[Editor's note: This is part 5 of 11 in a series of Aquinas College student profiles being published on the Aquinas website throughout the spring 2012 semester.]

With an older sister as an AQ alumna and older brother Nate, a current AQ student and accounting major, Aquinas just seemed like the natural place for junior Marissa McCorry. Even before her freshmen year at the College, she was familiar with the campus, the strong community and the personalized attention offered to students.

"I really like the fact that the professors know who their students are and we aren't just another student passing through. The availability for one-on-one attention is something that I really appreciate," McCorry said, discussing how students at Aquinas cannot just be the person who sits in a corner but rather have a name, face, and personality to staff and faculty.

She feels that Aquinas is far enough away from her hometown of Mattawan, Michigan to be her own person, but still close enough so as to not feel cut-off from home. One of her favorite parts of being on a small campus is being able to see people she knows, whether it be students or professors, as she makes her way from one side of campus to the other.

McCorry said that for her freshmen and sophomore year she didn’t participate in on-campus activities as much as she would have liked to. Instead, she found herself going home to hang out with friends or volunteer and focusing on her studies.

"Going to a school with thousands upon thousands of students, I can only imagine how difficult it would be to find staff members that care like they do at Aquinas, " said McCorry. "That is something that I will always appreciate - how much Aquinas takes care of their students." Even while working with the Maintenance Department's Paint Crew over the summer she says that she found that the staff really cared about the students and tried to develop friendships with them, something that McCorry feels has truly impacted her not only as a student at the College but as a person as well.

A dual-major in Spanish and international business with plans to go into a career field where she can incorporate both simultaneously, McCorry spent the fall 2011 semester studying abroad in Salamanca, Spain. On top of dramatically improving her Spanish, studying abroad allowed her to create numerous memories with the nine other students. "Aquinas has helped me become more independent through the study abroad program. Before, I couldn't imagine traveling anywhere by myself, especially in a foreign country," said McCorry who missed Aquinas, her "home away from home," while in Spain.

She encourages students to become active in whatever interests them, something she wishes she had done more of before going to Spain and something she plans to do more of before graduation.