Last year around this time, Leah Kruse ’20 was finishing up her first semester at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts. She was hesitant about staying.

“Bentley is a great school; however, I love the outdoors, and I knew I would be happier going to school in Maine and closer to home,” said Leah.

Leah is from Norridgewock, Maine, (population: 3,367) and went to Skowhegan High School. She loved growing up in a small town. She is still close to some of her high school teachers and is able to spend a lot of time with grandparents and cousins who live in town.

When Leah was deciding whether to transfer, she looked at Thomas College. She knew it had a great management program and that she would have the opportunity to play field hockey. One of her friends from high school, Shelby Watson ’16, M.B.A. ’17, sold her the school when she took her on a private tour. She was even more convinced after meeting the field hockey coach Andrea Thebarge and the rest of the team.

Leah knew after meeting everyone that Thomas was a great fit for her.

So, she made the switch this past fall, and she is happy she did.

“The community atmosphere is what makes Thomas so different from other schools,” said Leah. “Professors make it a point to get to know you, coaches welcome you into their offices to just sit down and talk, and even the Provost Dr. Edwards stops you in the hallway to ask you how your day is going. This is why I love Thomas.”

Leah’s dream job is to work in management at a hospital. She’s always loved management and has always been interested in the healthcare industry.

“I never wanted to be a doctor or a nurse, but I always thought that the healthcare industry was so interesting and impressive.”

Already, Thomas College is helping her prepare for her future career.

“Thomas has prepared me most for my life and my career by helping me with connections in the professional world,” said Leah. “I just got a local, part-time accounting job and would not have known about this position without my accounting professor Jamie Campbell. I know that I will continue to make connections that will guide me to success in the future.”

Leah just finished up her first semester at Thomas and already she has been made captain of the field hockey team and is part of the Terrier ACTION group and a student ambassador.

“Picking one memory that is my favorite at Thomas is hard because this semester has been full of so many,” said Leah. “Meeting new people and making the lifelong friends that I have made this semester has been more exciting than I ever thought. It is hard to believe that I have known some of my teammates for only a few months because it feels like I have known them for my whole life.”

Overall, Leah said she is happy she found herself at Thomas.

“Looking back on the past semester, I am sure that transferring to Thomas is the best decision I ever made.”