Convinced, Connolly decided to take the plunge. With guidance from Atwood and his newly assigned enrollment counselor Nhi Mulkern, he began the enrollment process right away. He found out immediately that he qualified for the Alfond Scholars Initiative, which grants generous scholarships to every Maine resident.  

“When I ran the numbers and found out how affordable it was going to be, I knew I just needed to go for it,” Connolly said. “And with the support from the Roux enrollment team, the turnaround was crazy fast.” 

How fast? The Roux open house was in December, and Connolly was sitting in his first class in January. He initially enrolled as a part-time student, maintaining his full-time marketing job before deciding to go all-in on his studies to earn his degree more quickly. Again, Atwood, who was now also his classmate, stepped in to help, offering him a part-time job as a Roux Student Ambassador. The position allowed Connolly to earn some supplemental income on campus while still taking a full course load.  

“The Roux is just more community-centric than any other academic institution I’ve been a part of. There are many people you can go to for help,” said Connolly. “I still ask the enrollment staff for advice on classes. It’s just cool knowing they’re around and checking in on the success of the students they’ve enrolled. It’s good to stay in touch with them.” 

Atwood emphasizes how hands-on the Roux enrollment team is. “We’re unique in that every single Roux applicant is assigned an enrollment counselor who will be there for them every step of the way, from application to graduation,” she says. “Applicants get hands-on support from the moment they apply, but that’s just the beginning. That support will continue for as long as they’re enrolled at the Roux.” 

As part of his studies, Connolly scored is a co-op position at Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, where he was able to apply what he’d learned in the analytics program to real-life business and marketing scenarios.  

“I always knew I’d do a co-op, but I didn’t realize it would be the coolest job ever,” Connolly said. Again, he credits Roux staff for the support in getting the position, particularly Matt Lauzon, a Roux career services and co-op advisor, who helped Connolly tighten up his resume so that it was more marketable for analyst positions.   

Connolly completed his co-op in December. He hopes to land a full-time analyst gig after receiving his degree. In the meantime, he’s grateful to have found a community of support at the Roux Institute and is happy he made that fateful decision to attend a Roux open house in 2021.  

Atwood says she speaks to a lot of people who, like Connolly when he first stepped onto the Roux campus, are searching for the next step in their education or career but are unsure of where to begin. She encourages anyone who’s curious to simply talk with a member of her team. Roux enrollment staff will be at 150 events at college campuses this fall, but if you can’t catch them there, the institute regularly hosts open houses at their Portland campus. You can also get in touch with an enrollment counselor via the website, text, or phone.  

Atwood also urges people to stop by the Roux Institute to explore the space. “You don’t need an appointment to visit,” she says. “If you’re in Portland and want to explore our space, have a coffee on our patio, have a no-pressure conversation with a member of our staff, we encourage you to come say hi.” 

The Roux campus is located at 100 Fore Street in Portland, Maine.