It Takes Two to Transfer

Abigail ’18 and Annalisa ’22 Souza have a lot in common: They are sisters, they are transfer students to Bentley, and they share Falcon status with father David ’81 and mother Adrienne (White) ’81. 

“Having both girls go to Bentley was not planned. But given how it defined a clearer path for their future, Bentley was a great choice,” says David, a former Computer Information Systems major.  

“We were thrilled when both of them chose Bentley,” adds Adrienne. “We tried hard not to sway them and to let them make their own decisions.” 

As a former transfer student herself, Abigail, now a consultant in the brand strategy division at Kantar, has been a resource for her younger sister this year.    

“It has definitely been hard to meet people as a transfer student during the pandemic,” says Annalisa, an Accountancy major. “But I am very comfortable here. That has helped me put myself out there and join the community as much as I can during this strange time.” 

The sisters’ separate decisions to transfer sprang from common sources: seeing their parents’ love for the school, feeling a sense of community attending campus events as children, and witnessing their parents’ success after earning a Bentley degree.  

Past and present give the Souzas a lot to bond over.  

“There are so many aspects of Bentley that have been around since my parents were students, but also so many new pieces,” explains Abigail, who majored in Marketing. “Somehow, they all fit nicely together and allow us to connect as a family.” 

The Trees residence hall has special meaning as the place where David and Adrienne met. When Abigail was a sophomore, she lived in the same dorm her mom did as a senior — 35 years earlier.  

Reflecting on her path to Bentley as an Accountancy major, Adrienne shares that her grandfather was a CPA.  

“He initiated my interest in business,” she says, “and Bentley taught me the skills to pursue an accounting career.”  

Today, Adrienne works for the family’s medical billing business.  

David’s mother encouraged college and he discovered Bentley through his high school basketball coach: Bob Watson ’68, who played four years of Falcon basketball.  

“Imagine finding your wife at Bentley, and now we’re celebrating our 38th anniversary. Imagine finding your first job through Bentley, at Putnam Investments, which was a tiny company in 1981, and working there for 27 years,” says David. “Bentley has given me so much.”  

Adrienne confirms the gratitude and affection that have kept the couple involved at Bentley for more than four decades — and counting.  

Adds Abigail: “I can’t wait to someday bring my family to campus for Homecoming and all the sporting events and activities that were a huge part of our lives growing up.”