Students come to Salem State College from all walks of life and for various reasons. Many have interesting stories to tell. Such is the case of Carlos Camelo a class of 2005 graduate who majored in Political Science and double minored in Foreign Languages and Latin American Studies.
Carlos, a native of Colombia, South America, first heard about Salem State College through a friend. He planned on taking a few courses to ‘brush up’ on his English so, he entered our English as a Second Language program. While in the program, the friendly environment at Salem State College coupled with his passion for soccer, quickly convinced him to apply for full-time admission. Once admitted, Carlos hit the ground running. He joined a number of student groups and clubs such as International Student Association, Catholic Student Community, Political Science Academy and the French Club. Carlos also took advantage of our study abroad program in Oviedo Spain and Quebec City Canada. He played four years of soccer playing various positions including goalie and mid-field. All this, and he was only in the US for five years.

His strong academic achievement and his involvement in extra-curricular activities have served him well. Upon graduating, Carlos was employed by the Cordis Corporation. Cordis, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, is one of the most successful companies in the world. Cordis develops products to treat circulatory system diseases. The company is located in Miami Fl.

Stephen Laferriere received top honors at the national finals of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Washington DC. Stephen, a senior theatre major, won the prestigious National Irene Ryan Award. This award goes to the individual who is considered the top student actor in the United States.

Stephen, from Dracut, Mass, became interested in theatre in sixth grade when he auditioned and landed a part in the annual Christmas play. From that point forward, his passion for theatre blossomed. When Stephen entered high school, he participated in the annual musical. Wanting more, he and fellow classmate, Leo Giannopoulos, also a Salem State student started a theatre program at the high school. Throughout his high school years, Stephen participated in community theatre and church theatre.

As for how he landed at SSC, his high school theatre mentor along with the music director and guidance counselor, were aware of the excellent reputation of the theatre program at Salem State College and recommended that Stephen visit the campus. Stephen saw what he liked in fact, his classmate Leo and another Dracut senior, Katie Grande, accompanied Stephen on his visit. They were so impressed with Salem State College that they all decided to enroll as theatre majors. Stephen was one of 3,000 students nationwide, who participated in the American College Theatre Festival. His performance was so impressive that while Stephen was competing in Washington DC, he was offered an internship at the prestigious Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center in Waterford CT. The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, a Tony Award winner for theatrical achievement, is dedicated to fostering new works for the stage and training theater artists.