Though many college students opted to return home for winter break, two undergraduates made the most of the hiatus by remaining on campus in Fordham’s residence halls, participating in service and cultural immersion programs, and frequenting New York City attractions.
Om Bhosale, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill ’26 and an international student from Pune, India, spent his winter break in Morganton, North Carolina, as part of a Fordham Global Outreach (GO) program to learn more about the fast fashion industry — he found that he took away much more from the trip than he anticipated.
“It was more than a learning experience; it was a change in perspective and the way I function, and the goals I had,” he said.
Sharing a different winter break experience from Bhosale, Issy Knapik, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’27, spent time gaining valuable working experience during the holiday season at a local restaurant as well as exploring New York in her free time while she stayed in McMahon Hall at the Lincoln Center campus.
According to Jenifer Campbell, dean of students at Lincoln Center, students can request to stay on campus during summer and winter breaks. She noted that a quarter of the student population at the Lincoln Center campus and over 8% of students at the Rose Hill campus resided in the dormitories for some duration of this winter break.
Campbell added that requests have remained consistent over the years and there are no university services, such as dining facilities, libraries or offices available to students aside from Public Safety.
Bhosale, who stayed in Walsh Hall at the Rose Hill campus while waiting to attend his GO trip in early January, said that laundry, outdoor spaces and the gym were open most days. He added that at times, he was “so miserable” while waiting for his trip due to the lack of the full activity range that exists during the school year.
Despite limited on-campus resources, each student made the best of their Fordham experience in their own way.
A quarter of the student population at the Lincoln Center campus and over 8% of students at the Rose Hill campus resided in the dormitories for some duration of this winter break.
During Bhosale’s trip, he shared that he explored Industrial Commons, a nonprofit in Morganton that specializes in equitable fashion manufacturing.
“This trip was revolutionary about the way I thought about fashion,” he said.
Bhosale said that he learned how so-called donated clothes often end up in landfills in Ghana and other countries if communities don’t take the donations. Bhosale and the group visited Sew&Co, a clothing production facility that uses sustainable practices in designing cotton products. He found that learning more about sustainability changed both his personal and entrepreneurial habits.
“The trip did a great job to show how the textile industry strats from the thread to the shelf and what happens after recycling it,” he said.
He also appreciated learning about North Carolina during the trip, including the local Hmong community. Bhosale grew an understanding of the state’s culture and got to know what smaller cities, such as Charlottesville, were like compared to his home in Pune.
“I just expected a lot of events and festivities, and I definitely got that.”Om Bhosale, GSBRH ’26
Knapik spent time working a holiday season shift at the local Mexican restaurant Rosa Mexicano on 62nd Street and Columbus Ave. She mentioned that waitressing at a New York dining establishment requires a much faster pace compared to Berryville, Arkansas, where she is from. In New York, Knapik said she served approximately 300 customers during the night shift at the restaurant compared to serving approximately 10 customers a day while waitressing in her hometown.
“It taught me so much about the culture, and it makes you able to work in a quick-paced environment,” she said.
In her free time, Knapik enjoyed exploring New York City, and discovering why so many people from around the world come here for the holidays. Some of her favorite sightseeing activities included going to 5th Avenue, looking at the holiday displays and spending time at Rockefeller Center.
“I just expected a lot of events and festivities, and I definitely got that,” she said.
“This trip was revolutionary about the way I thought about fashion.”Issy Knapik, FCLC ’27
These students felt that their experiences during winter break will make their experience at Fordham more special.
During the trip, Bhosale valued the bonding experience with the other students in his group and Professor Bill Sickles, senior lecturer in marketing at the Gabelli School of Business, and the leader of the GO trip.
“Because we (stayed) in this house, we would cook together, clean together and talk about what we wanted to do in the future,” Bhosale said.
He added that the students in his group bonded over trying the local Indian and Vietnamese food establishments, which will create lasting relationships. Bhosale added that these experiences “often left him in (sentimental) tears at the end of each day” when reflecting with his group because he felt he was really enjoying his time.
“More universities should do this,” Bhosale said, referring to the community bonding and learning experiences of the trip.
Knapik appreciated her time in McMahon Hall, noting that she stays in McKeon Hall during the school year.
“I loved McMahon. I personally think the dorm is amazing,” she said. “Staying there over winter break made me 10 times more excited for when I’m a second-year.”
Knapik is appreciative that Fordham allows students to reside on campus over break.
“I can 100% say that McMahon is the best thing that happened to me over break,” Knapik said. “If I wasn’t able to stay in McMahon, I would have lost the ability to work and explore the city,” Knapik said. “It’s very important that the university has spaces to stay over the holidays, it helps us in so many ways.”