Today we feature Hannah Spronz, a senior Studio Art major from Belvidere, NJ (Warren County). Hannah is president of The Rowan Arts Collective and a part of Rowan After Hours (RAH).
On your busiest day, what personal, academic, non-academic and social responsibilities are you juggling?
When I’m super busy, I’m probably balancing classes with my office hours, a RAH shift or TRAC meeting, and some time working in the studio. I try to keep up with friends and get a meal with them or just text throughout the day, but honestly when I’m at my busiest that will sometimes slip through the cracks.
Did you ever have a moment of uncertainty within your major? How did you get through the challenge?
My junior year, I was really struggling with art because of a combination of various life events and pretty bad depression, and for a while I wasn’t sure I could keep up with it or succeed in the art field. With time and support from my professors and friends, I’ve been able to overcome that rough patch quite a bit, and I’m back on track now making art that I’m happy with again and succeeding in my classes.
Tell us about one moment that made you feel like Rowan was the right fit for you.
My sophomore year at training for Rowan After Hours and the SCCA, we did an activity that involved anonymously telling each other how we felt about each other, mostly little things like “this person made me laugh,” or “I’m glad I met this person.” I remember being absolutely blown away by how much of an impact we had all made on each other in the span of barely a week or two. There were tears from a lot of us, but I remember truly feeling like part of a community at Rowan. I actually texted my mom that day saying something like, “This is where I belong.”
Tell us about your transition into college and how you pushed through any challenges.
Coming to college was definitely a weird transition! I come from a pretty small town, and my high school had less than 500 people in it, so it was definitely jarring coming to Rowan and having so many people around. I have pretty bad anxiety, so I was super nervous going into it, but I think I adjusted quickly! I made a lot of friends early on that have been with me through thick and thin, and we all definitely helped each other through freshman year.
Getting involved on campus definitely helped too, from joining the Rowan Arts Collective, which I am now the president of, to going to RAH every weekend with my friends (and now I’m the DIY coordinator there for the second year!).
What advice would you give your high school self about choosing a college?
Rowan was the first school I looked at, and after checking out several others Rowan ended up being what I chose. So, “You got it right the first time.” Also, “Don’t stress so much.”
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Story and photos by:
Stephanie Batista, sophomore music industry major