I truly felt a genuine welcome from everyone I encountered. It’s very rare to find this type of culture and environment at other schools. It’s genuine here.
Returning to college as a 46-year-old, Stratos Bonos, ’26, worried how he would be received on campus. As it turned out, Stratos had nothing to fear at Bridgewater State.
“I truly felt a genuine welcome from everyone I encountered,” said the music education major from Grafton. “It’s very rare to find this type of culture and environment at other schools. It’s genuine here.”
Stratos started taking college classes right after high school but put his degree on hold for financial reasons. He then became heavily involved in retail work, rising to district manager during a 23-year career at TJX Companies. But he missed a passion for music that flourished while he was in high school.
Seeking a career change, Stratos is back in the classroom studying to become a music teacher, ideally focusing on high school chorus or elementary music. He hopes to provide a space where students feel a sense of belonging just as he experienced in high school choral classes.
Stratos felt at home at BSU from his first time on campus. Transfer Services Director Jeff Sarahs, '10, G'12, and Dr. Sarah McQuarrie, chairperson of the Department of Music, were eager to meet him and helped him assimilate to Bridgewater.
When a severe car crash upended one semester, Stratos appreciated how accommodating his professors were about extending deadlines for assignments. It’s another example of the culture at Bridgewater that he finds so impressive.
In class, McQuarrie emphasizes the real-world applications of course concepts. Learning at BSU has a purpose beyond passing an exam, said Stratos, who even conducted a chorus during BSU's recent Holiday Extravaganza.
“She also shows a lot of patience, which is something as a teacher that I want to exhibit,” he said. “It’s about the journey and recognizing those small successes. She role models that every day.”
Stratos has a dynamic personality and is a strong critical thinker who is unafraid to ask questions, McQuarrie said.
“Stratos is very well liked and well respected among his peers,” she said. “He blends right in with the other students. He does not have any sort of preconception that he’s older or wiser. He’s there to learn.”
Outside of the classroom, Stratos serves as a tour guide, where he ensures prospective students feel the positive atmosphere he experienced.
“It’s been everything,” he said of coming to BSU. “It’s what has sustained me. It's what is setting me up for the next chapter of my life.”
Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@colleensflowercellar.com.