Today we speak to recent graduate Marian Suganob, a Public Relations and Advertising double major with a minor in theatre. Marian, a first-generation college student from Mantua, NJ (Gloucester County), lived on campus all four years of her college career.
Could you share your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes?
I didn’t come to Rowan as a theater minor. I took Intro to Acting to fill a Rowan Core requirement. The adjunct professor that was teaching the course, Professor Rachel O’Hanlon-Rodriguez, saw that I had a creative mind. She could see that the major that I had declared at the time wasn’t the right one for me. She recommended I sign up to be a theatre major or minor. That experience really helped me feel welcome at Rowan. She didn’t just treat me like I was one of the thousands of students that she taught. She saw me and made the effort to talk to me during class and after class. That was definitely one class that made me feel I was at the right school.
Could you share your favorite social memory?
A lot of my memories come from my time with the Rowan University Philippine American Coalition (RUPAC), the Filipino club on campus, and also being an RA.
I’m a bit of an introvert, so I’m not always hanging out with people, but the only way I could survive being an RA and also do well in school was by sticking together with the other RAs. Often, the other RAs and I would study together, while we were on duty we’d study from 8 p.m. until around 2 a.m. It was really fun. We also bonded over having crazy experiences being RAs.
When I joined RUPAC my freshman year, I felt welcome at Rowan. We performed a play that was run, created, written and directed by students. It was an adaptation of Mulan. I got to play the lead role, and that was really, really fun. It broke me out of my shell and I met a lot of friends because of it. The experience was great for me.
What are your career aspirations?
Right now I would like to find what I am passionate about. However, I would really like to go into advertising one day.
How did the people or programs at Rowan help to support you with your professional growth or career aspirations?
Being at Rowan helped me build my work ethic. Rowan has also helped me explore my career aspirations by letting me ask questions and be curious. The people at Rowan helped me open my mind to more creative fields. All of my relatives are in some part of the medical field, so nobody in my family has ever gone into the creative field. Rowan supported me in my exploration to find my career aspirations.
Do you want to give a thank-you shout-out to your family, friends, advisors or mentors?
Thank you to RUPAC for giving me a home on-campus. Thank you to my professors and advisors for helping me grow and helping me enjoy my education, even though it was challenging. Thank you to the Office of Events and Conferences for the many professional opportunities they have given me. The Office of Events and Conferences led me to my current job at the Rowan Blog. Thank you to those who created and passed the Student Health fee my sophomore year. You saved my life and countless others. Please continue to advocate for these issues and fight for change. Thank you to my boyfriend for being my study partner and my best friend. Thank you to my parents for supporting me throughout college.
Who is your favorite professor? What class did you take them for? And why is this person your favorite?
I loved taking Public Opinion with Dr. Novak, and I also really enjoyed taking PR Practicum with Professor Shoenstein.
Public Opinion helped me understand why PR and Advertising are so important. It’s not just about promoting a business or promoting your own efforts. Your work helps create social change. PR and advertising are grounded in actual psychology. Also, understanding your audience is really powerful.
In PR Practicum, I was able to practice my skills in social media and graphic creation. I mostly used those skills for clubs on the side, or for myself, but to practice with a team and a professor for a good cause was really fun.
What advice would you give to incoming first-year students or transfer students about making the most out of their college experience?
Try to find a balance between exploring your career aspirations and keeping mentally healthy. I wish I had done more internships and explored more, but it was good for my mental health to limit myself to one per year.
Is there anything else you would like to look back on and reflect on regarding your time at Rowan?
College helped me grow as a person, especially in public speaking. At the beginning of college, I absolutely hated public speaking. I never wanted to volunteer, I never thought I was good at it. But after the countless presentations I have given for classes, and papers I have had to write, I am a better communicator. I would have never thought that I’d actually like presenting and that I would want to present with my team at the end of my senior year. Thank you, Rowan, for helping me become better and changing me.
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Story by:
Rachel Rumsby, rising junior communication studies and public relations double major
Photography by:
Joe Gentempo, art graduate
“My proudest moment actually happened early today. I finally reached a big financial goal I thought I’d never make. I did this all on my own. I paid my own bills, got my own clients, built up referrals through word of mouth because of how I treat my clients and the service I offer,” says Gabi.
There are a few industries that I wouldn’t mind working in, but I already have had some game developers reach out to me, which is so cool to know that you play these games as a child, and 10 years later they recognize you on the internet. I never thought that would happen, but, that’s a testament that you can do anything. Don’t underestimate the power of social media. And a lot of these companies are online and looking at places like Reddit and Discord that help develop communities. They are looking at these places to say “this is what these people think”. Platforms are up and coming and all of these companies are looking to get involved. It’s easy for students to start getting involved with that, and next thing you know some of Microsoft’s most influential people are talking to you. It’s so cool what you can do. I have been doing this since 2017, and it has been very fruitful. 
Along with programming, resident assistants are available for the students they serve on a deeper level. Once a semester, resident assistants conduct a one-on-one meeting with students. During these meetings, students will be able to discuss academics, involvement, the environment in the residence halls, overall emotional/mental health, and any other concerns the student may have. Resident assistants have a list of resources available to help direct students not only during one-on-one meetings, but at any point throughout the semester as well. 
Being part of a writing organization (the college I’m transferring from didn’t have one, but my high school did!).
Edgar also received support from his mother, who has been in Mexico for the past 10 years. She got “sentimental because she couldn’t be with [him] during that little ceremony.” The image on Edgar’s cap is actually a picture he drew of his mother. He included that as a way to recognize all she’s done for him over the years.
Edgar attributes the video’s viral success to a couple different factors. For one, it was uploaded at just the right time. With the COVID-19 pandemic ruining gatherings of all kinds, these are unprecedented times. Edgar’s uniquely safe way of celebrating acts as a much-needed ray of hope. Edgar says, “I turned a bad situation into something great.” Additionally, the video encourages pride in underappreciated workers. Greenhouses are places of hard manual labor, but Edgar chose to celebrate its beauty instead. Edgar says, “I was aiming at inspiring my community into being proud of where they come from, and to never feel ashamed of our own people.”
assistant. I do have an advertising internship and I am a part of the final talent pool for the T. Howard Foundation. This organization gives college students professional work experience with major media, technology and advertising companies. 
Today’s story is from Devon Graf, a senior communications studies major self-distancing from her house in Camden County, NJ. Devon joined the Rowan Blog team to wrap up her remaining internship hours, after her internship with Enchanted Celebrations was cut short prematurely due to COVID-19 affecting business. 
memory was becoming acquainted with all peers from 
What advice would you give to incoming freshmen or transfers about making the most out of their college experience while choosing a university close to home? Stay grounded by doing your best academically. Social life will come no matter what. But if you are doing poorly in class it will affect all aspects of your life as a Prof.
Tell us about your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes?
Do you want to give a thank you shout out to your family, friends, advisors or mentors?
Brand Management also consisted of several projects and presentations, both group and individual. We did individual presentations on brands in the news, which kept us up to date on what was going on with different brands. We also did a ‘my brand’ presentation, where the presenter presented themselves as their own brand. I liked this one a lot because it showed that people are their own brand, that brands have personality, and it helped my classmates and I get to know each other. 
I live in Bergen County which has become the most populated area in NJ with the COVID-19 virus in a very short amount of time. Personally, my town has about 40 cases and that keeps increasing every single day. It is crazy but life still needs to go on, so I started doing what I would be doing while I’m home normally: working. 
Since the virus has started to spread more rapidly, a state curfew has been issued and lockdown put in place, altering our hours. Now, we need to be very cautious; I am always washing my hands when leaving to take a delivery or even after a customer comes in to pick up food. 
My experience recently at Della Cucina has also opened my eyes to how serious and scary this is right now, from seeing people come in with gloves and masks on to doing no-contact deliveries and curbside pickup. It has changed everything as far as how we do things at the pizza place.
I thought helping Julia would be a nice project for me to keep my skills sharp even while classes are online. After talking to Julia she said that she wanted a new logo for her page and graphics for when she is running a giveaway or when new clothes are going to be posted. Being a big fan of the beach and spending most of her time down the shore that was the theme that she was going for. We were able to sit down and pick out a color scheme and typography that she believed fit her the best. It was a win-win for both of us. She got some new content for her page and I had the opportunity to try new things that I have never tried before on some of my projects. 
Based on a suggestion from her high school art teacher and mentor, Jessica is working toward a career as an art therapist at a nearby hospital or cancer center. “[Art therapy is] really important for me to pursue. My sister had cancer, so it’s something that definitely hits home for me. And the possibility of working with little kids or anyone on the spectrum is something that’s so rewarding for everyone,” she says. “Art doesn’t have to be perfect; it doesn’t have to come out like you expected it to. Just the act of physically [making art] is so much more impactful than people might realize.”
As Amanda wraps up her last year at Rowan, she recommends the Degree in 3 program for those who are interested. “It definitely has shaped the way I view my workload,” she says. “My whole mentality has changed when it comes to work, and I’m able to balance a lot of tasks and manage my time better. I feel like I work harder now and when it comes to my workload, I don’t have the same mindset anymore.”