From the day she was born at St. Joseph鈥檚 Hospital, on the site where University Crossing now stands, UMass Lowell has been part of Claire Hall鈥檚 life.
She grew up on Wilder Street on South Campus, where she watched O鈥橪eary Library and Durgin Hall (now Moloney Performing Arts Center)聽sprout up in the 1970s. She鈥檚 worked at the university for 36 years 鈥� the last 16 as recruiting manager for the Career and Co-op Center. She even met her husband, Scott Hall 鈥�93, on campus.
And now, three decades after starting her bachelor鈥檚 degree in American studies at the university, Hall can call herself a UML graduate.
鈥淚t feels very good to be done,鈥� says Hall, who returned to school a year and a half ago through the to complete the eight courses that remained after she left in the early 鈥�90s to care for her ailing parents.
鈥淚 knew I had to finish,鈥� says Hall, who took six courses online and two in person. 鈥淭he Politics of Food鈥� and 鈥淚talian American Literature and Culture鈥� were her favorites.
鈥淚t was neat to be in the classroom again,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 met two other undergraduate students who kind of welcomed me and said, 鈥極h, hi. What鈥檚 your name?鈥� Even though there was a big age difference, they made it a great experience.鈥�
Hall was inspired to get her college degree by her late mother, Yvonne Hoffman.
鈥淢y parents grew up in the Depression and didn鈥檛 have a chance to go to college. My mom told me I should take advantage of it,鈥� says Hall, whose late sister, Susan Hoffman 鈥�80, was the first in the family to go to college, earning a degree in political science from UML. The family established the after she passed away in 2010.
鈥淲e鈥檝e always felt like UMass Lowell was part of our family,鈥� says Hall, who has one other sister, Christine Haskell.
Hall now lives in Westford, but Lowell will always be home.聽
鈥淯Mass Lowell was our backyard,鈥� says Hall, who lived on Wilder Street for 40 years. She remembers sledding on the hill behind Allen House with her sisters in the winter. In the summer, her father William would sell produce from the family garden to faculty and staff. Hall remembers loading veggies into a wagon and helping him deliver them to Dugan Hall.
鈥淚鈥檝e done the cycle of life here,鈥� Hall says. 鈥淣ow I have a degree, and I鈥檓 proud of it.鈥�