Caitlin LeBlanc '13 G'19

Some dreams don’t come to fruition quite as expected. For Caitlin LeBlanc ’13 G‘19, her teenage dreams of “living in a dorm and going on spring break and being a typical college student” were put aside when she found herself pregnant with her son at the age of 15. After graduating from high school, she tucked away her dream of becoming a college student, and joined the workforce full time.

Although Caitlin was still the age of a traditional college student, she needed a non-traditional degree program. A year after graduating high school she learned that Bay Path University offered weekend classes so women can continue to work while earning a degree, and she applied that same day – and was immediately accepted.

She credits the Bay Path staff and faculty for encouraging and pushing her to reach her fullest potential so she could earn her Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education.  But Caitlin knew her potential didn’t stop there, and eighteen months later she returned to Bay Path for her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling.

“Graduate school was tough and a lot of work, but I was grateful for the opportunity to meet some really amazing individuals in the mental health counseling program who helped me survive my practicum work,” Caitlin said. “Together my peers and I made this dream become a reality – we are now earning our mental health counseling degrees.” 

Not only did Caitlin earn her master’s degree this year while working as a social worker for the Department of Children and Families, but she was also selected as the graduate student speaker for the 2019 Annual Graduate Recognition Ceremony that celebrates Bay Path’s Sturbridge and Concord campus graduates. During her address, Caitlin spoke of the transitional and powerful role that Bay Path had played in her life. Her ultimate professional goal is to work in a school setting to help other teenagers facing similar obstacles like the ones she faced as a teenager, something she would never be able to do without her Bay Path degrees.

Congratulations, Caitlin. Bay Path University is so proud to call you a double alumna!