I may be biased because I'm an alum myself, but MSMC is an amazing oasis in an otherwise frenetic metropolis. What sets the school apart is that they have both a traditional undergrad program as well as a Weekend College format for working adults. It's not one of those "learn gun repair from home" kind of degree programs, but an honest to goodness 4-year liberal arts program that just happens to take place 18 jam-packed weekends a year instead of the normal Monday through Friday format.
Even as I was attending almost a decade ago, I was humbled by the tenacity of my fellow students. These weren't kids fresh out of high school living in dorms and going to keg parties, rather working adults with families and obligations. Sure, I worked 40 hours a week while carrying a full course load (which was BRUTAL), but many of my other classmates had children or aging parents to care for on top of studying.
This past weekend, I went into one of the classes to take some candid shots of students giving a marketing presentation, and was once again in awe of what these students go through while still going to classes. One man stood to give his presentation while wearing a giant metal neck brace. Before he began, he said "pardon the neck brace... I was in a car accident last week and broke my neck".
HE BROKE HIS NECK.
HE BROKE HIS NECK AND WAS STILL PREPARED FOR CLASS.
Damn. Take that in for a moment.
Getting my business degree at Mount St. Mary's gave me both the courage to start my own business, and, more importantly, the business acumen to make it a success. It feels so great to have come full circle... returning as a paid professional to the school that gave me so much.
Here are a few sample images from the shoots.... hopefully you'll see at least one of these on a giant billboard soon. All the subjects are either professors or current students.
