Each time a water polo recruit visits campus, Bianca Prinsloo '22, G'23 gives the tour. At some point on their walk, the prospective student or parent will ask about the Siena community, and Bianca always responds with the same story. It's about the time she lost almost everything, and how her Siena family made her whole again.
At first, Bianca panicked. Had she left a candle burning? Was this all her fault? On August 19 of this year, Bianca stayed over at a friend's place in Saratoga. The next day, Saturday, she caught a train downstate to visit her boyfriend for the weekend. Soon after she got there, her landlady called. Bianca's apartment building, Valley Green Apartments in Troy, caught fire the night before while Bianca was in Saratoga. No one was hurt, but the residents in all 41 units had no home to return to.
"I was scared that I was somehow responsible, but I never leave the apartment with the oven on or anything like that. Once I put that thought out of mind, I panicked again. My passport."
Bianca is from South Africa and her passport is her life. She couldn't catch a train home that day, but when she got in touch with her water polo coaches, they leapt into action. Her coaches retrieved her passport and were able to offer an assessment of the damage. The flames, for the most part, didn't reach Bianca's apartment, but a layer of soot covered almost everything.
The next day, Bianca was given 20 minutes to remove anything worth salvaging. There wasn't much.
"I had to leave behind bedding, the TV stand, the mattress, and all of my food. I spent $200 on groceries the day before the fire. I was able save maybe one-third of my clothes, after spending $50 at the laundromat, and that's it."
Bianca had little more than the clothes on her back, no car, and her family was an ocean away in South Africa. Before she had a chance to panic, the Siena community stepped in. Within a day, Susan Ambrose, associate director for international student services, and James Calechman, director of community living, secured her a place to live in the College Suites. A pair of Red Cross volunteers checked on her: one is a Siena alumnus, the other is a Siena faculty member. Bianca's freshman year hallmate went through her closet and put together outfits she thought Bianca would like.
"It brings it full circle. I originally chose Siena because of the size and the fit and the community. I always knew I made the right decision, but that was never more evident than after the fire. Every single person who helped me is from Siena in one way or another."
Biana will graduate with her MBA in the spring, and next year she may start to work on her Ph.D., or maybe a job first (much will depend on her visa). But first, she'd like to repay the Siena community for its generosity. The water polo team has toiled near the bottom of the MAAC standings ever since her freshman year. This year, in her final year of eligibility, the goal is to deliver a championship.
Bianca has been an intern with the Siena College Research Institute since her sophomore year. This year, she's applying her skills as a data analyst to her graduate assistant position with SCRI. When her colleagues in the research institute learned of the fire, like every other department on campus affiliated with Bianca, they rushed in to help...
"Around the office, there has been an ongoing discussion of how great CROCS shoes are and, in particular, my colleague Derek has several pairs as does Bianca. So it was a no-brainer that the basket we put together had a brand-new pair of purple CROCS as the centerpiece of the gift basket. Derek spearheaded the effort and we took up a collection for a gift card, tucked in some Siena swag, and some personal comfort items that we thought might make her new apartment a little cozier. We think of our office as a family and Bianca is an integral part of it. Her safety and well-being are important to everyone at SCRI."
Leslie Foster, M.S. Ed., business development manager for SCRI
Elevator Up
Bianca's athletic eligibility would have expired if not for the pandemic. With her bonus year, she decided to pursue her master's and take one more shot at elevating the water polo program. This could be their year.
When Bianca and coach Alex Williams meet with recruits, they share the same message: We want you to step on the elevator with us on the bottom floor and ride it all the way to the top. Bianca also tells them about the fire and Siena's response. Is the pitch working? According to coach Williams, it's a resounding yes.
"Our latest recruiting commitment rate is 9 of 11 (82%), and is shaping up to be our strongest and deepest recruiting class ever. The anecdotes about Siena housing going above and beyond certainly reinforce the idea that Siena is a community that cares for its students. It's proof that Siena doesn't just talk, but walks the walk. I must also mention how supportive Lindsay, Susan, and Angie in the International office are. We have six international students on our team and the extra support from the international office really gives everyone a ton of peace of mind."
