This story is a part of the “My Favorite Class” series.
Today’s story features Julia McAleavey, a senior from Monmouth County, NJ, graduating with a bachelor’s in advertising. Julia transferred to Rowan her sophomore year, from Eastern University in Pennsylvania.
During my time at Rowan, I have taken a lot of really incredible classes. These include classes within the Department of Public Relations and Advertising as well as general education classes.
My favorite class I ever took, however, was a graduate course called Brand Management.
Last year, during my spring semester advising appointment, I was told that I was eligible for a program called Senior Privilege. I learned that I had enough credits to take six credits of graduate courses as a senior. I hadn’t thought to much about graduate school, but figured this would be a great chance to find out if it is a good fit for me.
I had a few options to choose from within the program, but I chose Brand Management because I am someone who could talk about brands for hours and not be bored. Being that this was my first-ever graduate course, I was very nervous at first. It did help, however, that I already knew the professor from previous courses. The course was taught by Dr. Kristine Johnson, a well-known and loved professor in the Public Relations and Advertising department. Additionally, there were a couple other students who were still undergrads, which also made the situation more comforting.
Graduate courses aren’t too different from undergrad, but there are a few distinctions that I really liked. The classes are smaller, so it’s easier to build relationships with peers. They are also much more discussion based. Every week, we sat in a circle so we can easily talk about brands and other topics. One discussion I remember having was when we compared and contrasted Sprite and Mountain Dew as if they were people. As I stated before, I could talk about brands forever and not get bored, so I loved activities like these.
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.
For the group projects, we did a full brand audit and a case study. My favorite project, however, was one where we worked with real clients. Two men who owned a gym wanted help to get more people to join their gym, so we pitched ideas to them that they could use. Helping out actual projects made the project seem more worthwhile and rewarding.
As a whole, Brand Management was an amazing class and a perfect fit for me. I would recommend it to any ECCCA major who qualifies for Senior Privilege.
As far as Senior Privilege goes in general, even if grad school isn’t in your final plan, try the program if you’re eligible. It’s a great way to find out if you’d like to try grad school in the future, and you might really enjoy the experience like I did.
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Why did you choose a university that is close to home? I chose a university that was close to home because I didn’t want to move too far away from home but I wanted some kind of commute to make me more independent.
What is one activity that you did in high school that you’d like to continue with at Rowan?
How did you meet new people and stay involved on campus as a commuter? 
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.
My name is Maria Rosalba Trejo-Mendiola. I was born in Querétaro, Mexico. I moved to the United States at the age of 11. At an early age, I discovered my biggest passion in life was helping others. I knew that I wanted to pursue a career that allowed me to work with people. Of all the possible careers that I could have pursued, I fell in love with the one profession that makes all other professions possible: teaching. I attended Cumberland County College, now known as Rowan College of South Jersey, where I completed my associate degree in Liberal Arts. I then transferred to Rowan University where I completed my bachelor’s in Spanish. Then, I started working as a Career Placement Developer for Pathstone, a non-profit organization.
This first-generation college student let us have the amazing chance to get some insight on herself, her lifestyle and her opinions on some topics. Her major is 
Sometimes freshmen have a hard time transitioning into college, but not Anjeliah! She went through a six-week program in the summer before starting her first fall semester called the 
Name: 
What would you share with a future student interested in Construction Management?
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.”
Natalie feels passionate about helping the education, growth and development of children with disabilities and behavioral disorders. 
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.”
education?
but they don’t tell you get the job your supposed to be in. My first job I got it at the wrong place. I left it mid-year; I didn’t like it. It was my first interview after college, and I got the job. I was like ‘dream job amazing’ but I had no support and I was doing too much, I was 22 teaching high school. I took the job, but that job wasn’t right for me, but of course I don’t regret it because I learned a lot and learned about myself. Learned how to get right up when you hit rock bottom. A year later I started working a part-time job in Belmawr, my hometown, trying to revive their chorus program and through that process I learned that I am a good teacher and that I could make an impact in kids and that I was just in the wrong place. Since then I’ve been a full-time teacher.”
Most of us don’t have the money as college students to invest in a fancy camera, but we can make the most of our phone cameras with a few lighting tricks. Natural light is going to be our best friend, so try to shoot during the day time when you can use minimal overhead lighting. Fluorescent lights usually don’t work well with photos, and can distort the exposure (brightness) or colors in your photos. Avoid shooting in direct sunlight, especially if there is a person in the shot, so they don’t have to squint. Typically, overcast or cloudier days are best, as they prevent overexposure of your image and distracting sun flares or glares. Wherever your light is coming from, it should illuminate the subject in your photo so that they stick out from the background. Have your subject face the light source, as opposed to having their back to the light, so they are clearly visible.
They were motivational. Listening to music and getting in the zone helps. I learned to not be afraid to ask for help from some of my computer science major friends, then that translated into feeling comfortable asking for help from professors. 
universities. When I outsource to other universities and in the outside world, I am representing Rowan. Being an RA has made me more confident and comfortable, as well as increases my interpersonal skills. These qualities are transferrable to my DJing. Both jobs have also taught me how to be adaptable and make people feel welcome. Also, DJing has helped me make many connections, and being an RA people reach out to me to DJ their events. 
What would you share with a future student interested in joining Women’s Ice Hockey? Joining is definitely worth it. The team is like a family. Everyone is collaborative with putting in effort, the coaches are great and helpful, and every teammate has your back on and off the ice.
more.
and say that the transition from high school to college was easy for me. I’m sure other people had smooth transitions and would love to share their stories, but for the people who are scared to move away, I want to let you know that you’re not alone.
I moved in a day before move-in day because I had a late orientation date. I had talked to my roommate before I moved in and we decided to live together because we were both 
During my first week of classes, I met professors who made sure I was comfortable and taking care of myself. I quickly learned that everyone cared about me and I wasn’t alone. I joined 
These are just three ways how I have gotten involved here at Rowan, but there are so many other ways to get involved.
His experience in leadership positions at Burlington County College, Rutgers University and Sussex County Community College (where he is currently the CFO and EVP of Administrative Services) inspired him to explore the differences in leadership styles between private educational institutes and higher education.
He came across the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program at Rowan University through recommendations from colleagues who had had a positive experience in it. 
ing through Twitter, like most students, waiting for class to start. I saw a post from Rowan University about the transfer deadline and cruised to the main website. I found a big transfer button and thought, “Why not give it a shot?” Rowan was the only school I applied to transfer to, so this was all or nothing for me.
Engagement
Meet Anjeliah 
“Don’t listen to people who are trying to put your idea down,” Anjeliah says. “They might say that it’s a horrible idea or it’s too much money, but If you keep a growth mindset and not a fixed mindset, then you can literally do anything.”
Your name:
Ben graduated magna cum laude from Rowan’s highly competitive 
Ben’s academic career flourished after that first semester. He joined the 
Do you work on campus? I worked in the 
Name: 
Share an “aha!” moment you’ve had within your major that made you feel passionate about your intended field. 
What is your area of expertise? 
However, I think that is not the right approach, since philosophy is rarely chosen for these ulterior reasons — students choose it for intrinsic reasons: the study of philosophy enriches one’s life and can make even the most mundane experiences redeemable via philosophical reflection. 
How is New Jersey different from Mississippi?
Ten toes in. This is the motto of 
Do you work on campus? If so, where/what do you do? Yes, I am a 
