Author: Maria Mancini

Pandemic Profs: Hanging with Nonna

Posted on by Maria Mancini
My Nonna and Me

Welcome to our series to give you a glimpse into Rowan University, our campus culture, and the lives of our students, while we’re practicing social distancing to protect society from the spread of COVID-19. Today’s story is from Maria Mancini, a graduating senior isolating from her house in Gloucester County, NJ. Maria is a Public Relations major. 

Since COVID-19 hit and we all were instructed to stay home and to only go out when necessary, I have been stuck at home with my family for what feels like forever. 

When I was 9 years old, I moved into my grandparents house with my mom, two older sisters and younger brother. At that time, nine-year-old Maria wasn’t too happy about my parents getting a divorce and having to move in with my grandparents; but 15 years later, I can honestly say it was the best thing that has ever happened to me.Maria Mancini and her Nonna at their Glassboro home

I was able to create an incredibly special bond with my grandparents. Being able to have family dinners every night with my grandparents and watching TV with them after dinner and just hanging out with them every day was extremely special to me. When I was younger, I idolized my Pop and I wanted to do everything for him or help him out in any way. Unfortunately, my Pop passed away in 2012, and I don’t get to spend this quarantine with him. But I do get to spend it with my Nonna.

After my Pop passed away I realized that time on Earth should be cherished and I do just that —and what better time to do so than in quarantine! So during this quarantine I have been hanging out with my Nonna. 

Maria wraps her arms around Nonna outside their home.My Nonna is a caretaker. She was a stay-at-home mom and raised her kids while taking care of the house and catered to her husband. She ran a traditional Italian household. I learned how to cook, how to clean and how to be the best person I can be through my Nonna. 

During this quarantine, I asked my Nonna for some advice. I told her that I was feeling super anxious about school and managing my work and also about the uncertainty about graduation and my final grades. Here is what she told me:

“There is no need to be anxious. Instead of looking at everything you need to do to finish, look at everything you accomplished already. Focus on appreciating all that you have to be grateful for. 

“As for school, you also need to stay organized. Keep a list of everything you need to finish before graduation and put it in the order that it is due. Lists are a great way to keep your mind organized and less anxious. I also think you need to make a schedule and stick to it. Set aside hours in the day for school work with breaks in the middle to enjoy something you like. Watch a movie, meditate, pray or cook on your breaks. Use your creativity to ease your anxieties. You are going to make it through this semester. Just take it one day at a time.”

I am beyond grateful that I get to spend this quarantine with my Nonna. I know that time on Earth is limited and I am soaking up all her advice, stories, and sayings while I can. This quarantine is a great way to reconnect or build a stronger bond with those you live with. Don’t think of it as being stuck in the house, think of it as an opportunity. 

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Maria Mancini, senior public relations major

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5 Financial Tips to Help You Graduate Debt Free

Posted on by Maria Mancini
Scattered dollar bills.

This spring, I will graduate with no college loan debt, but I was kind of dealt the financial aid jackpot when I applied for college. I live with a single mom who had two other kids in college. Due to my situation, I was eligible for multiple grants and scholarships at any college I picked.

Public relations major Maria Mancini at her Glassboro home
Public relations major Maria Mancini will graduate this spring debt free.

Although I got a lot of help through financial aid, here are some tips for high school and college students for saving money and graduating debt free. 

  • Take advantage of high school classes that can earn you college credits.

In high school I was able to take advanced placement (AP) courses such as AP calculus AB and BC. At the end of the marking period, I then took AP tests to earn college credit for those classes. Taking advantage of these classes allowed me to graduate with a whole semester worth of college credits.

There was also a course called High School Option. This meant you had a period or two free, but you attended a college course at your local community college. Both of these options allow high school students to receive college credits at low costs. Now, there are even more opportunities for high school students to receive college credits. My cousin attended GCIT, where she graduated with almost a full year of college finished. 

  • Apply for grants and scholarships and don’t miss the deadlines.

Another way to lessen your student debt is to apply to all grants and scholarships that are available to you. Local businesses and organizations in my town gave out scholarships to high school students. I was able to take advantage of these and although it may not have been tens of thousands of dollars, I was able to use that scholarship money and pay for books for two years of college.

Each state also gives out grants and financial aid, but there are deadlines for both of these. It is very important that you do not miss these deadlines. Missing these deadlines can result in you not getting the full financial aid you are eligible for. 

  • Consider going to your community college for 2 years. 

While you may not get the full college experience, going to community college allows you to finish your first 2 years of college at a third of the cost, possibly even less. Going to a community college cuts down the cost because you only pay for the classes that you are taking. You don’t have to pay for room and board, a meal plan or all the additional expenses that a 4-year college charges you. Attending a community college also allows you to work part time or possibly full time. This can help you pay out of pocket for your classes you are taking or it will give you an income to help save money for when you transfer to a 4-year college. Either way, attending a community college will help you cut expenses and college costs in the long run.  

  • Create a budget and stick to it!

The first step to creating a budget is calculating all of your monthly expenses. This means going through your bank statements and receipts and figuring out how much you spend and what you spend it on each month. Next, calculate your monthly income. Once this is all determined, you can figure out how much money you are left with each month. In order to save or pay off debt, you must create a budget. It can be to save $100 every week or $200 a month. Whatever you determine your budget will be, it is important to stick to it!

  • Apply for a work-study or to be an RA.

Another option for college students is applying for a work-study on campus or applying to become a resident assistant (RA). Work studies are a great way to gain experience with on-campus jobs and can also connect you with a lot of resourceful connections for after you graduate. R.A’s get free housing, but also a lot of responsibility that may leave you not gaining the full college experience, if that is what you are looking for. Both of these options allow college students to lessen the cost of college or allow you to make money while attending college. 

Using these 5 tips can help you towards graduating with little to no debt. 

Public relations senior Maria Mancini at her home

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Story by:
Maria Mancini, senior public relations major

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Pandemic Profs: Recreating a Favorite Restaurant Dish at Home

Posted on by Maria Mancini
Here are the main ingredients.

Welcome to our series to give you a glimpse into Rowan University, our campus culture, and the lives of our students, while we’re practicing social distancing to protect society from the spread of COVID-19. Today’s story is from Maria Mancini, a senior isolating from her house in Gloucester County, NJ. Maria is a Public Relations major. 

One of my favorite things to do is go out to eat.

It was always a treat growing up to go out to a nice restaurant with my family and to indulge in everything on the menu. As I got older, the more and more we would go out to eat. Now we are in quarantine and social distancing, and we cannot go anywhere. This has been a big adjustment for everyone, but it has also given me the opportunity to do another thing that I love to do, which is cook.

I was thinking about what recipes I wanted to share with you. I thought I would do a copycat recipe of my favorite appetizer at my favorite Italian restaurant.

Here is my version of fried peppers in a tomato sauce. 

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 4 green bell peppers, sliced
  • ½ onion, sliced
  • 1 long hot pepper, sliced
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 3 fresh basil leaves, or ¼ tsp dried basil
  • 1 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
  • 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • ¼ of the crushed tomatoes can filled with water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • ½ tsp crushed red pepper, optional
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Oil filled pan on medium high heat.

Add vegetable oil into a round pan that is about 4 inches deep and heat on medium high heat. Once hot, add green bell peppers, onion and long hot pepper. 

Peppers added to the pan on high heat.

Season the peppers and onion with salt, black pepper and basil. Mix all together and let peppers fry on high heat for 10-15 minutes, flipping them occasionally. When the peppers are done, they should fall right off of a fork when you try to pick one up. 

Pepper put to the side after cooked.

Remove the peppers from the pan and set on the side. 

Added crushed tomatoes to the pan. 1/4 can of water added to the crushed tomatoes.

Reduce the heat to medium and add garlic. Once garlic has cooked a little, about 30-40 seconds, add crushed tomatoes, and water. 

Loosely covered tomatoes.

Season the tomatoes with salt, black pepper, sugar and crushed red pepper. Stir and bring tomatoes to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cover loosely with a piece of foil. Let the tomatoes cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the peppers to the crushed tomatoes.

After 10 minutes, add the peppers back into the pan, mix and cover loosely with foil. Cook for another 5 minutes. 

Peppers and tomatoes all mixed together.

Lastly, add extra virgin olive oil and turn heat off. 

Peppers and tomato on slices of bread.

Serve with sliced fresh bread. 

I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I do! 

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Maria Mancini, senior public relations major

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Growing up in Glassboro: Why I Chose Rowan

Posted on by Maria Mancini

Today’s story is from Maria Mancini, a senior public relations major self-distancing from her house in Glassboro, NJ (Gloucester County). Maria joined the Rowan Blog team to wrap up her remaining internship hours, after her internship with Nexus Properties was cut short prematurely due to COVID-19 affecting business. 

For many of you, Glassboro, NJ is just a town where Rowan University is located; but for me, it’s home and has been my entire life. I went through Glassboro’s public schools, played sports here and graduated from Glassboro High School. I lived here as Glassboro transitioned from a small town to a big college destination. So if I have been here my whole life, why would I want to stay here for college, too? 

Here are three main reasons why I chose Rowan University.  

1. Family is Here

Author Maria Mancini (far right) with her siblings

I grew up in a very big Italian family.  I have two older sisters and a younger brother, 15+ older cousins, many aunts and uncles. Growing up, my Nonna would watch my siblings, my cousins and me while our parents went to work. As we got older, we were only there after school. Being able to grow up with all my cousins and siblings around created a bond with my family that is truly irreplaceable. I do everything with my family. We cook together, play sports together and pretty much everything else together. When the opportunity came to go to college, I honestly didn’t think twice about leaving my family. I knew that I belonged right here in Glassboro where I could stay close to them. 

2. Financially Smart 

Piggy bank to represent saving money

Picking Rowan meant I got to live at home, eat my mom’s food and not pay any bills. I wanted to go to college after high school, but I didn’t want to be in debt. Rowan University is reasonably priced per semester, and not having to live on campus or needing a meal plan made that price go down even more. Choosing Rowan also meant that I would be able to find a job and work part time. Rowan was the choice for me because I was able to save money while also making money.  

3. Opportunities 

Drone view of Rowan's Glassboro campus

Because I grew up in Glassboro, I have seen the progression of Rowan University. I have watched as Rowan started to take over Glassboro. I could see that Rowan was growing and not at a slow pace. I watched as houses in my neighborhood turned into rentals for college students. I watched as buildings started to go up all over Glassboro and on Rowan’s campus. For me, this only meant one thing — opportunities. I could see that Rowan was turning into a highly recognizable university. I would research Rowan and see all of their programs and degrees that they had to offer. I saw all the awards Rowan was getting. I knew that if I went to Rowan, I would succeed, not only academically, but also after college. Rowan University was an opportunity for me to further my education with amazing professors and staff along to help me. 

I might have lived in Glassboro my entire life, but choosing Rowan University was a no brainer for me. I don’t miss out on any moments with my family, I get to graduate college debt free and I am given endless opportunities. If you live in Glassboro, or even in the surrounding towns, go to Rowan University. You won’t regret it.

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Maria Mancini, senior public relations major

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