Bringing home to Hutchinson: how dorm students try to keep a piece of their hometown with them

By Sam Ojeda / Staff writer

Every fall, around 6,000 people arrive at Hutchinson Community College for new opportunities and a new school year. Move-in day comes, and students are excited.

After the newness wears off, the homesickness sets in, and people miss home.

Students can still find ways for their Hutch home to feel like their natural home. 

Some students bring their pillows and blankets from home, others their family pictures. Some students bring creative and memorable items for them.

Colin Cymbalista is a Freshman at HutchCC. He is an international student from Ontario, Canada, which is a 19-hour car ride home. Bringing home to Hutch was essential to him.

“Hockey was a massive deal where I am from, so I brought my little kid hockey sticks with me as a reminder of my roots,” Cymbalista said.

That was not all Cymbalista brought. He brought a Canadian flag, and other Canadian memorabilia. 

Many students like Cole Hillman, who is a Freshman baseball player from Pella, Iowa, brought flags of their favorite local sports teams.

Rece Wilson is an Andover native. He is a Freshman this school year and he brought the couch he spent much time on growing up to keep him reminded of his house. 

All these students spoke of how the things they brought with them kept them reminiscing about their time before college.

Aimee Maher is a sophomore soccer player from Ireland. She brought large amounts of pictures of family and friends from back home.

“I put them on boards on the wall like a collage,” she said.

She looks at them often and helps her remember the people who helped her get there. 

“I look at them every day, and when I see my people from back home, it reminds me why I am here – to make them happy and proud,” Maher said.

With a significant presence of international students at HutchCC, it is easy to miss home from many hours away. For students closer to Hutchinson, it is more accessible to go home to their family and friends, but for many, it is hard to go back as often as they can. Many students bring bits and pieces of their upbringing to school.

Bringing home to Hutchinson can help bring peace to students and a reminder of why they are receiving a degree. 

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