Alumnus Jeff Gosselin was ecstatic when his son Ben chose to carry on the tradition of studying finance and playing sports at Thomas College, like he did years ago.  
 
After only one semester at the College, Ben is thriving and is glad he made the decision to become a Terrier.  
 
Ben studies finance and plays both hockey and baseball. Academically, he has enjoyed the program so far and can tell his professors are here to help students succeed.  
 
“Every class I have taken is based on real life and not just reading out of a book. You get to apply what you’re learning in real life situations,” notes Ben. “For example, in my accounting class, we played Monopoly and wrote all the transactions down and then put them into ledgers and worksheets and financial statements. It felt as if you were running your own business.”  

 
Ben adds that being a student-athlete has helped him meet people and make friends fast – plus the experience is very rewarding. 

“I haven’t had a baseball game yet, but the hockey arena is always filled with students and faculty members cheering us on,” he says.  
 

“If you are part of a team at Thomas, you are part of that family. You spend a lot of time together during the season and become close. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” 

Ben’s dad, Jeff, is a Senior Vice President and Market Manager of Business Banking at Mechanic Savings. Ben enjoys that his dad is an alumnus because he gets to hear stories about when he was here. 
 
“My dad comes up to visit whenever he can because he loves seeing how the campus has changed and how much the College has done for students and staff,” says Ben. “He loves being able to watch Thomas games and spend time together.” 

Jeff says, “In looking back at my experience as a student and athlete at Thomas College, I honestly believe the decision to attend was absolutely one of the best decisions of my life, and it certainly made a significant impact on my career and my personal life. Thomas College provided me with the strong educational foundation for my current success in the banking industry, and more importantly, I became part of a very close-knit college community; my soccer teammates became kind of my second family. As a smaller school, the College had engaged faculty members that enabled and encouraged me to get involved in the campus community, providing me the opportunity to learn and grow into a leader while a student on campus and, subsequently, in my career and community.”     

“When Ben decided to attend Thomas College to study finance and participate in both hockey and baseball, I was very excited,” Jeff adds. “Based on my own experience, I knew the College could provide him with a wonderful opportunity to earn a high-quality business education. I believed that he would also be able to embrace being part of the Thomas College family; develop leadership skills; and, build lasting friendships that will make all the difference for success long after graduation.” 

Ben was even able to wear his dad’s old Thomas hockey jersey for a captain’s practice at the beginning of the year, carrying out the Gosselin tradition at Thomas College. 

This article was originally published in the Winter/Spring 2020 Thomas Magazine.