Where we came from. How we got here.

Read about students just like you and how and why they came to Pine Manor College. Find out what Pine Manor is like and how students change and grow at PMC. Then come join us!

Pine Manor College is..

A four-year liberal arts college dedicated to preparing women for roles of inclusive leadership and social responsibility in their workplaces, families, and communities. We pursue this goal through: integration of an outcomes-based curriculum and co-curriculum demonstrated by portfolio presentations; active, collaborative, applied liberal arts learning; and college-wide mentoring teams and community partnerships - in and environment that celebrates diversity and respects the common good.

Pine Manor College is diverse

PMC is proud to be ranked by U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges as teh most diverse B.A. liberal arts college in the country. Pine Manor students come from many different places in the U.S. and around the world, and many different kinds of schools.

That means there is probably a PMC student just like you

What follows are narratives written by Pine Manor College students about the path that brought them to PMC. Through all have had different experiences leading up to college, they are all in a place now where they can pursue an empowering liberal arts education and prepare to shape their own future and the future of the world we share. Some of these students may remind you of you. Perhaps you would be interested in meeting students like these. Take a look

Our stories. Our Voices.

SYMPHONY: Before entering college I received an education from many different public, private, and charter schools. From kindergarten to the sixth grade I went to five different schools. My mother wanted the best for me and my twin sister, and we had a difficult time finding a good place to start the foundation of our education. In 2002 I was granted the opportunity to enter the METCO program in Weston, a very good public school in the Boston suburbs. I went from being in the racial majority to being in the minority. That was a new experience for me and it took time to get used to. I never before had much interaction with students that did not look like me or that did not come from the same place as me. I believe that sometimes we have to take risks to experience new things and to have a better education. When you're placed in an unfamiliar environment you need to learn that sometimes you need to step out of your environment to learn that there are better things in life. Also, being comfortable or convenient does not always mean you will have the best quality of anything, even education. I learned that life gives us opportunity - so when you receive one, take it even if you have doubts and are scared. At Pine Manor, I read an essay by Steve Almond that was written over thirty years ago. I found it interesting that I would have something in common with someone who went to school in the seventies and on the other side of the country. I find this really interesting because no matter what your location everyone deals with the same educational struggles. I also believe that we all can find a peer who has had a similar educational experience.

CARLYNE: I was fourteen years old when my parents realized coming to the United States would be a great opportunity. I began middle school without knowing the English language. In high school, I took courses through the English as a second language program, which put a lot of pressure on me. Freshman and sophomore years I made so many mistakes that I would later regret. I followed others instead of leading. Eventually, I started to reflect on the future I cam here for: what I watned to do with myself; where I wanted to be in life. That's when I began to question myself. Do I really want to be like everyone else? No. That's when I started to take ownership of my own life. I started to pay attention in class, completing all my working, and being a positive leader in my classes. I lost a lot of friends because I was doing the right things. After completing all my work and my goals for my high school years, I had all As and Bs and I was so proud of myself. I walked out with a big smug expression on my face. Anyone's dream can come true as long as you work hard for it. College is not easy and I am nervous bu that doesn't mean I'm going to give up. My parents opened the door for me so that I could attend college so I can be successful in my life. With their inspiration, and lessons I learned about becoming a better student, I will focus on my education.

MILAGROS: I am an alumna of one of the top all-girls private schools in New York City. I was an excellent student and ranked 20th out of the 146 students in my graduating class. I was an active student who was involved in many extra-curriculars. Throughout high school I was president of Global Concerns, which was a club dedicated to educating both peers and the larger community about universal humanitarian issues. At the beginning of my senior year, it dawned on me that even though I felt confident that I was academically prepared to go to any college of my choosing, academics was unfortunately all that I knew. My education had been biased; I was taught only what my teachers felt I should know. I was allowed to voice little to no input in my education in regards to what I wanted to learn or what my interests were. Independent thinking was, in my opinion, all together discouraged. So at the end of my high school career I could recite whole works of literature but still knew very little about myself. The only thing I did know was that I wanted to be in control of my own learning, wanted to hear both sides of every argument and story, and didn’t want my biggest regret to be that I hadn’t lived my own life because I simply did what I thought I was supposed to do. I applied to schools both in and out of NYC. I applied to the ivy leagues, universities, out-of-state colleges, state colleges and public universities and got accepted to all of them. Yet from all of my choices I picked Pine Manor. Finally I found a school that both fostered and encouraged independent thinking and allowed students the chance to have a say in their own education.

RACHEL: After doing some research I decided to apply for admission at PMC and I am convinced it was one of the best choices I have ever made. I visited Pine Manor on my way to look for apartments in New York and fell in love with Chestnut Hill. While visiting I met with Dean Chester, who went through a degree audit with me. I found I could transfer from my previous college with 96 credits. It was only going to take me one year to graduate in the Visual Arts program. I was thrilled and made the decision to move to Massachusetts three weeks before classes started. I am so thankful for the opportunity and ability to complete my degree.

ANNE ELIE: I went to public school all my life and thought I had received a great education. But once I graduated from public school and went to private college, I began to have different thoughts about public school. I was behind in most of my college courses because what was supposed to be review for the course was new to me. Soon after, I was behind in all my classes. I found myself struggling to keep up with school, which caused me to think of dropping out. Sometimes, I found myself asking, “Why?” Why didn’t I get the same kind of education as those who were in the same college classes as me? Is it because I am poor? Or is it the public school keeping its students from realizing their full potential? I started realizing that my public school educators had failed to teach me what they were supposed to teach me. Public education is a great way that America helps the families who are not able to pay for school. But the way America’s public schools function causes students from some schools to be behind. Now that I am at Pine Manor College, I know that we must demand that the government change the mindset of failure toward public schools. That way it will not only be “we the people” on a piece of Constitution paper, but we’ll be able to experience together the effect of what “we the people” can do when we have education and opportunity.

ANNASTASIA: Now my life is at the point where I have to make my own decisions and have my own responsibility. It’s called living the college life at Pine Manor College. It wasn’t easy to get to this point and graduating from high school. I struggled so much because I was basically on my own in high school as well. That’s the way my parents taught me to become more responsible and live life on my own. I graduated high school with the class of 2008 and I was five months pregnant. Yes, it was a hard task to accomplish. I was sick every day. But that didn’t stop me from walking across that stage. Having this child is making me push even harder to accomplish my goals because I want the best for my son. Now I am enrolled in college because I couldn’t give up my education for anything. I am a full-time first-year student at Pine Manor College, taking all the classes that I need. I believe since I am a strong, young, teen mother I will get very far in life and get a career I really want.

MILAGROS: Away from home and my parents for the first time, I made my primary objective to have a complete college experience. This meant I studied and worked hard on some days and partied, procrastinated and pulled all nighters on other days. School was still important to me but equally so became my social life and personal growth. The diversity of the campus allowed me to meet and make friends with people from many different countries. Through my interactions with them I learned about cultures, countries, traditions and languages that were different from my own. I learned to eat pad thai, and drink chai tea, and about holidays such as Ramadan, Tanabata and Bastille Day. The issues discussed in class were often controversial and teachers presented both sides to every issue. Students were encouraged to discuss and debate amongst themselves and most importantly were allowed to make up their own mind. The curriculum and classes offered at Pine Manor College helped me increase my knowledge of academic subjects and the world around me.

CHANTAY: The classroom experiences during my four years at PMC have been very interesting. As an accounting major, trying to solve a problem, what do I do?  In my accounting courses, I’ve used both quantitative and critical thinking skills to solve a problem.  Most non-accounting majors think we use only the mathematical approach to solve any problem. We also have to think strategically in financial and economic situations. The accounting classes at Pine Manor College require each student to develop the application of knowledge and critical thinking skills.

LAURA: At Pine Manor I have made some very good decisions that are mature, and some bad decisions that are immature.  I feel I have truly found myself in the college world. I feel that I have expressed myself to many people and people know who I am and what I stand for. I am a strong female who will stand up for what I believe in; I am a goal-setting female who will reach every goal; I am an out-spoken female who will not let anyone or anything get the best of me; I am a confident female who will go in to every situation with her head up proud.

MASSAWA: My freshman year at Pine Manor seemed like a never-ending stream of work. However, because I barely did any work in high school, I was hungry to achieve academic success in an institution of higher education. I felt as if I had something to prove: I wanted to make others believe that people of color could defy the odds and become successful. I wanted to show everyone that there is more than one Oprah, that there are many ambitious people of color who can show the world that stereotypes are simply one-dimensional. I wanted to prove that I was my very own Wonder Woman.  Initially, I was supposed to be a Social and Political Systems major, but writing got in the way of that. I fell in love during my Composition Honors course. The language of the authors in every piece we read, the various interpretations of one scene and the manner in which they were developed, the plots and characters – all spoke to me. I found myself signing up for more English courses, and by the time I was in the third semester, I excitedly decided that English would be my weapon of choice. My enthusiasm didn’t stop there. The Introduction to Psychology course, which started out as a science requirement, turned out to be one of my biggest passions. I studied human behavior and the factors affecting personality development, different cultures around the world, and intelligence. I also participated in theater. At Pine Manor I gained critical thinking and analytical skills. Before I entered college, I barely sat down to write a one-page paper. Graduating from PMC in a few months, I can write a ten-page paper in my sleep (maybe not perfectly, but I could probably do it satisfactorily).

NAOMIE: I was required to do an internship my first semester senior year in order to graduate. Struggling to find an internship, I finally found one at Boston Medical. Interning at Boston medical for the first semester was the best thing that could have happened to me; it changed my whole perception and encouraged me to continue with school. I attended Boston Medical every Tuesday and Thursday as a research coordinator for kids who have sickle cell disease. Unaware of what sickle cell was or how it affected the body, I entered the internship environment with no knowledge of sickle cell and left with full comprehension. Having the chance to intern at Boston Medical showed me the importance of doing an internship. Because of my hard work and dedication I had the opportunity to get offered a full time job after I graduate.

JEANETTE: The first semester was arduous. However, I quickly picked up the subtle patterns of learning, the patterns of theory, and that what I was learning was all interdependent; that the application of knowledge, the ability to connect one subject to another area of practice, is a viable and important aspect in the process of learning. My oral communications skills that semester had tremendously improved due in part to my Marketing Principles class. That class was one of the most intense, fun, productive classes that I have taken. My mentoring class also brought me out of my shell. In this class, I had to counsel young women. Therefore, I could not remain reserved and quiet. I had to be proactive, able to engage everyone within the team to participate and bring forth change. It felt really good when I mentored these young women. This semester, my last semester, I am taking three management classes, one communication class and a dance class. Needless to say, I have grown quite a lot since I came onto campus. I have become an industrious student, a socially responsible person, and a leader in my community.

JEWEL: PMC has a lot of opportunities but you have to search for them because they don’t always come to you. Being here I have gained a more worldly view. Before I came to Pine Manor I had a more sheltered view of the world. PMC has opened my eyes to different aspects of life. I decided on being a Social and Political Systems major because of how much I loved the introductory class co-taught by Professor Shea and Professor Vogele. I felt comfortable with the sociological theories that each author presented. I also gained a good perspective on how the social world worked. Each professor brought a different viewpoint to the table, both social and political. Shea and Vogele were comfortable teaching together and it was a nice and equal balance between the two.

"It was at Pine Manor that I first took seriously my studies and intellectual growth."

-Emily, '69

"I work in a very competitive environment that is full of stress and pressure, and PMC gave me confidence in myself to hold my own. In a very real sense, PMC empowered me."

-Gloria, '93

"I think PMC played a major role in my career. I truly believe without my experience and self challenges that I received at Pine Manor, I would not have had the successes I enjoy today."

-Melissa, '94

"I knew the risks I was taking, but I felt I was ready. My experience at PMC gave me self-confidence and prepared me for this step."

-Samara, '98