Monique Essel

Hello! I’m Monique, a first-generation Hartford campus student studying social work. I had started at UConn Hartford a complete outsider. I had no friends and didn’t see many people that looked like me. Along with not knowing how to navigate through college at all because I had no one that could truly explain it to me. When I started coming to the Academic Achievement Center I felt at peace, like I finally found my home. The AAC is a center where every aspect of yourself is welcomed, and everyone here is passionate about your success. It’s beautiful to see a community like this function where everyone is refreshingly different in a way that flows perfectly together.