this historic class.

The morning began at Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden, where high school senior Pagliaro said she had no idea what happened when her teacher called her out of English class. That morning, she was in Quinnipiac’s admissions portal, checking the status of her application to see if she had been accepted.

“I’m so excited and filled with joy right now,” Pagliaro said. “I was stressed up until now because I knew Quinnipiac was the school I wanted to be at from the first time I was on campus. I knew it was everything I was looking for in a university and that the people around me were very welcoming. I’m so happy! »

Beaming through her tears, she welcomed hugs from the large group of family and friends who were there to surprise her, all enthusiastically wearing Quinnipiac shirts and waving pom poms and signs. Pagliaro plans to continue her education in nursing.

Her mother, Lauren, became emotional as she recounted Gianna’s journey over the past few years.

“Quinnipiac was his first choice, his only choice. This is the place she wants to be,” she said. “We are all here today because we support Gianna. We are so proud of her. I truly believe it is 100 % the work of her father, Joe, who is in heaven to watch over her He died when she was 11 years old and that is the reason why she wants to become a nurse She wants to help other people by turning to. the field of health.

Experience Manager Tom Ellett greeted Gianna and formally presented her with her Quinnipiac acceptance envelope before welcoming her to the Bobcat family.

“Here’s your four-leaf clover,” Ellett said, warmly referencing her college admissions essay and the personal meaning clovers symbolize to her. “Congratulations, you are the first student accepted to Quinnipiac this year for the Class of 2029.”

The Quinnipiac team then traveled to Fairfield College Preparatory School to surprise high school senior Finn Mara with his own acceptance letter. Finn was joined by members of the Fairfield Prep community as well as his family, his mother, Erica, his father, Aidan and his two younger brothers, Harrison and Oliver, all dressed in new Quinnipiac T-shirts.

“We saw seven or eight schools, and every time he went back to Quinnipiac. It was the only school he liked after all the ones we visited,” said his father, Aidan. “It’s exactly what suits him.”

Surrounded by his family, Finn took it all in stride as Senior Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions Jeanne Liu presented him with his welcome package and spoke about his academic and athletic accomplishments that helped him achieve this moment.

“I had the pleasure of reviewing your application and it was an excellent application. Not only academically, but also with lacrosse and wrestling, you even taught yourself to play the guitar,” Liu said. “But what sealed the deal was your holistic approach and essay. We believe that at Quinnipiac you will definitely excel.

Arriving as an undeclared liberal arts student in the fall, Finn wants to continue his studies in sports management or business analytics.

“I’m so surprised right now,” Finn said, as he proudly put on his new Quinnipiac sweatshirt and baseball cap before posing for photos with his family and Boomer. “I’m online every day to check if I’ve been accepted. I’m so excited to be able to be a part of this community.