Dorm 34 Fosters Community with Residents in Manhattan

Most people’s first college living experiences don’t include views and access to the heart of Manhattan. But for Mercy College international student Thea Ivarsoy ’23, who hails from Oslo, Norway, her first living situation after leaving home has exceeded expectations.

One of the first students living in MercyManhattan’s new student residence hall, known as Dorm34, Ivarsoy starts and ends her days in the center of Midtown, across from the Empire State Building, with spectacular views of the city’s famed Herald Square.

Ivarsoy’s first-ever Thanksgiving may take the cake – or pie. While the parade was not open to the public, she and a few of her fellow Dorm34 residents watched Macy’s historic Thanksgiving Day Parade not on television, but right from their windows.

They complimented the once-in-a-lifetime experience with a Thanksgiving meal and exchanged expressions of gratitude for their floormates, their comforts of home, and for the Mercy staff members who have supported their assimilations to college and New York City.

“From our PACT mentors to the resident assistants – you can ask them anything, anytime – they are always there to help,” Ivarsoy said.

To read more of this article in Spring 2021 issue of Maverick Magazine click here.