With a handful of Marist students writing for Odyssey every week, we decided to come together and share the things about Marist that make it so special to us; the things that make it home. Whether it's the river or the beautiful views that rise above it, the fantastic classes, or the opportunities to excel outside of school; here are a few of our favorite things about Marist.

1. The small class sizes

"I love the small class sizes! Makes for a much more intimate classroom experience and you're able to get to know your professors and classmates so much better. You're not just another student sitting in a lecture hall with hundreds of others, you're a familiar face/name to your professor and your classmates" - Lauren Del Plato

2. The teachers

"They actually want you to succeed and go out of their way to give you the opportunity to do well. Plus, they actually want to know what's happening in your life and get to know you." - Tierney Riccitelli

3. The internship opportunities

"The career center and internship offices in the various schools are extremely beneficial, and really helped me to get started in my search. I never would have thought of some of the programs that I could do without the offices! Also, since the school is so close to NYC, it's easy to go in for an interview, internship, or tour of a potential company." - Amanda Bagala

4. Intramurals!

"As a washed-up 3-sport athlete from high school, my highly competitive self needs intramurals every night to get through the semester. I have played almost every intramural sport offered, including soccer, basketball, flag football, and floor hockey. I have made some great friends through playing intramurals and love how competitive some of the leagues are. Plus, its really cool to be able to play soccer under the lights on the turf field!" - Dan Luise

5. The docks

"It may seem rather simple, but when you just need to escape from all your academic or social responsibilities, there is no better place to run to than the docks. You can look out at the Hudson River, letting the wind blow away all of your worries as your feet dangle over the side. They're just a really peaceful place." - Dakota Swanson

6. The fashion program!

"As a high school senior I thought I was set on being a high school English teacher and that is what I had in mind when I first visited Marist last year. Once I came here and was shown all the amazing projects and opportunities Marist students had done and [those] were still being worked on, my entire idea for my future changed. I love that I have the ability to not only learn the ins and outs of the fashion world here but I am confident that I will experience certain opportunities due to the great program here at Marist that other people may not get to. Being able to express myself freely in the fashion sense is something I never was able to do in high school so being here really opened my eyes and made me super excited for my future!!" - Renee Racioppi

7. The housing

"The sophomore, junior, and senior housing is so nice. The townhouse I live in is huge and has endless amounts of space and the new building looks like something out of a magazine. It is nice having such a comfortable home away from home." - Samantha Hensler

8. The incredible and breathtaking view

"The trees, water, the buildings make for a relaxing and easy to focus atmosphere." - Hannah Kirk

9. The location

"I love being so close to New York but still being able to have such a great, spread out suburban campus. It's easy to hop on the train and go into the city for an internship or just a day trip!! It's the best of both worlds." - Katie Schmalz

10. The abundance of clubs

"I love the abundance of clubs Marist offers. Not only is it a great way to get involved with the school and earn priority points, but you meet so many different people you never thought you'd come across. I've been able to develop various different passions because of it and learn what I want to do in the future!" - Tess Carcaldi

11. The music program

"I love the music program at Marist. While there's a music minor, there's no music major, and that amazes me. So many students join together through their love for music and pull off incredibly complex pieces with extraordinary talent. The students in the program themselves are awesome, too; they're one big family. Plus, Art is a great director of music!" - Alexa Vuillemot

12. The friendships you make

"The friendships you make are beyond amazing! The overall atmosphere of community here is overwhelming. The support systems you build here are so important. Everyone is so accepting and welcoming. You are sure to find someone that understands you like no one else. We are all Marist and we are all family." - Nicole Grossman

(editor's note: you could even be like this Marist friend group and end up on Ellen)

13. The experience

"The fashion program and college experience [are my favorite], this was the only college that had the best of both worlds for me while also being in close quarters to the city as well." - Emily Sommer

14. The employees

"Amanda who works the ice cream station in the dining hall always puts a smile on everybody's face and is very enthusiastic about ice cream." - Isabella Duenas-Lozada
"Anne the security guard is my favorite person ever!!! She is one of the few people who I can talk to about anything from politics, to the latest psychological thriller, also she is my birthday twin so there is that too!" - Tim Delgiorno

15. The library!

"It may always be a stressful time, or you sit there for hours pretending to be productive, but if you sit there and just stare at the beauty (which I do often instead of doing work), it's pretty amazing." - Kristen Dalli

16. The study abroad opportunities

"Not only are they extremely abundant and encouraged, but the school also offers you the chance to 'petition' for other locations as well, and if you give a good reason why you want to go somewhere, they'll allow you to go almost anywhere! I petitioned for a specific school in Dublin and met the absolute greatest people... would do it again in a heartbeat." - Megan McCormack

(editor's note - the image shown is in Florence, Italy where Marist has a branch campus that hundreds of kids study abroad at every year!)

17. The egg line in the morning and Antoinette

"She always knows everyone's order by heart and makes each person smile before she takes your order. That line's always so long because everyone's willing to wait because they're so good." - Caroline Cosgrove

18. The size of campus

"I love the size of the campus because it's small enough that I can recognize and wave to people on my way to class but large enough that there are still plenty of people I don't know and still have the chance to meet." - Kathleen Larkin

19. The people

"My one favorite part about Marist is the nice people. At least 75% of the people that I've met at Marist are just like Anne the security guard and Amanda the ice cream lady. They give me a chance even though I'm not in their clique or if I've never talked to them. They ask how my day is going and they naturally strike up a conversation about anything that interests me or them. So many people are just really friendly here and I'm so glad that Marist College is filled with people like that." - Caroline Fiske