PUBLISHER'S NOTE: This article is the first of a new series called Women to Watch.

If you know of a Cape Woman who is making her mark on her community and would like to share her story, please email the publisher.

Young Women to Watch:
Emma Haselton

by Stephanie Boosahda

One may ask, "What kind of a life story can a nineteen-year-old have?"

In the case of West Barnstable's Emma Haselton, it's a passionate adventure with a distinctly local flare, an enthusiastically bright-eyed main character in love with the opportunities in front of her, and an excitedly open ending.

Emma is a sophomore at Cape Cod Community College (CCCC) and actively involved in both community and campus programs. She radiates a contagious, "I'm so happy to be here," attitude about everything she does.

Her main extracurricular focus is her work as editor of the school's newspaper, the Main Sheet. "I've always been interested in a career in journalism."

Emma's editorial background includes three years as the editor-in-chief of her high school newspaper, the Storm Watch. As a student in Professor James Kershner's class, Emma made quite an impression and was asked to apply to become editor during her freshman year.

She smiles as she explains her decision to matriculate at CCCC where she is currently an enthusiastic, very involved sophomore. A graduate of Sturgis Charter Public School, Emma sings its praises, but does have one dis-heartening comment about her Main Street alma mater.

"During my senior year of high school, my teachers, friends, and guidance were not supportive of my decision to come here (to CCCC). They were really disappointed and sure I was making a mistake. That got me down, but I know now it wasn't a mistake at all."

"I chose CCCC because I see a lot of schooling in my future, and I don't want to be fully in debt for graduate school. It's also nice that the school is close to home."

The College-Down-the-Street, as some locals call it, was not originally Emma's first choice. "I looked at a lot of schools and applied to several, but I really didn't have a favorite. I wasn't excited to get away from home like most of my friends were."

"I couldn't have made a better decision," she adds. "I just love it."

No doubt the College loves her too. Emma is not only a top-notch student, she is an extremely active part of campus life. "I love meeting new people here and love the interaction with such an involved faculty and staff who are all very accessible."

She also applauds the many opportunities CCCC offers to help others, and Emma is an active part of many of them.

Some of the things Emma enjoys about being editor include getting to know others interested in writing, having the chance to read all the articles, and working with the journalism students.

Emma also writes at least one story for each weekly issue. Some of her favorites "spotlight features" include Joanita Nemayian, a transfer student who overcame numerous obstacles; Natalie Dubois, who recently retired from the college's Educational Foundation; and Jay Seibold, the College's Student of the Year who also earned national honors.

Emma has written about events and happenings at the College: renovations at the Wilken's Library, the Clothesline Project, and openings at the Higgins Gallery are among recent news makers.

One of Emma's goals is to include an editorial in each week's issue and so far she's only missed two. Among the top in Emma's editorial portfolio are: The Importance of Joining School Clubs, and The Importance of Young People Voting.

There's more to Emma's presence on campus than her Main Sheet involvement.

She's the secretary of the Honors' Club, a re-elected Senator-at-Large in the Student Senate, an active peer tutor, and a member of the Phi Theta Kappa.

She's also performed in the school's talent show and was a vital part of CCCC's Multi-Cultural Festival where she performed as a Scottish dancer.

Who does Emma credit with instilling her love of learning and enthusiasm for life?

"Of course my family and Sturgis absolutely helped me get ready for college. It's a fantastic school and the teachers there really got us prepared. I've felt a lot better prepared than some of my classmates."

She adds, "I really love Sturgis… the due dates, the organization, the writing skills… they taught us all these things so they've become second nature."

One of her favorite things about Sturgis is the community service component and the IB diploma. "We all earned 150 community service hours and were able to take higher level courses. Both of these things have impacted me here at the College."

Emma's advice for students at a new school, college, high school, or middle school: Get involved!

"You never know what to expect when faced with making new friends. But if you get involved, you'll meet like-minded people, people that will have common interests," she explains. "Those are the best kinds of new friends, and friends are a large part of the (college) experience."

As for Emma, "I have a really great group of friends who are passionate about what they're doing, but we all manage to find time to support each other."

Stephanie Boosahda, editor of Inklings from Cape Cod, is an award winning teacher, nurse, single mother of three, and grandmom of two. She was first published at age fifteen and has been writing for publications ever since.

A fellow of the National Writing Project and a member of the National League of American Pen Women, Stephanie resides in the mid-Cape.