Kasey Quinlan likes a little drama in her life.

A freshman from Andover, Mass., Quinlan has been involved in theater since middle school. She auditioned for Quinnipiac's production of the play, "Vinegar Tom," and was thrilled to get a call back. "That was a big deal," she says.

While this play is a drama, Quinlan is looking forward to the opportunity to show off her singing voice in future musical productions. "I can't wait to do a musical. I love singing," she says.

As a high school student, Quinlan performed in a variety of productions, including "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat" and "A Chorus Line" and participated in an award-winning improvisational theater group called "Destination Imagination." She'd like to start a theater workshop group at Quinnipiac.

Off the stage, Quinlan is a serious student. She originally applied as an English major, but later decided to pursue nursing instead. "So far I'm really happy with what I chose," she says. Chemistry and math were always strong subjects for her and her uncle is an emergency room nurse.

Quinlan says her classes are challenging, but not overwhelming. She took honors and Advanced Placement classes in high school. "I felt really prepared," she says.

Quinlan fits intramural field hockey into her schedule twice a week. Her team captain is her Orientation adviser from the summer. On the weekends, she enjoys going to on-campus events, such as bingo night and movies, and she's planning to attend the Third Eye Blind concert later this semester. "There's always something going on," she says.

Quinlan wanted to stay close to her family and applied to mostly medium-sized schools in New England, including Stonehill College, Fairfield University, Providence College, University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the University of Vermont.

Knowing that she would be studying nursing, Quinlan says the technology and health science facilities available at Quinnipiac influenced her decision. "And everyone I talked to loved it," she says.

For Quinlan, the most difficult thing about college is being away from her family. She's close with her younger brother and sister, who are in high school. Quinlan says she talks to her family three times a day--either on the phone or on video chat through Skype. "Seeing their faces makes me feel less homesick," she explains.

Quinlan says her parents were both very supportive of her choice to attend Quinnipiac. "Once I came here, I knew this is where I wanted to go."