To celebrate this time of giving and sharing, Fairfield University Athletics looks back on a year of community service by its student-athletes. Eleven stories will be featured through the end of the month, showcasing the student-athletes commitment to Service for Others.

                A college campus on move in day can be stressful for the most prepared parent and student. Even with a campus map in hand, newcomers must navigate the double and sometimes tripled parked cars, dodge load-bearing parents cross streets without being able to see over stacked boxes and trunks, or make sure they are going the right way on a one-way road.

                While no one can completely eliminate that stress, there is a group of Fairfield University student-athletes who do their best to make move-in day a little more calmer and a little more relaxing for incoming students and their parents. Each year, the fall sport student-athletes take a break from their preseason training to help carry boxes, provide directions, and offer encouragement to the hundreds of students who are making their way around campus for the first time.

                "Being some of the only students on campus at the time, it is important for us to lend a helping hand during Move-In Day," senior soccer goalkeeper Liam Doughery said. "First Year move in can be very intimidating for many with a lot of nerves and anxiety. For us to be there and take some of that burden off of our peers is a great feeling."

                The additional support from all the Fall athletic teams can create the perfect first impression for parents and their college-bound child. Being somewhere new and experiencing the campus for the first time can be intimidating so Doughery and his fellow student-athletes do their best to make the move-in experience a little less daunting. And, the assistance also pays dividends for the student-athletes who get to meet and create new friendships.

                "Parents are always very appreciative because they also are moving onto a new chapter in their lives as well. They can even sometimes be more nervous than the kids," Dougherty said. "My favorite memory was my freshman year when I was moving in kids in my own grade. I was able to meet people in my building and start to build friendships that I still have to this day. I also met people through the years that have said, 'Hey aren't you the kid who helped me move into my room freshman year?' It's always great to hear because you know you are making an impact on other people's lives."

                As one can imagine, moving students on the ground floor is one thing, but moving countless others to upper floors of the residence halls can be a bit tiresome. Fortunately, move-in day comes at the perfect time for the fall student-athletes.

                "Going up stairs really isn't a problem at that time for us," Dougherty said. "Move-in day comes after preseason so we have already been put through the paces."

                Perhaps the most important feature of student-athletes helping move in their classmates comes beyond the actual day itself. The outreach shows the incoming students and their families that they are part of a community.

                "Welcoming new Stags to the herd is a unique opportunity that is very fulfilling," Dougherty said. "We start their Fairfield experience by showing them that they have a supportive community around them and that together as a collective. We are Stags."