Francesca L.

Francesca Lurvey is a blur of energy.  While at Bay State, she was President of the College’s Campus Activities Board, helping to plan 15 activities each semester.  In addition, she was her dorm’s Resident Assistant.  And she’s managed The Spot, Bay State’s student entertainment venue.  Oh, and she works as an usher at the local Red Sox baseball stadium.

As an aspiring events planner who’s interested in concert production and musical tour management, Francesca has a ready answer to explain her energy level:  “Bay State just feels like the right place to be, because I am learning something that I love and am passionate about.” 

The professors in her program are largely responsible for fueling that passion, says Francesca.  They’re all very personable,” she says. “They’ll know your name and talk to you—you’re not just a number here.  And they give you good advice on how get the most out of your college experience here.”

And for career-minded students like Francesca, her professors, all professionals in the entertainment industry, are also a unique link to the realities of the working world.  “When they’re teaching you the subject, you really get to know it for what it is, rather than what you could just read in a book,” she says. “Everything you learn has a story behind it.  It’s really good to hear someone who’s been through it, because then you know that it’s possible for you to do it too.”

To bring the real world into the classroom, her professors not only share stories—they require professionalism.  “They treat everything you do, from being in the classroom to doing projects, as if you were in the working world,” she says. “They will get down to the nitty gritty with you, like they are your boss, not just your professor.”

“It’s a definitely a challenge but a great environment,” says Francesca. “Because in the real world, if you don’t know your stuff, they’re not going to hire you.”