Raven Dufoe probably wouldn't be at Quinnipiac now if it weren't for her grandfather.

"My grandfather was a big part of my life," she said. "He grew up during the Depression. He had three siblings and they were very, very poor. He learned to save money to provide for his family. I wouldn't be going here if it weren't for him."

When Dufoe's grandfather did errands around town, he would carry the Quinnipiac brochure with him and tell people "This is where my granddaughter is going to college," said Dufoe, a freshman majoring in physical therapy.

Sadly, Dufoe's grandfather passed away on the morning of her senior prom.

"He totally approved of my major," she said. "He was so proud of me. He said he wanted to see me graduate from college."

Dufoe graduated from Kennebunkport High School in Maine with a 4.0 grade-point average. She applied to the University of Vermont and Northeastern, but fell in love with Quinnipiac's campus and its programs.

She enjoys her work-study job in the admissions office, especially giving campus tours.

"I want people to know that the students and the professors here are enthusiastic, peppy and excited about what they do," she said. "I'd love to make that good first impression on a prospective student."

Dufoe has joined several clubs on campus and hopes to play intramural basketball and Ultimate Frisbee. Dufoe began playing basketball in sixth grade and was captain her senior year. She also ran cross country as a senior.

She has adjusted well to life on campus, including sharing space with three roommates.

"We all get along like sisters. We bicker and make fun of each other, but we get along great," she said.

Dufoe also enjoys working with children. She worked at a day camp for six years and last summer was head counselor. She wrote her admissions essay on her experience working at the camp.

"I had to wear a one-piece bathing suit and when you're 6 feet tall, you don't have a lot of choices. I got this ugly blue bathing suit. It was hideous. I used to tell the kids how much I disliked it," she said. "The next year, one of the fourth grade girls showed up in an ugly blue bathing suit and she said, 'I got it just to be like you!'

"That made me stand back and realize I'm a role model," she said. "It's great, but it was also nerve wracking. I don't want to mess up."

Dufoe hopes to start her own physical therapy business someday, most likely working with children.