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.
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.
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.
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