Today we feature incoming first year students Pedro Geraldes (he/him), Ella Pennington (she/her), and Alex Ballou. Pedro is from Newark, NJ (Essex County) and will be living on campus as a Chemical Engineering major. Ella is from Elkton, MD and will be living on campus as a Biomedical Engineering major. Alex is from Mililani, HI and will be living on campus as a Civil Engineering major.
Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward to in college?
Pedro: I’m looking forward to really feeling like an adult, living by myself, and taking care of my own things.
Ella: Getting into the content of my major and learning new things.
Alex: I am looking forward to creating new friendships with other students in my classes and dorm.
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What clubs, intramural sports, student activities, etc. are you most looking forward to at Rowan?
Pedro: I’m looking forward to the Student Center activities.
Ella: The swim team and possibly the Biomedical Engineering club.
Alex: I want to try and play for either the school’s club ice hockey team or a local men’s league team for fun.
Please share a few likes or interests that you have!
Pedro: I like to fish occasionally, work out, and explore new places such as hiking or going for drives.
Ella: Reading, painting the walls of my basement, and running.
Alex: In the past few years I have started to enjoy music more and discover genres I never knew I liked. I also started reading more regularly.
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Do you have advice for other high school seniors who haven’t committed to a school yet?
Pedro: Visit each school you are interested in — if you know your major, try to get a tour that relates to your specific major and you will know which school feels right for you.
Ella: Take your time and do your research!
Alex: I don’t have that much experience on campus yet, but it seems like Rowan has things for everyone to get involved in that they would enjoy.
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What is one thing about Rowan itself that you liked that encouraged you to enroll?
Pedro: One thing I loved were the Engineering Clinics, it fascinated me how much a student can do while still in college.
Ella: The size and feel of the campus. It was small without feeling cramped and it just felt very comfortable.
Alex: The way that the engineering program was described to me as very hands-on just sounded perfect to me. Also, the facilities and campus look very nice.
Like what you see?
Story by:
Skyla Everwine, senior English and writing arts major