Chanel Cadet ’25

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Chanel Cadet ’25 Overcomes Numerous Obstacles to Pursue Her Degree at FSU

Hometown:
Salem, MA

Activities:
Works at the Rams Resource Center; Member of two honor societies

Homelessness. Cancer. The loss of a brother. The absence of parents. Chanel Cadet has had to overcome more than most people her age can fathom on her journey to Framingham State.

It’s been a challenge, but the 34-year-old continues to pursue her dreams, while mentoring other students who are also defying the odds to make it to college.

The Health and Wellness major has thrived at FSU. Cadet is a member of two academic honor societies and has a near-perfect GPA. She works two days a week in the Rams Resource Center — FSU’s on-campus food pantry — helping students who, like her, have faced food insecurity and homelessness.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time here,” she says. “The campus is inviting, and there are a lot of good resources for students. I know several who wouldn’t get through without that support. The faculty are flexible and helpful, and they really want to see you succeed.”

Cadet came up through the foster care system and at an early age became the caregiver of her developmentally delayed brother. Though she was a good student, college was not an option for her after high school.

“I’ve pretty much always been on my own, and I was the legal guardian for my brother up until 2020, when he passed away from an overdose,” she says. “I tried so hard to get him the help he needed. After he died, my life changed. I had to figure out what I was going to do.”

Cadet, who suffers from her own health issues due to a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form on her body, enrolled at North Shore Community College, where she earned an associate’s degree in business administration. She then enrolled at Framingham State, where she is on track to earn her bachelor’s degree in Health and Wellness toward the end of 2025.

“I’ve always loved education,” she says. “I was late to college, but I’m making up for lost time.”

After Cadet graduates from FSU, she’d like to pursue a master’s degree in public health and epidemiology, and eventually a PhD in behavioral epidemiology. Ultimately, she plans to teach and perform research. She has a particular interest in expanding

the current scholarship on how low-socioeconomic status can alter genetics.

“I’ve actually lived a lot of what I am studying in this area,” Cadet says. “So I’m passionate about the topic and the field of community health in general.”

“The campus is inviting, and there are a lot of good resources for students. I know several who wouldn’t get through without that support. The faculty are flexible and helpful, and they really want to see you succeed.”