Move-In Day Brings Babson’s Global Campus Together
When Sheikha Al-Otaibi ’25 addressed the crowd at the May 2025 Commencement ceremony, she compared Babson to an airport—a place where people from all over the world convene. Her audience was sitting on the departure floor, awaiting their next stop. Flash forward a few months later, it’s time for the new arrivals to prepare for takeoff.
Every year, first-year move-in day is one of the truest embodiments of Babson’s global campus. As Move-In Day 2025 progressed, the Class of 2029 arrived from their departing locations, eager to see what awaits them as they enter the Babson College metaphorical gates.
New students bring not only mini-fridges and floor-length mirrors but mementos from home. As her dad puts together furniture, Elaina Head ’29 is unpacking her snack bin. They arrived from Hawaii a few days ago, and she has brought a few island-specific snacks, specifically mochi crunch and chocolate-covered pineapple gummy bears and rice crackers. Her mom jokes that she had to pack ramen noodles because she only likes a specific brand.
“The moment I stepped on campus, I knew it was the right place,” says Head, who will compete on the women’s track and field team at Babson.
Next door, Antonia Velez ’29 and her mom are arriving from Colombia. She says many people from home don’t go abroad for college, but she was eager for that global experience. Her dad helped her discover Babson, and like Head, she loved it immediately. “I am a little bit shy, but I am so eager to meet everyone,” Velez says.
By 10 a.m., the campus was full of new faces and their families, guided by the cheers of peer mentors and the slew of staff members helping them find their way. Resident assistant (RA) Jaylanni Rodriguez ’27 is working outside the Park Manor residence halls, central to all the action.
“Today reminds me of childhood. It’s so full of imagination,” Rodriguez, a New York City native, says. “You can just see the excitement on their faces and the mix of emotions. It’s a day you know they will remember forever.”
The childhood memories of Ellisha Shinchuk ’29 are not far from campus. Shinchuk and her mom joked about how exhausting the 30-minute ride from Newton, Massachusetts, was. Shinchuk, who wanted to go to school near home, says chatting with Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions Jennie Moore sealed the deal. Her mom, as she secures a fitted sheet over a mattress, interjects that the cute campus was also a factor.
Roommates and lacrosse teammates Carter DeWitt ’29 and Aidan Adams ’29 both drove up from the Mid-Atlantic, Pennsylvania and Maryland, respectively. DeWitt specifically mentions how he’s more excited to see what he learns outside the classroom than in.
Part of their room is lofted, with a spiral staircase to the left when you enter. Walking up and down, it mimics the spinning of the Babson Globe. They both are slow and steady reminders of what’s ahead, for these new roommates as well as the entire class.
Whether the journey involved a trans-oceanic flight or just a drive down Route 9 from a neighboring town, right now the destination is Babson. And members of the Class of 2029 are just so eager to see where it takes them.
Flip through a slideshow of move-in photos by Nic Czarnecki/Babson College:
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