Today we feature incoming CPA first year students Katherine Lanzerotti (she/her), Grace Hoeltje (she/her), Bella Campo (she/her), and Jeszenee Turner. Katherine is from Rockaway, NJ (Morris County) and will be living on campus as a Music Education in Vocal Performance major. Grace is from Mount Laurel, NJ (Burlington County) and will be living on campus as a Theatre Arts Design/Technical major. Bella is from Ocean Township, NJ (Monmouth County) and will be living on campus as a Musical Theatre and Communications major, though she is also considering Radio, Television, and Film. Jeszenee is from Denver, Colorado and will be attending Rowan University as a Theatre Arts Acting major.
Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward to in college?
Katherine: I am really looking forward to starting this new chapter in my life. I’m excited to meet new friends and students in my department that have the same interest as me.
Grace: I am looking forward to gaining skills and knowledge that will be beneficial to me inside and outside of the classroom. Small class sizes will give me opportunities to engage in group discussions and form close relationships with my professors and peers.
Bella: Meeting new friends; having the Rowan Dance Team win Nationals.
Jeszenee: I’m looking forward to meeting not only new people, but going to a state I have never been to before.
What clubs, intramural sports, student activities, etc. are you most looking forward to at Rowan?
Katherine: I am looking forward to intramural volleyball and joining the ASL club.
Grace: I am excited to engage with other queer people and learn more about LGBTQ+ identities through Rowan Prism, a club dedicated to educating, advocating, and supporting the LGBTQ+ community at Rowan University. In addition, I am looking forward to joining Rowan’s Lab Theatre, where I can extend my knowledge of theater technology to productions outside of the classroom.
Bella: RUDT, RAH, a sorority, performing arts clubs, and volunteerism clubs.
Jeszenee: I am looking forward to the freshman Welcoming Week the most.
Please share a few likes or interests that you have!
Katherine: Since I am a Music Education in Vocal Performance major, I also really love to sing. I also enjoy doing hair and makeup.
Grace: My favorite person in the world is my chihuahua, Apollo (dogs count, right?). I love playing video games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Splatoon 2. After classes are out, I operate the soundboard and assist in other aspects of production for school plays, musicals, concerts, etc.
Bella: Music, painting, crafting, singing, dancing, acting, working out, and shopping.
Jeszenee: I enjoy acting and directing but when I’m not doing these things you can catch me coloring while listening to music.
Do you have advice for other high school seniors who haven’t committed to a school yet?
Katherine: Picking the right school can be really hard, but you will know what feels right when you step on campus for the first time and feel like you are home.
Grace: Choose a school that will commit to you and your needs. You may decide that you want to change the direction you’re heading in. Commit to a school that gives you opportunities to explore your interests. Curiosity will lead to success.
Bella: go to a school that you can see yourself at, you feel welcomed, and has cute school colors.
Jeszenee: Take your time and don’t forget it’s not the school that will make your future great, it’s what you decide to take from what you learn that will.
What is one thing about Rowan itself that you liked that encouraged you to enroll?
Katherine: I really liked my department and how everything was set up. I also liked the campus layout and what Rowan had to offer outside of education.
Grace: During my audition for the Theatre Arts program, I got the chance to speak one-on-one with many of the Theatre Department professors. They told me that in order to succeed in your role in a production, you must understand and respect the contribution of each role. This is why many Theatre Arts majors share the same classes despite being in different concentrations: having a deeper understanding of each contribution leads to a deep-rooted sense of respect for the art and each other.
Bella: The Musical theatre program and the opportunities that the arts students get, opportunities to always be involved and double major.
Jeszenee: I really enjoyed the teachers and the people who are in charge of enrolling students into Rowan.
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Story by:
Skyla Everwine, English and writing arts major