New in the Neighborhood: Royals Class of 2028

New faces on campus and in the neighborhood. The University of Scranton welcomes more than 1,225 incoming students for the fall semester.
Nearly 40 members of the University’s undergraduate class arrived last week to participate in FIRST (Freshmen Involved in Reflective Service Together), a reflective service immersion program. Class of 2028 FIRST participants volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club of NEPA, Friends of the Poor, the Gino Merli Veterans Center, Neighborworks, the Weinberg Memorial Food Bank and the University’s We Care program. WBRE News aired a story on the FIRST program, featuring students at one of the Neighborworks locations, shown below.
FIRST participants and community partners discuss their experience with Royal News.
The FIRST program is stronger than ever after more than two decades. Learn about the early years of the FIRST program in The Scranton Journal.
CREATING A MOSAIC

Incoming students also arrived early to participate in the MOSAIC (Meaningful Opportunities for Student Access, Inclusion and Community) program. MOSAIC included a tour of downtown Scranton and resources on campus, panel discussions with faculty, staff and administrators, and students, as well as sessions on the transition to college and opportunities to meet with other students and each other. Nearly 30 percent of the incoming class identify as first-generation college students.
ROYAL COMMUNITY WELCOMES LEGACY STUDENTS

The class of 2028 includes 78 legacy children, shown, above, whose parents are University of Scranton alumni. Read more about the incoming Class of 2028 here.
FAMILY FAREWELLS AT RESIDENCE HALLS

On Aug. 26, members of the Class of 2028 moved into residence halls. View a photo gallery of Move-in here.
The Class of 2028 represents more than 400 high schools, has an average SAT score of 1,236. Members of represent 16 states, including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, as well as the countries Dominican Republic, Ireland, Marshall Islands and Mexico.
SATURDAY WELCOME CONCLUDES WITH Mass
Fall welcome events on Saturday included a Mass at which the Class of 2028 banner was introduced and blessed, shown below.
Classes began on Monday, Aug. 26.
