Today we feature Andrew Slowinski, a junior Political Science major. Andrew also minors in Economics and is from Toms River, NJ (Ocean County). Andrew shares his internship experience this past summer as a recipient of the 2021 Rick Rosenberg Jr. Memorial Scholarship.
According to the Rowan Institute of Public Policy and Citizenship (RIPPAC), the scholarship awards $2,500 for a student to take an unpaid summer internship “and aspire to pursue a future political career like the late Rick Rosenberg, Jr., the Republican political operative.”
What got you interested in political science?
Back in my junior year of high school I took a class called Political and Legal Education because the class I originally wanted to take was not available. I decided to take this class after having a few options to choose from. I quickly realized that I really liked learning about the political science field and I thoroughly enjoyed taking the class.
During the class there was a legal chapter where we had to do a mock trial, which I thought was very fun. After that class I decided to make a career out of it.
Andrew Slowinski
How did you find out about the Rosenberg scholarship?
Professor Dworkin introduced me to this scholarship and internship opportunity. I met Professor Dworkin through a club I am part of called the Rowan Institute for Public Policy & Citizenship (RIPPAC). He told me to check out the RIPPAC internship scholarships available, and that is how I found the Rick Rosenberg, Jr. Memorial Scholarship.
What are your responsibilities in your internship?
I interned at the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender, and I had several responsibilities for the summer. First off, my supervisor would send me documents, court reports and testimonies to look over and prepare for upcoming court that we had. I would outline key sections that would be of value to us, write questions for cross-examination and write memos. An example of a memo I have written was a memo for reconsideration and I would apply it to a case we currently have because the judge ruled it not the way we hoped … therefore we ask for reconsideration.
The internship took place over the whole summer, and we had court at least five times a week.
Andrew (left) with friends Brandon, Tyler, and Joey at Joey’s sister’s wedding.
What are your professional goals?
After undergrad I will be attending law school; I am not sure on where I want to get my law degree from yet. From there I am still deciding on whether I want to become a lawyer or a judge for my future profession.
What advice do you have for other students seeking political science internships?
Networking is imperative when it comes to seeking out any internship or scholarship opportunities. I reached out to Professor Dworkin, and he helped me build a well-written resume. In high school I interned for a U.S. congressman because my mom’s friend is a supervisor and she assisted in helping me get that internship at such an early age.
Networking and reaching out to friends or family that may work in your area of interest is huge when starting out.
Alondra Martinez’s coursework and on-campus position both align with her passion to see more students like her, from underrepresented backgrounds, “achieve anything they want.” Alondra, a Rowan Global student in the M.A. in Higher Education program, works as a graduate coordinator with the Social Justice, Inclusion, and Conflict Resolution (SJICR) office. Alondra is a first […]
Today we feature Byron Bustos, a 1999 graduate of Rowan’s Political Science program. Originally from North Jersey, Byron details his journey to Rowan, how he joined his fraternity and how it led him down a path he didn’t know he’d be taking.
When did you graduate from Rowan and what clubs, organizations or activities were you a part of?
I graduated from Rowan University in spring of 1999. I graduated as SGA [Student Government Association] President. I was also a resident assistant, and I worked with the Admissions Office as an Ambassador. I was in the United Latino Association, a member of my fraternity Lambda Theta Phi, BOCO which was the Borough of Cultural Organizations, the student activities board, the Political Science Association, Rowan Christian Fellowship, and Greek Council. I’m sure I was involved in other things throughout the years, but that’s what I can remember.
What have you been up to since graduating from Rowan?
Right from Rowan, I went straight to grad school at Seton Hall University to get my master’s in Public Administration. I got my undergraduate degree in Political Science so I knew I wanted to work in the government but I didn’t know which aspect of it. I was also contemplating becoming a guidance counselor since I got my certification in Secondary Education at Rowan as well. After Seton Hall, I was offered a job in DC with the Office of the Inspector General for postal service. I did 19 years with that agency. This past January, I was promoted to the Director for the General Service Administration of the Office of the Inspector General (GSAOIG) .
Byron Bustos
I became the national president for my fraternity. I then became the executive director for my fraternity. I was elected to be the President of the school board in my hometown of Passaic, New Jersey. I’ve been involved with different cultural and political organizations as well. I started the New Jersey Young Professionals Organization. Then I moved to Maryland about five years ago, and I’m just as busy here. I’m currently the president of the Homeowners Association.
I also started the Urbana Latino Festival after feeling like I needed to do something cultural in my community. We just had our fifth celebration recently. Other than that, I got married, had two kids, a dog and a few houses.
Did you always have plans on attending graduate school after college or was it just something that you happened upon?
I didn’t know I was going to be going to grad school until I was a senior and that was exposed to me. Mind you, I was the first person in my family to go to college, so college was all new to me. I didn’t have anyone to show me the ropes.
Senior year, I knew graduation was coming and yet I was uncertain about what I was going to do. I wanted to be a guidance counselor, but back then, it was required that you had to become a teacher first. So I got my certification to teach. But, just like everything else in life, there was a crossroad. An opportunity arose for me to go to Seton Hall. Going to grad school gave me more time to think about what I wanted to do with my life.
What was it like being a first generation college student?
In my family, no one went to college. In high school, I didn’t even know if I was going to college. I didn’t have the mindset of: “I’m going to college, I know my next steps, and I’m going to become XYZ.” I just kind of fell into it because I was so involved in high school and exposed to different things. The doors were presented. I just had to walk through them.
The only reason why I went to Rowan was because, back then, Rowan sent buses to North Jersey to communities like mine that would bring high school students down to Rowan to expose us to something that we otherwise wouldn’t have been exposed to. We were able to apply right on the spot. Without that, I would have never been exposed to Rowan since the only colleges and universities I knew were the ones around me in North Jersey.
Were you always super involved as a child?
I always had inklings that I wanted to do things, but it really took off in 8th grade. I found my area of things that I wanted to do, which was community-oriented public service advocacy. Just trying to inspire people to do things. I did things in high school, but I really blossomed in college.
Were there any classes you took or professors you met that you felt helped you achieve your success?
I can’t pinpoint to one specific professor, but in my last semester at Rowan I did student teaching. Although I never fully taught a classroom after I left Rowan, I still had my certification in teaching, which helped me when I became elected to the school board. I had perspectives on [questions like:] What are pedagogies? What is it to teach the curriculum? What is it like to go through the training and be able to have students in front of you? Those things were all crucial to know.
How do you feel being a member of Lambda Theta Phi and the United Latino Association impacted you?
If I didn’t have the United Latino Association while at Rowan, my years would not have been as fruitful or as fulfilling. If I didn’t have Lambda Theta Phi, I don’t know what friends I would have carried on from college. I don’t know what my future would have been like if I wasn’t so involved in my fraternity. I was able to build a great network with both of the organizations. They really shaped a lot of who I am and I helped to shape them as well, so it was a two-way street. I’m glad I had them.
Did you have plans of joining Lambda Theta Phi or was it just something that happened?
When I was a freshman, my family’s attitude was very much: “No, you’re not joining a fraternity,” which, at the time, I didn’t care much about anyways since I didn’t know much about fraternities. However, my sophomore year is when my perspective started changing and I became more open minded. I went to a meeting, heard about it, learned about it, and did my own research.
I learned what the members were doing and how they were giving back to the community and what they were doing for the university, which really propelled me to say, “This can be a way for me to do more of what I want to do, which is advocacy, motivation and trying to get others to change things.” What better than joining a cohort of like-minded individuals?
Byron at Rowan University
What was it like going from just a member of Lambda Theta Phi to becoming the National President, then the Executive Director?
It didn’t happen overnight, but I was heavily involved during my undergrad, which propelled me to going to the regional meetings. After that, I would go to the national conferences, which exposed me to the organizations and the leadership, which allowed me to join the alumni board. Getting so involved just propelled me further and further in the organization.
With the fraternity, I wasn’t in favor of a few things and thought things could be improved. So I decided to run for national president to be able to create change from the top down. I didn’t go through the normal process to become the head person, but that’s just the way I am.
Do you feel like fraternities and Greek life in general get a bad rap which deters people from joining?
Definitely. Fraternities and sororities provide more good than what they get credit for. Many times, the media focuses on the incidents that occur rather than the greater benefits that Greek life provides to the campus and the community overall. It’s a disservice to the legacy of those organizations, some that have been here for hundreds of years, to have that legacy erased in a moment.
How do we get minority students more involved in Greek life and make them aware of the fraternities and sororities that are made for them and by them like Lambda Theta Phi?
It’s a catch-22 sometimes. I don’t know if the university needs to shove in people’s faces per se but I think it just depends on the student and what the student wants to be involved in. All the university can really do is make sure that these organizations are available.
Going back to something we discussed earlier, do you care to tell us a little bit more about the Urbana Latino Festival?
When we moved down here to Maryland, we quickly realized that there was a need for a little bit of music and more diverse events. My wife and I decided to put the event together and, within a day, the RSVP was sold out which no one expected. Five years later, we moved it to a different location and had over 600 people attend.
There’s vendors and different food trucks. It just has really blossomed into a beautiful thing. We’ve added more diversity and exposure to what it means to be Latino and everything that comes with it.
Rowan University has a network of alumni thriving in many different fields and professions all around the world. Today, we got a chance to sit down with one of these successful individuals — Nadya Ramos, a 2020 graduate of Rowan Global’s Strategic Communication program.
A young girl sits atop a green chair in her kitchen, her feet dangling off the edge. She’s too young to understand anything it says, and the adults around her are getting more entertainment watching her than she gets out of reading it, but there she sits day after day trying to make sense of the words on the page. There’s something special about that little girl even though she doesn’t know yet. Something unique that’ll come to inspire many other women and girls.
This young girl went from pretending to read newspapers to becoming a wife, mother and the CEO of her own small business.
Rowan alumna Nadya Ramos is the founder of Modern Millennial Mom, a blog to express her own reality and experience being a mother in the modern age as well as a businesswoman and has grown to allow her to create content for others. Modern Millennial Mom has allowed her to reach many other women who are experiencing being mothers in this modern age while simultaneously juggling the whirlwind of this world around them.
An Atlantic City native, Nadya currently lives in Arizona working as content creator, marketing consultant, business owner and full-time mom creating content for companies like Walmart and Office Depot, but life wasn’t always like that for her. When asked about her past, Nadya shared not only her experience being a first generation young Hispanic girl but also explained the multifaceted layers of the word “first.”
She explains: “I was the first person to get a bachelor’s degree, I was the first person to get a master’s degree, the first to start a business. All of these opportunities and ‘firsts’ come with a lot of struggles and challenges. I didn’t have someone to go to in my family to say I needed help or to even ask. It’s a double-edge sword. You dream bigger when you’re the first, but with it comes many challenges.”
Many who can’t relate to the experience of being the first would then ask, “How do you do it?” If Nadya were to respond with the advice given to her by her mother it would be: “Work hard and go to school,” a mantra many of us may know from our own parents. But Nadya felt as though there was more to life than just working hard, going to school and building enough to get by stating: “When my mom came to this country, a single mother of five children, it was all about survival. For me, I wanted to build more than just enough to get by.”
Nadya did face her own set of obstacles and challenges, but instead of treating them like adversaries, she used them as stepping stones to get to where she is today. For starters, Nadya had initially had plans of attending Rowan for her undergraduate degree but was not accepted. Taking the setback in stride, she chose to instead go to school locally working as a blackjack dealer on nights and weekends as well as interning for $10 an hour (and sometimes for free) to put herself through school.
She would eventually enroll into Rowan’s graduate program for Strategic Communication and, while would receive her degree in August 2020, there still came numerous setbacks.
“It took me longer than expected,” she explains. “I got married in the process. I had a baby. I moved. I took a break from work and was a stay-at-home mom for some months. But, looking back now, I can see that everything happens for a reason, and I understand now why it took me longer than expected. I actually ended up writing my master’s thesis after influencer marketing blew up, and so I was able to switch my topic and write about something I was really passionate about after initially choosing something I wasn’t all that interested in. Now, I do this for a living. I work with many influencers. I do brand collaborations. I do influencer marketing campaigns. And now I myself get to work with other brands doing those collaborations.”
On the launch of her own small business, Modern Millennial Mom, Nadya lets us know that it didn’t just fall in her lap and was the result of yet another setback: “I launched my marketing consulting business because I was let go from my job last year. There were things about the workforce that didn’t align with my goals now that I’m a mom with a family to raise. I wanted more freedom. More flexibility. I just didn’t want uncertainty. I want to regain control of my life. Be the CEO of my life. Now, I teach other women how to gain the confidence to market themselves and their business better.”
As a woman of color in a field that is predominantly not filled with faces that look like hers, Nadya has had to deal with her share of misogynoir. For those unaware of what misogynoir is, it is defined as the culmination of racism and misogyny, and it’s something that many women of color are all too familiar with. Nadya was very candid about her experience with misogynoir, holding no punches.
“I’ve definitely experienced misogynoir,” she shares. “I didn’t know how real it was until it was me who was experiencing it. I came home one day and sat in the kitchen talking to my husband and mother-in-law about how this is not something that’s in my head. You know how people say, ‘Maybe that’s just in your head’ or ‘Maybe you’re overthinking it.’ Well, when it’s you on the receiving end, it’s hard to justify it or explain to yourself what just happened.
“Not very long ago, in my last job in the field, I experienced, myself and other women, microaggressions in the workplace. Other women and I started to notice a lot patterns that just didn’t make sense and it felt very targeted. It just didn’t make sense and it felt very targeted. I feel it’s important to give voices to women who own businesses and women of color so they can get out there and create more opportunities. But it’s also important to provide these same women with the resources to be able to do so.”
One of the ways Nadya helps to provide these resources is through her series, Growth Through Conversation. The show, which started out as a Facebook Live series, has now expanded to pre-recorded conversations that are posted to YouTube. Nadya describes the show as: “A conversation you might have with somebody in your living room or at a networking event.”
When asked about how it feels to be able to use her platform to elevate the voices of women, specifically Latina women, Nadya gave an answer this writer wasn’t quite expecting. While she took the time to praise the women who have been able to achieve great success in their field, she reflected more admirably on the women who are still working day in and day out to achieve their end goals.
“So we read these books,” she starts, “about how this person made it or how that person made it and they’re inspiring, but the thing about that is that we’re looking at somebody who is already on the other side. I’m not going to say it’s easy, but it’s a different point of view when you’re looking back. You can say now: ‘I made this mistake but thank God I did because it led me to X, Y or Z.’ And, while there is value in that, I think I find myself more inspired by other women who I either know personally or who I have connected with that are just living life.”
It can be easy for a person dealing with multiple responsibilities to sometimes lose track of them all and just feel beyond overwhelmed. In order to prevent this feeling, Nadya understands that in order to be her best self to everyone around her, she needs to take time for herself, by herself.
She says: “Through therapy, I learned that I can’t be my best self if I don’t take care of myself. I see self care as building time into your day to get out and move. For me, I go on power walks and listen to a podcast or a DIY video about a new skill that I want to learn and master. I listen to that when I first start my walk but then, on the way back, I unplug. I take out the headphones and allow myself to rest. I allow my mind to rest. Overconsumption is very overwhelming to someone like me. I battled with anxiety and depression so I have to build in these moments where I can unplug.”
From the little girl reading the newspaper to the accomplished woman she is today, Nadya doesn’t serve as an inspiration to us because she’s a woman who can juggle it all and has just achieved so much. Nadya is an inspiration because she showed strength and persistence in the face of adversity and has never backed down when it arises.
“That’s who I’ve always been,” Nadya smiles happily as reflects back on the rollercoaster ride life has been. “It took me too long to realize I was special and I am special! And so are you! And so is the person reading this. And if I can say anything to that little girl in that chair, reading that newspaper, I would say: Thank you for being you!”
Today, we speak with senior Biomedical Engineering major Katie Driscoll of Durango, Colorado. She holds minors in History, Chemistry and Arabic Studies and is part of the Honors College. Here, Katie shares insights on her major, including the research work she’s been part of since her first year here at Rowan, and talks about the importance of getting involved on campus.
What made you come all the way here to New Jersey?
I just felt really at home when I visited the Biomedical Engineering program. It felt like everyone was super excited about Rowan’s potential for growth. And everyone was really happy to be here, students and faculty alike. So it really kind of felt like a welcoming place.
Why Biomedical Engineering?
I decided to major in Biomedical Engineering because it is a super well-rounded major. I wanted to know about a lot of things, and I wanted to have a lot of skills coming out upon graduation. So that was kind of my focus coming into undergrad.
What do you want to do with this degree?
I’m not really sure exactly what I want to do yet. But that’s a really good thing about this degree is you can do pretty much anything coming out of an undergrad in Biomedical Engineering. There are a lot of different paths open, whether it’s industry, med school or grad school, I feel really comfortable and confident going into anything.
Can you tell me a little about your experience in the lab? Have you done any research?
I started research at Rowan in my freshman year with Dr. Vega, which was really cool, because it’s rare that you get to actually do hands-on research as a freshman in any research university.
I currently work in his biomaterials lab, looking at how the mechanical environments of stem cells affect their behavior. And that is for future use and tissue engineering applications.
Can you share an “aha” moment either with a faculty member or in a class where you knew you made the right decision?
So my freshman year when I started research in Dr. Vega’s lab, he was going over protocols with all of us and teaching us how to do everything. And we were imaging some cells on a fluorescent microscope and one of the labs, and he put the image up on the computer, and I just remember thinking that all the cells against the black background really looked like space. They looked like their own little, little galaxies. And I thought that was the coolest thing ever. Because you always see the pictures or the cells in a textbook, but to see it in real life, and all lit up, that was really different.
What advice would you have to an incoming student who just chose this major?
I would say definitely get connected with faculty in the department as early as possible because they are some of the most supportive people that I’ve met at Rowan. And if you know the faculty, you’re going to feel a lot more at home in the program. And also just get involved super early, whether it’s in research or in clubs, whatever you want to do, just kind of day one freshman year go in with a plan of how you’re going to get involved on campus.
Can you share with me some things that you’re involved in or things that have had an impact on your college career?
I’m pretty involved with research here through Dr. Vega’s lab. This is my third year in his lab. And then I am also involved with Rowan Food Recovery Network. It’s a club that focuses on taking food from the dining halls that would otherwise get thrown away and redistributing it to community partners to reduce food waste and help with community hunger. So that is one big thing that I do.
I’m an assistant resident director through the Office of Residential Learning (University Housing). I also am the Vice President for Rowan Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), which is like a pre-professional club that we have through our department. And that’s been really impactful to get to meet different people from industry and grad school and have them talk about their experiences.
Can you tell me a little bit more about that?
BMES is like our major specific club, and we meet every other week. And we usually have people from industry or have our own professors talk about their research. And it’s just a really great way to get connected within the major. Because a lot of the faculty will come to the meetings, people like freshmen through seniors come, and you can kind of network with each other, and talk to each other.
We also do some community service events. And we also usually, in non-COVID times, we have the BMES games, which is where everyone — it’s like a field day for our department. But all the professors also come out and they compete with us. So it’s a really fun environment.
You said that you’ve been working in a lab for three years. So are you able to start working in a lab early into your college career, you don’t have to be a junior, senior?
You can start day one. I walked in, and I just emailed the head of the department … it’s that accessible. And he set up a meeting with me as a freshman, which I don’t think that’s really found at any other university. And he was able to get me connected with Dr. Vega. And I started in his lab, like my first month, freshman year. We also have other freshmen in our labs, we have sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
As an out-of-state student, do you have any advice for the transition process to come here?
Rowan is a place where it’s really easy to make friends. Even though a lot of people here are from New Jersey, and there’s not as many people from out of state, it’s super easy to get integrated with the community. I’ve never once felt out of place.
Is there anything else that you want to share?
I’d like to reiterate how excited everyone in this department is to be here. And I think that’s really rare in other schools; faculty just kind of like their jobs. But like, every single one of our faculty members are super passionate, not just about their research … instructors are super passionate mentors. I think that’s a really rare combination to find at another university.
See Katie with the Rowan Food Recovery Network in this video.
Today we feature Nick Feldman, a junior Political Science major with Certificates of Undergraduate Study (CUGS) in Public Policy and Russian. An on-campus resident from Cherry Hill, NJ (Camden County), Nick transferred to Rowan from Rosemont College. He works as a photographer for Rowan Athletics and as a Multimedia Editor for The Whit. Nick interned at NJ State Assemblywoman Patricia Lampitt’s office (District 6) and NJ State Assemblyman William Spearman (District 5), and is one of eight recipients of the Dr. Bruce Caswell Scholars Fund.
Could you share some backstory about yourself?
When I first came to Rowan, in Fall 2020, we were in the middle of the pandemic. I went to campus reluctantly. At first, I thought there wouldn’t be a lot of opportunities, but as I got involved, I realized that there were. I’m really, really excited about this semester. I know there’s going to be so many more opportunities.
What got you interested in political science?
I’ve always liked history. At Rosemont College, the college I transferred from, my major was history education. I was studying to be a high school history teacher. However, I’ve always been very interested in politics.
During the 2020 election, I obsessed over the campaigns, the candidates, the policies, everything. So, I thought it was a logical choice to switch my major over to the political science, which is something that I’ve always really liked. I have always thought about how I can make a difference in the world. Well, if I major in Political Science, and I’m able to intern with the people who represent me, I get to know the ins and outs of the process. Then, hopefully, when I graduate college and go into the professional world, I can make a positive impact on the world. Therefore, it was a natural choice.
How did you find out about the Caswell Scholarship?
I received an email from the Rowan Institute for Public Policy & Citizenship (RIPPAC) about the Caswell Scholarship and other scholarships. The scholarship was enticing. I worked on two unpaid political internships this summer. I thought I might as well just apply for any of the scholarships in the email, in order to cover my expenses. I ended up getting the Caswell Scholarship, which is huge. The Caswell Scholarship helped with even just gas money to get from my house to the internships.
Can you tell me about your two internships?
One of my internships was with Assemblywoman Patricia Lampitt, an assemblywoman in the sixth legislative district, where I live. This internship was remote, and more policy and analysis focused. I was given bills as long as 20 pages, and I read through them and categorized where money was being spent. While some people might find this kind of work boring, I found it fun.
My other internship was in the fifth legislative district office in Woodbury with Assemblyman William Spearman. My internship with Assemblyman Spearman was in person. I enjoyed being in person and getting to talk with my co-workers face to face and learning from their experiences. Most of my responsibilities were focused on constituent services, such as answering the phone, transferring calls, and entering callers into our call system. Our call system keeps track of the reason for their call, so we can keep track of their concerns and their contact information. Unfortunately, many people are calling about unemployment, but we were able to track that and help them. I really liked this internship.
What are some policies that you worked on specifically?
Many of the policies I worked on at my internship with Assemblywoman Lampitt were K-12 education based, since the Assemblywoman is the Chair of the New Jersey General Assembly Committee on Education. Something I worked on was keeping track of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, which is the state agency for rebuilding and upgrading our schools and public school system. One project was looking through their massive portfolio and seeing where their money is being spent, and what it is being spent on.
Also, the Assemblywoman did a lot of work regarding childhood poverty. I remember she had me looking at legislative proposals that worked to diminish the effects of childhood poverty in our state. New Jersey, unfortunately, has a high cost of living, so the cost to live here is a lot more than the federal guidelines say it should cost to live. Unfortunately, there are many people in New Jersey who are technically in poverty, but to the federal government, they are not, because the federal government’s guidelines are so low. So she’s working to see if there are any remedies to that so that people who need help can actually get instead of being frozen out of the system.
How has the Caswell Scholarship impacted you?
To be chosen for the Caswell Scholarship felt like validation of everything that I’ve been trying to achieve over these last few years. I hold it in the same regard as making Dean’s list. The scholarship feels like affirmation of those times where I’ve had trouble. I have ADHD, so I have had a really hard time with organization and whatnot. Getting these two internships was a huge moment for me, because it was wonderful to be out in the outside world working. It required great organizational skills so that I could have two different positions. The scholarship made me feel like all the work that I’ve been putting in has come to fruition. Feeling recognized makes me feel really good, not just about what I’ve achieved, but about myself. It makes me feel that even though I have this thing that makes me different and is pretty difficult sometimes with daily tasks, I can accomplish what I want to accomplish.
Could you describe your professional goals?
I really, really want to be in [Washington] DC. DC is the place to be, but I would really love to be on a staff in the federal government, so that I can work on laws and legislation. State and local governments are important, but the federal government is a whole different animal. I would love to be down there, not only working, but continuing to advocate for the causes that I believe in, progressive education policy and progressive health care policies. Then who knows. Maybe one day, I would love to run for office, but that would be in the future.
What advice do you have for other students seeking political science college internships?
I would say don’t be scared and don’t be intimidated. That’s how I felt applying for a lot of these internships. I got rejected by a couple and that got me down; but overall, I was fine in the long run. Don’t get intimidated by the process. It might seem intimidating that someone who’s part of a staff is going to interview you for an internship. However, once you get in contact with these people, you’ll realize that they’re normal people just like you. The staff wants to hire somebody who works hard. They want to bring somebody in who’s affable, who will not be a negative presence in the office. They want somebody who’s going to be a hard worker and will do what is needed to help. If I had to do the process over again, that’s exactly what I would try to emphasize.
Also, don’t be afraid to work at the state and local level. The federal government is cool and all. However, if you think about it, your local government takes care of daily things such as sewage. Your state government provides unemployment. So don’t knock working in the state or local government. It’s very important.
Final thoughts?
I really wish that I had come to Rowan from the start. I love my experiences here, the people I’ve met, and just how welcoming the entire campus has been. I went to a smaller school to start out. There were probably 300 people at my previous school. I like that Rowan is bigger and feels more like a university. One of the best decisions of my life was transferring to Rowan.
I am also thankful for Dr. Dworkin and the entire RIPPAC team. When I first came to Rowan, I didn’t think there was anything for me to do. I got these emails from Dr. Dworkin saying, if you’re interested in Political Science, come on, come out. I thought, “I’ll just go, I have nothing better to do.” It was a brilliant decision for me to get involved with RIPPAC and get involved on campus.
RIPPAC’s been great. They made me feel welcome. They have improved not only my professional development, but they’re also teaching me. Besides just the ins and outs of policy and legislation, they also have been having these great leadership seminars too. They’ve also been an extremely big help for me, and they’ve helped me grow not just in terms of my experience and what I can do, but also in terms of who I am. They’ve been a positive influence.
Currently, Jake is an IT project manager at Energy Management Systems. His current project for the company is to retire a legacy billingsystem to adopt a more modern infrastructure and provide better customer service/easier processes for employees.
In the past, Jake has worked as a full stack developer and saved the company $5.5 million in the first quarter he worked there.
Jake felt like he had hit a personal development ceiling, which inspired him to pursue a master’s degree.
“I knew a master’s degree would make me a more competitive applicant and would open up more opportunities in the workplace,” he says. “Being in a fellowship program is great to get my work and brand out there while also singing the praises of colleagues and the amazing research happening.”
Currently, Jake is enrolled in managerial accounting. “It’s been a decade since I’ve been a student, so I forgot what it was like to be in college. In managerial accounting, I am learning how to read financial statements, and it’s making me more appreciative of learning broader topics in the field that I haven’t gotten through just work experience.”
Jake speaks candidly of the balancing act he manages since starting the program as a full-time employee, spouse and father who does not live near the Rowan University campus.
“It is difficult to juggle all of the responsibilities, but early on I spoke to an inaugural fellow who gave me great advice. They explained that the program wasn’t supposed to be another full-time job. Rowan makes it so easy for us to benefit from the program while doing it at a manageable pace.”
Jake adds, “It is also extremely helpful that the program is online since I do not live locally. Rowan has made it easy to integrate myself into the current student population and alumni network.”
Ultimately, Jake chose Rowan to pursue his graduate degree because of the preliminary research he did on other programs.
“Rowan’s cost is reasonable compared to other schools and just made everything so accessible and easy to apply. I wanted to have the flexibility of an online program but also get a good degree — Rowan gives me this option.”
Today, Rowan Blog contributor and Writing Center tutor Bianca Gray answers questions people often ask her about the Rowan Writing Center. Bianca, a senior English major with a concentration in Shakespeare Studies, notes: “Spoiler alert! Don’t be surprised by how much I say RWC.”
What is the RWC?
The Rowan Writing Center (often abbreviated as RWC) is the place on campus to go if you need help with any form of writing and is also a nice place to study. It’s open Sunday-Friday and operates throughout the entire school year as well as the summer. Currently, it’s fully virtual, but there are hopes that it will be open for the 2021-22 academic school year (check the RWC site for up-to-date hours of operation).
Buckle up ’cause it’s a long story: The worst part about being a transfer student was everything I had built for myself at my previous institution being torn down. Before coming to Rowan, I spent the majority of my [first] year at my previous school making a name for myself around campus, specifically with the Writing Arts department. I had won the Freshman essay contest and had snagged an internship working with the Writing Center at that campus before I had to leave the school due to an unforeseen change in my finances.
I came to Rowan because I saw how well the Writing Arts department was and hoped to make the same foothold at this institution as I had at my previous one. My academic advisor placed me in a class called ‘Tutoring For Writing’ where I met one of the nicest professors on campus, Dr. Leslie Allison. I told Dr. Allison about my situation and how I wanted to be involved with the writing department on this campus and, while she couldn’t just give me a job, she helped me strengthen my tutoring skills to make me properly prepared to apply to work at the Writing Center when the time came. Thanks to Dr. Allison’s help as well as my newly strengthened skills, I was able to get a job with the RWC.
Will the hiring process be as dramatic for me?
No, I’m just dramatic by nature. The hiring process is pretty straightforward. Applications go out in the spring, then there’s interviews, then you’ll know if you got the job relatively quickly.
What does your job consist of?
Students from all over the university (both undergraduate and graduate) make appointments with my co-workers and I in order to get feedback on any given writing assignment. We don’t just look over English or writing major papers; we look and give feedback on papers that span across many different majors.
The RWC hires people of many different majors so that we’re better equipped at helping all students. We even have Engineering and Biology major tutors in order for them to help students who need help with lab reports.
On top of that, tutors also work closely with first year writing classes and hold weekly hour-long sessions in order to help first year students with their home/classwork as well going over things they may have been struggling with in class.
So if I go to the RWC for help with a paper, will they edit it for me?
No, RWC tutors are not editors. Editing a paper does nothing to help a student grow. It’s like when a teacher just X’s something you wrote out and writes wrong next to it. If you don’t know what the problem is then how can you be expected to solve it? RWC tutors, however, will go through your paper and mark areas where they see repeated problems and discuss those problems with you so that you can better understand the issue and learn not to make those same mishaps again.
What I do is this: If I see a repeated problem in a paper, I correct it the first time and mark it the next two times but don’t correct it. After that, I don’t correct or mark the problem at all. I discuss the issue with the student and expect for them to go back through the paper and find places where they see the problem and correct it themselves. Editing a paper doesn’t help a student to become a better writer.
What’s the best part about working there?
Definitely my co-workers and supervisors. Celeste, Donna and Cate are some of the coolest people I’ve ever met since being in college. I remember taking Shakespeare my first semester of working at the Writing Center and Cate always taking the time out of her day to better help me understand my work for the class, something she was under no obligation to do. It’s little stuff like that that makes me really appreciate them. My coworkers are cool as well. They’re a very boisterous group of people (more boisterous than you’d expect a group of tutors to be), but they all mean well. I remember my coworker, Nia, going out of her way to make me feel included and help me out when I first started. Having such a positive work environment with friendly faces makes the job so much easier.
What’s your advice to anybody nervous to come to the RWC in fear of their paper being judged or criticized harshly?
The RWC is a no-judgement zone. No tutor wants to read a paper and rip it apart. Everything we say is meant to be constructive and help to make your paper the best it can possibly be. If a tutor does or says something that makes a student feel upset or uncomfortable, report it immediately and it will be handled by the supervisors.
What are some other cool things about the RWC?
They host so many different events throughout the academic year. In a COVID-free school year, the RWC hosts multiple events including movie nights, trivia nights and holiday parties. If you’re ever free, don’t be afraid to come!
Today we feature junior Rachel Ricci of Moorestown, NJ (Burlington County), who transferred from Rowan College of South Jersey. Rachel, trained in classical voice, is a double major in Musical Theatre and Music Therapy within the College of Performing Arts. She shares how she first learned of the Music Therapy program and her first impressions of Rowan life.
How did you discover the Music Therapy program?
I had been interested in it because I just heard about it through people for a while. But it was actually Morgan, a friend of mine who … was in the program, and we got to talking about it. She just was telling me about her classes, how much she loved all her professors. And I got even more interested in it from hearing that.
I started looking into music therapy as a general concept, a lot more online research. I spoke to [Professor] Andrea Hunt, I had an interview with her. And they were all super helpful to give you a lot of information about it, hearing about the internships that come afterwards, and all that sort of stuff.
What got you interested in music therapy as a career option?
I really love the combination of areas that it is. It’s all the things that I’ve been really passionate about and really interested in, from psychology to music, and just the different demographics of people that you get to work with. I love working with children. I’ve also spent a lot of times in assisted living facilities, and I love working with older people. And I just like that you have the option to go into a lot of different areas with it.
What is your favorite part so far of being part of this program?
For me, I mean, I’m very brand new to it all. But I love how much I get to do voice with it. Because my instrument … everyone has a different instrument for the program. And mine is classical voice, which I love studying. So I’m very excited about all the voice classes and the choirs, studio days and all that.
How are you meeting people as a commuter?
Actually everyone’s really welcoming. Just last night, I was at a meet-and-greet for my [musical theatre major] and people were very warm. And there’s a lot of clubs on campus and stuff. So it’s not hard to get to know people even as a commuter.
How do you like Rowan so far?
Oh, I love it. A really nice environment. I love the campus. And it’s fun because I’m around here so I have a lot of friends that I knew since before college who go here, so it’s nice to already have kind of a community.
What are you looking forward to?
Just the whole experience because I’ve only done community college so far. I’m very excited to be at a university. I get to spend time with the friends I already have here and to make new friends when I start taking classes here.
Have you thought about joining any clubs or organizations on campus?
It’s hard as a commuter sometimes because you’re going back and forth so much, but I’ve been hearing about a lot of great ones and I definitely want to start looking into to get involved.
Why Rowan?
I really loved the school as soon as I when I was touring campus a few years ago. As soon as I was here, I liked the environment. I really liked it. It’s a medium-size school, you know, so you get the experience of being a bigger-feeling school without feeling too massive. I liked the community. I like the commute from where I live … just a lot about it that was a really good fit for me.
Tell us a little about what the class is. IMC goes over all the parts to an integrated marketing communications plan, such as advertising, public relations, direct marketing, digital/internet marketing, sales promotion and personal selling. You really get to work a lot of different muscles within the communications industry. Is there anything else that made […]
Today we feature Keyanna Meade, a senior Nutrition major and transfer student from Burlington Township, NJ (Burlington County). She is part of the Minority Association of Premedical Students MAPS and will be president of Helping Our People Excel through Wellness (H.O.P.E. through Wellness) this year. Keyanna shares her experience as a nutrition research assistant under the direction of Dr. Nicole Vaughn.
Why did you choose Rowan to study your major?
I chose Rowan because it was kind of close to home. After also hearing about all the great programs they had for my major, I decided Rowan was the best place to transfer to prepare me for my future endeavors.
Keyanna Meade
What does everyday life at Rowan look like for you? Can you walk us through a day in your shoes?
My schedule looked pretty similar day to day. I would often start my day by going to work, and then I would come to campus. When coming to campus I would attend class and then typically I would head to the gym. After leaving campus I would usually head home and cook myself something to eat. My day usually ends with completing homework and relaxing.
How did you start your research process? Why did you decide to start research in the nutrition field?
I have always been interested in being part of research and studies that were more community based rather than just conducting research out of a lab. By being a nutrition major, I’ve learned it is important to be educated on topics like, why individuals are food insecure and why certain diseases are more prevalent in certain communities … to name a few.
I was thrilled to find when I was looking on the Rowan Announcer that Dr. Vaughn was looking for a research assistant. I sent over my resume and applied for the position, and that’s how this all started.
Can you talk about what you are researching and why?
This summer I worked on a project that basically created a food system flow chart of all the nutritional programs provided in New Jersey. I was a part of the summer undergraduate research program (SURP), and my day-to-day consisted of a lot of researching, interviewing directors of programs, participants and stakeholders, and I was even part of the funding process.
For the flowchart we used something called Lucidchart. Our chart basically starts off with the Farm Bill, then the USDA, the Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, and then the bottom of the flow chart is where it reaches the county level and the consumers.
This whole flow chart creation process took about 10 weeks, and we are currently still editing it and sending it over to stakeholders to approve the accuracy.
Can you describe the research methods you have used in the past or are currently using?
One of our data methods is qualitative. We also conduct a lot of interviews for the community-based research we conduct.
What research skills have you acquired during your academic and/or research career?
Throughout this process my communication, critical thinking, writing and leadership skills have definitely improved.
What have you learned so far in your research process?
I have learned a lot through this experience. Specifically, I have learned how important it is to help out in your community and ways that you can give back because a lot of individuals are hungry, starving, homeless … and they are unaware of the programs available to them, so I think it is very important to not only give back to your community, but to spread knowledge on the programs available.
This whole process led me to wanting to get my master’s in Public Health. I want to help more on a community base and a whole population rather than just one individual at a time.
Get involved, especially with hall council your freshman year. Also SGA, that’s how I got my start in leadership on campus. Finding what organizations are good for your major. I’m on Rowan EMS. I got a lot of my connections and experiences through SGA and Rowan EMS.
Now the Disaster Preparedness Major, I remember the last two years of that major were intended to be in Camden, correct?
I’ve actually been taking major-related courses my entire four years. So, I’ve been going to Camden almost every semester.
Has that moved to online format because of Covid?
Yes, everything is online.
So you haven’t been able to go to Camden very much?
Yes, not much this [past] semester. I’m also in the master’s program. I was accepted for next year. We’re seeing what’s gonna happen. If I get a full-time job or if I continue with my master’s or not, I have been taking master’s classes for senior privilege through that.
What have been some of the advantages of going to the Rowan Camden campus for classes (even in a COVID world)?
It’s a really gorgeous building. It’s an old bank! There’s a student lounge in the basement that used to be the old safety deposit room. The area is nice and the shuttle drops you off right there. I also have a friend that goes to Rutgers Camden and it’s only two blocks away. I would go over and meet her in their Student Center every so often. It’s a very nice building.
What is the professional direction you would like to go?
I would like to go into emergency management in some capacity, whether that be for the government or the private sector. I’m keeping my options open.
For those who are not familiar with this emerging major, what does that mean to a layperson? Is it like working for FEMA?
My professor, Dr. Len Clark, said that it’s like being a general without an army. You’re making the plans and you’re in charge during the emergency, the police, the firemen, the EMS. You’re working with their respective leads and coordinating an “all-hazards” approach. If there’s a hurricane coming, you have to work with DPW, EMS, the fire department, the police department evacuating people, and preparing the town with sandbags.
Is a lot of your work preventative? A town would bring you in to develop a plan for them and then you would move on?
Yes, you can! There are some people who do subcontract. You’ll develop a plan for a town or a business and then leave. Or you can continue to work for that town or business, as an internal [contractor]. You would develop plans, run drills, and serve as a liaison.
Amanda Drayton, a first year Dance major from Somerset, NJ (Union County), rehearsed on Zoom with Associate Professor Paule Turner for weeks leading up to her first live performance during COVID-19. Amanda walks us through her performance and shares her experience as a College of Performing Arts student this past year. What made you choose […]
Today we feature Julia Reilly, a Rowan Chemical Engineering alumna who graduated in 2019. Julia is currently a chemical engineer at Dupont, a specialty company that makes products in the safety, healthcare, electronics, mobility, and construction spaces. Julia is from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, but she currently lives in Washington, D.C.
Julia Reilly
Why Rowan?
My guidance counselor suggested I look into Rowan. Being from Bucks County, I had never heard of it. I went to Rowan’s Honors Accepted Students Day, and Rowan was better than I thought. I met many people at the event, and I loved it.
Did you have any internships while you were at Rowan?
I had an internship at FMC Corporation, an agricultural sciences company, as well as an internship at Dupont. After my internship at Dupont, they interviewed me for a full-time role in the company during the fall semester of my senior year. I got the job, and it was nice to not have to worry about finding a job during my second semester of senior year. The job was in the Field Engineering and Supply Chain Development Program at Dupont, where I still currently work.
Do you have any advice for Chemical Engineering students at Rowan?
I’d advise students to reach out to professors early on and offer to work in their labs. I started working in Dr. Joseph Stanzione’s lab my freshman year, and it was a great opportunity. I built a good relationship with him and gained valuable experience as I was trying to build my resume. This definitely helped me to secure an internship early on.
How did Rowan help to prepare you for the job you have today?
Rowan has great chemical engineering classes that teach good fundamentals. My favorite part of the Chemical Engineering department are the special topics classes, such as mixing and process safety courses. These classes are not commonly offered at other schools and help Rowan’s Chemical Engineering program and Rowan alumni to stand out.
What do you hope to see in the future of Rowan?
I personally hope to see Rowan expand the Chemical Engineering program. Also, I hope they’ll continue to make diversity, equity and inclusion a priority in the engineering department specifically. It is important to me that they improve the diversity of both students and faculty and make the department an inclusive space for all to thrive.
Today, we speak to Rowan students who are excited about being physically present in class when we return to campus in the fall.
“I’m really looking forward to going to more in-person classes and looking to join clubs. It’s been hard to get involved and talk to people in my classes because everyone is behind a screen. In the few classes that I have in person, I’ve already made connections, and it makes a huge difference. I can’t wait to make more friends next fall!” says Rachel Bonhomme, a Math and Education major from Brick Twp. (Ocean County).
“I would really love to join a sorority next year. Just being part of a sisterhood sounds amazing!! I am really excited to open that chapter of my life at Rowan,” says Bri Solomon, a Biochemistry major from Brick Twp. (Ocean County).
“I’m currently in the Vietnamese Student Association at Rowan. I encourage people who’s interested in learning the culture/language or anyone down to have a good time to join. I really enjoyed being in this club so far,” says Tammy Nguyen, a first-generation college student and Early Childhood Education major from Lawnside, NJ (Camden County).
“I am most looking forward to being able to have classes and more activities in person. As a current [first year], I am really looking forward to in-person activities to be able to get the full college experience,” says Jayshalie Jennings, Secondary Education (Mathematics) major from Williamstown, NJ (Gloucester County).
“I am looking forward to dancing, of course. I could dance, thankfully, at home in my basement all school year, but I hope to dance in a studio. The last time I did that was March 10, 2020,” says Gabrielle Langevine, a Dance major from Middlesex County, NJ.
“Being able to work in the studios again and have more free time by doing so!” says Sumayyah Hayes, first-generation college student and Art major from Burlington County.
Many out-of-state students are coming to campus for the first time since COVID, while some were able to come to campus last year. Here are some things that out-of-state students are looking forward to when campus opens up a bit more this semester.
Magdelyn Kelly is a senior Musical Theatre and Theatre Education major from Inwood, West Virginia. Magdelyn transferred to Rowan from Blue Ridge Community College. Magdelyn is a first-generation college student and an off-campus renter. She says she’s most looking forward to seeing all her peers and learning face to face again. When asked if there was someone she hasn’t seen in person since before Covid who she is very much looking forward to seeing on campus this fall, Magdelyn replied, “My voice teacher!” Magdelyn is involved with Campus Players and Rowan Lab Theatre, and she adds that Rowan Lab Theatre will be putting on some great shows this year. Magdelyn can’t wait to take part in Rowan After Hours (RAH) and Student University Programmers (SUP) events again, such as Bingo. She can’t wait to take senior pictures with her friends and hang out on campus on Bunce Green.
Students hanging out on Bunce Green, as Magdelyn looks forward to.
Nick Kreuz, a senior Electrical and Computer Engineering major from Quakertown, Pennsylvania, is looking forward to working back in the labs with other students. Nick says, “I am looking forward most to going back to a campus that feels alive,” and he notes being on campus last year felt less warm and welcoming than it has been in the past. Some campus must-dos for him include activities put on by the Rec Center (where he will work as a Building Manager) and shows returning to the Planetarium. Nick is also looking forward to visiting Einstein’s Bagels in the mornings for coffee.
Nick Kreuz
Petro Skrypnyk has never been to campus before, and he is excited to see the place he has been studying at for a year. Petro is a senior Computer Science major and commutes from his home in Philadelphia. Before attending Rowan, Petro transferred from Rowan College at Burlington County. Petro wants to get involved with Rowan’s Association for Computing Machinery and the Volleyball team. Petro is excited to earn his bachelor’s degree and meet up with people in between classes.
Petro, of Philadelphia, is looking forward to the on-campus experience this semester.
Samuel Jolade, senior Computing and Informatics major from Deer Park, New York, is excited to come back to the Rowan campus after nearly two years. He can’t wait to get back into Gaming Club and visit the Game Room in the Student Center. Samuel hasn’t seen his friend Max and a few other friends since before COVID, and he is excited to see them.
Samuel (not pictured) looks forward to hanging out in the Student Center’s Game Room.
Ashleigh Jankowski is a junior Biomedical Engineering major with a Chemistry minor from Catonsville, Maryland. Ashleigh is living off campus this semester. Ashleigh says while “virtual learning was a great way to proceed in learning while continuing to be socially distanced, nothing can replace the friendly, bustling campus atmosphere.” She is looking forward to taking classes that are major specific this year, and because most of them are engineering labs, hopefully having them in person! She is looking forward to Outdoors Club getting started again, as she is hoping to go on a few trips with them this semester. She’s also looking forward to RAH events like Bingo and SUP activities like Outdoor Movie Night. Ashleigh also can’t wait to hang out at Einstein’s Bagels again.
Today we feature three members of the Men’s Club Lacrosse team as they share their experiences and touch upon why Rowan Men’s Club Lacrosse is a great extracurricular to participate in.
Participating in sports at the high school level is important to students as it fuels their competitive edge, allows individuals to make new friends, and simply teaches students about leadership and confidence. However, being recruited by collegiate sports teams and continuing to play at college can be physically rigorous, difficult to manage socially, and requires an immense amount of time.
The Rowan Men’s Club Lacrosse Team volunteers to help the youth players of Washington Township at a clinic.
Rowan University does not have a collegiate Division III Men’s Lacrosse team; however, the university does offer a Men’s Club Lacrosse team. Today we feature several members of the team to hear their insights on the program.
Rowan Men’s Club Lacrosse celebrating a tournament win in Spring 2021.
Ryan Meiluta is a senior long stick midfielder majoring in Civil Engineering from Delran, NJ (Burlington County).
Why did you choose to play men’s club lacrosse?
I wanted to continue playing lacrosse and compete.
What is your favorite thing about being a member of the men’s club lacrosse team?
The bonds we have with our teammates.
Do you play on the team more so for the social aspect or because you love the sport?
I started because I love the sport, but the social aspect makes it a lot better.
How many days a week do you practice?
Two days a week.
Rowan Men’s Club Lacrosse goalie and defenders walking onto the field for a game.
I really enjoy playing lacrosse and wanted to continue to be a part of a team.
What is your favorite thing about being a member of the men’s club lacrosse team?
My teammates.
What is a pro of playing for the team?
Winning games and winning the games without a coach is definitely a pro.
If Rowan had an NJAC/ NCAA men’s lacrosse team, would you pursue that or try to walk on?
Yes.
Rowan Men’s Club Lacrosse at their annual walk for one of their founding members, Donnie Farrell, in Glassboro.
Ryan Collins is a junior defender majoring in Marketing and is from Lacey Township, NJ (Ocean County).
Why did you choose to play men’s club lacrosse?
I chose to play lacrosse at Rowan because I wanted to continue playing the sport after high school. I felt it was a good way to meet new people and to continue playing.
Do you travel and play other schools?
Yes, we travel to different tournaments and colleges playing other club teams from all different schools.
How competitive would you say the team is?
I’d say the team is very competitive. Every practice and game we have we all give 100%, and our goal is to be the best we can.
Do you play on the team more so for the social aspect or because you love the sport?
I’d say a little bit of both, they’re both great factors that come with playing on the club team. I’ve always loved lacrosse and have played my whole life so I knew I wanted to play in college.But, I think club lacrosse was the perfect thing to do because I am able to focus a ton on school while still playing the sport and spending time with teammates.
Face-off win by Dylan Ritchkoff during a scrimmage in Spring 2021.
Today we feature Melody Wozunk, a senior Management major from Vineland, NJ (Cumberland County). Melody is the inaugural Student Cafe Executive Officer for the new student-run Saxbys cafe at Rowan’s Rohrer College of Business.
Saxbys is a Certified B Corporation and coffee company in over 10 different locations. Saxbys’ mission statement is “Make Life Better.” With their mission statement and the up-and-coming workforce in mind, Saxbys createdthe Saxbys Experiential Learning Platform. Within the Experiential Learning Platform, one undergraduate student will be the student CEO of the campus cafe for a semester.
Melody Wozunk is the new Student CEO for the Rowan University Saxbys campus cafe located in the Rohrer College of Business. Melody goes into detail about the Experiential Learning Platform, discusses how she found out about this opportunity, and shares future plans.
Melody Wozunk
I understand that Saxbys has partnered with Rowan University in an all new student-run café starting this fall, and you are the new SCEO. How did you get involved?
I was in a career planning and development class back in Spring 2021, and my professor encouraged me to attend an online career fair. I went ahead and went on and scrolled through the employer list. This is when I came across Saxbys, a company I was vaguely familiar with. Originally, I was just looking for a summer internship. It just so happened that this opportunity turned into something so much greater and way beyond just that. I am so grateful that I logged onto the career fair that day because I was instantly informed of this Student CEO position and it has been a dream come true.
What are your feelings as the first Student CEO of Rowan’s Saxbys Experiential Learning Platform?
Melody Wozunk, Student CEO at Saxbys Rowan University (right) with Rachel Lefurge, Student CEO at Saxbys Penn State (left)
I feel a mixture of emotions when I think about this opportunity. I feel extremely excited, blessed, honored, challenged, and simply just so happy to be here and part of this experience of the Experiential Learning Platform. I know I am going to learn so much and will be able to utilize the skills I learn in my future endeavors.
From your understanding, what are your roles and responsibilities as the SCEO of the campus cafe?
Saxbys breaks it down into what they call the three pillars. The pillars include financial management, community leadership and team development. I have a lot of different responsibilities as the SCEO, but they all fall into the three pillars. For example, for financial management, I will constantly be tracking costs of goods sold in the cafe and evaluating revenue. For team development, I will be working a lot on the floor as a “team lead,” which is viewed as a management position. For community leadership, I will focus on getting Rowan involved and interested in this new cafe.
What are your professional plans post graduation? Do you plan on working for a company like Saxbys long term?
It is hard to say what the future holds for me. I am still going to be a student and I obviously will not be going into the full-blown workforce until after I graduate; however, I would be honored to work for Saxbys long term. I have loved working with Saxbys so far, and just their mission statement alone of “Make Life Better” truly resonates with me.
Lovely Tejano, Student CEO at Saxbys Bowie (middle), Josh Ruminski, Student CEO at Saxbys JCU (right) and Danny Fisher, Student CEO (left)
What personal goals do you have for working as the SCEO for the Rowan Saxbys campus cafe?
I really want to provide an awesome experience for guests that are coming in: the Rowan community. Our goal at Saxbys, as stated previously, is to “Make Life Better.” However, I can accomplish that through my team, for the community is really important to me. I also am looking forward to developing my team. Starting up as a brand new cafe is an exciting experience; however, it can also be a little intimidating. Therefore, a personal goal for me is to spread confidence, create a fun working environment and a motivating atmosphere.
Personally, I am looking to improve my time management skills, professional communication skills, and my overall drive and focus as a professional who is practically starting their first full-time job.
The grand opening of Rowan’s Saxbys campus cafe was held on Sept. 21. The cafe is looking for outgoing, detail-oriented, disciplined and passionate workers.
To find out more information on theSaxbys Experiential Learning Platform, you can click the website linked below. For information on how to apply and join the team you can click the following;
English major and Rowan Blog contributor Bianca Gray sat down with fellow English major and recent graduate, Chloe Senatore, to talk about her acceptance into Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Chloe not only discusses the journey that led her to Trinity College but how the English Department at Rowan helped her along the way.
Can you tell us a little bit about your graduate program and what you’ll be studying?
I’m studying Irish writers. I’ll be focusing on Irish literature and Irish writing at Trinity College in Dublin where many of those writers went to school. It’s a one-year program but it’s going to be really cool and I’m really excited. I definitely feel as though the classes I’ve taken at Rowan and the professors I’ve worked with have prepared me to do something like this.
Was it always your intention to study abroad for graduate school?
No, actually. I wasn’t even fully planning on going to graduate school. I just wanted to apply to this one singular program to see if I could get in. It’s a difficult program to get into but I knew if I didn’t apply then I would never know and spend the rest of my life sad about it. I didn’t apply to any other programs. If I didn’t get into Trinity then I was just going to enter the workforce but, lo and behold, I actually did get accepted and that’s what I’m doing.
Why did you choose Irish Writing to be your field of study?
That’s very personal to me. I’m Irish. I have a big mane of red hair. You’ve seen me. I have Irish heritage on both sides of my family. Irish literature often gets lumped into British literature but Irish literature is its own separate thing, and I really wanted to dive into it more. I chose Trinity specifically to learn more about this field. I literally have a quote by W.B Yates tattooed on my body.
I’m very into not only Irish poetry but the Irish experience in general. I dove into the history of Ireland when I was supposed to go abroad through a program Rowan was hosting before everything happened with COVID. The program was a law class called International Terrorism and, though it wasn’t something affiliated with my major, I was going to take it as a free elective. Since COVID shut down the trip, I’ve just been yearning to go and experience the culture and history of the country.
Can you tell me any specifics about the program you’re enrolled in at Trinity?
It’s a small program. It only accepts around 20 students a year. It’s not a traditional English program. There are multiple different paths I could take, and I could choose to study one specific author. The general structure is that the first semester is just studying all of Irish literature in general, and the second semester is going to be spent with me writing a dissertation on whichever path of Irish literature I choose to study.
Who are your favorite Irish poets/writers?
Seamus Heaney and W.B Yates. They’re just the best.
What inspired your initial interest in literature?
Oh gosh, that takes me back to being a kid and reading Harry Potter. I’ve always been a book nerd. I love to read, and I think it’s something I’ve just always naturally gravitated towards. It’s just been my thing for as long as I can remember.
Why did you choose Rowan to pursue your passion?
I actually transferred to Rowan. I did my first two years of college at a different university but I didn’t like it there. I ended up transferring to Rowan because it was closer to where I lived and I could easily commute to school. My decision to transfer was one of the best decisions I ever made. Rowan’s English department is just so superior to the English department at my other school. I just think that it’s really awesome that I got to be a part of the Rowan English program. The professors are just so cool and knowledgeable. They push you to improve.
Who was your favorite professor to work with overall?
I loved so many of the professors, but I’d have to pick Dr. Falck. She’s just amazing and phenomenal. She’s one of the best teachers I ever had. The feedback she gave and the way she taught was just incredible. I learned so much from her. She even wrote one of my recommendation letters to go to Trinity.
What was your favorite course?
Probably Multi-Ethnic Literature of the U.S. It opened my eyes to see that American literature isn’t just Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman. There’s so many people of different ethnicities that wrote some great works that should be more heavily acknowledged in the canon.
How do you feel the Rowan English Department prepared you for graduate school?
They couldn’t have prepared me any better to handle my academic career moving forward. The professors at Rowan don’t just give you an A or a B. They genuinely see you and see your writing and they help you to improve. They aren’t just going off a rubric. They’re genuinely interested in helping people improve on an individual level. There was a time or two where I had a professor give me a B on an essay when I knew for a fact that I did better than some people in the class who got the same or better grades than me. I would voice my opinions to the professor and they would just tell me that I got the grade I got because they knew I could do better.
What advice would you give to a student thinking about pursuing an English career at Rowan?
Whatever you put into it is what you’re going to get out of it. I can admit that I’m a try hard, but what I put into it was what I got out of it. I put a lot of hard work into essays and things like that so I got a lot out of it. My professors gave to me what I gave to them.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
After this next year of grad school, I’ll have a bit of a beefier resume. My goal is to work for a publishing company or work as an editor. I’m not really sure where I’ll be led but I like the idea of reading and editing books for a living.
Today we feature December 2020 graduate Adam Clark. Adam graduated with a degree in Radio/Television/Film. He also commuted from Bridgeton, NJ (Cumberland County). He tells us about his work since graduation and his upcoming plans. What have you been up to? Before I graduated I started working on this film that continued long after I […]
Today we share moments from our conversation with College of Performing Arts students Michael Landolfi and Jenna Hope during a session of their Stagecraft Fundamentals class. We asked them about their favorite parts of their majors and the course itself.
“I recently just transferred from the Music Industry program so it was actually the major that made me want to come to Rowan. I also like that it is fairly close to home but not too close. It was important to me to be close enough to home where I could see family but still be able to explore a new area.”
In the Stagecraft Fundamentals course, have you found anything you are particularly passionate about that you did not think you would like?
“I definitely have taken an interest in woodwork and carpentry more than I thought I would have.”
Michael Landolfi
Can you tell me about the relationships you have between the staff here?
“Especially the staff in the theatre department and the staff in the music program … [t]hey all have been pretty open with communication. Several professors have helped me figure out what trajectory I am taking in terms of what I am learning here and what I want to do in the future.”
What made you change your major?
“I personally did not like taking business classes … [t]here were quite a few of those classes I had to take. Also I have also always loved live sound, and that is mainly what I am trying to get a career in because those jobs are more secure than trying to land a job as a music producer or a performer in general.”
A student working in Stagecraft Fundamentals
What is your favorite class so far?
“Stagecraft Fundamentals is pretty great. Starting to get involved in the theatre department and stuff has been a really good experience. I also enjoy a Social Problems class I have taken that is completely not related to my major. I just needed to take it for credits, but I heavily enjoyed it.”
Stagecraft Fundamentals student, Jenna Hope, using power tools in class.
“What made me change my major was the fact that I felt like I was not able to use my hands as much, and getting to take classes like Stagecraft Fundamentals in my first year was something that really made me realize that design and tech is something that makes me really excited. Things like carpentry and costuming are so interesting and also simply fun for me.”
Out of all the elements in design and tech, what would you say your favorite is?
“Out of all of them I would say carpentry, but I really have a soft spot for costuming even though I have not gotten to do it yet.”
Can you tell me about some things that you have made in your Stagecraft Fundamentals class?
“We made a couple of different things … sadly most of the things we make in class are for productions we are holding in the semester, but with Covid we were unable to put on the amount of productions that we would have liked to so we did not have that many sets or props to make. With that being said, we have been making birdhouses this semester as a little project for everybody.”
What advice would you give to a person who is interested in the major but unsure of design and tech?
“I think they should just take Stagecraft because it gives total insight to the major. Asking for help is also so important. Just because you need assistance or help does not mean you cannot partake in something you enjoy.”
Associate Professor Tom Fusco (left) works with Jenna (center) and another student using a power saw.
See more from the Stagecraft Fundamentals class in this video.
Today we feature Brian Seay, a double major in Radio/Television/Film and Sports Communication and Media from Cumberland County. Brian also has a certificate in undergrad study (CUGS) in Esports. We interview Brian as he touches upon his involvement with the Rowan Admissions Twitch streaming account through his job as a Digital Content Contributor for Rowan’s Marketing and Enrollment Management team.
Why did you decide to get a certificate in undergrad study (CUGS) in Esports?
“I love video games. My friends and I play very frequently, and during quarantine I got interested in competitive 2k (basketball video game). When I was looking at my Sports Communication and Media major and the credits I needed for it, I came across the CUGS for Esports. I quickly realized that obtaining a CUGS in Esports was only one more course in addition to all my courses I have already taken for my major in Sports Communication and Media, so I thought why not?”
What is Twitch?
“Twitch is simply just a place where you can stream something live — it does not necessarily have to be video games. It started off as ‘Justin TV’ where this guy named Justin just basically streamed his everyday life on this website that he created. It has now turned into a place where content creators can stream videos; Twitch is primarily used for videogames but can be used for anything.”
Brian Seay
What do you do for Rowan as a content contributor?
“My primary task is to create videos and to help Rowan’s Marketing team to draw students in. One of the projects we did a few weeks ago was that we went in a filmed some of the residence halls so we can create a video on all the different resident and housing options Rowan offers. These videos are our most popular because they appeal to a big population of students, while club videos and certain sport videos are geared to a smaller target audience.”
What do you do to prepare for each Twitch stream?
“Setting up for my streams takes a decent amount of time. I stream on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. so I usually start setting up at 5 p.m. This allows me enough time to make sure all my equipment and software is running smoothly before I go live. Set up consists of sound checks, microphone checks, controller checks and more.”
Brian Seay playing a video game
How does your CUGS in Esports help with your job for Rowan as a Twitch streamer?
“As I stated previously, I only needed one class to obtain a CUGS in Esports because of all the classes I have already taken for my major in Sports Communication and Media. With that being said, my Intro to Esports class not only equipped me with a lot of knowledge on Esports but made me very interested in playing Esports.”
What is your favorite part of streaming on Twitch?
“As stated previously, I just love video games, so this job is honestly not looked at as work for me. I am doing something I enjoy, and it makes my streaming sessions go by so quickly.”
Brian Seay
What is your favorite Esport game to play for Rowan Twitch?
“First off, it is important to note that I have to play games that are educationally appropriate. However, I like to play games that are popular in Esport streaming. Therefore, I enjoy playing Rocket League as it is a very popular Esport game.”
What is your favorite game to play on your free time?
“I have to say, my favorite game of all time has to be Minecraft. I am very creative and I love how the game caters to what your needs are. I think it is so cool how you can spend weeks and months on a world and you create your own environment and atmosphere and I think it is really cool how you can truly make it your own.”
There are a few! I have a favorite class for [each of my concentrations]. As far as History courses, one of my favorite classes was the U.S. Since 1945. We studied recent history. That’s my favorite period of American history, post-World War II and on to the present. Even now, I’m taking a class with Dr. Jennifer Janofsky called American Material Culture, it’s an aspect of history that a lot of people don’t realize — for example, the music, decor, and clothes.
A lot of people think of History majors and history in general as date-oriented or event-oriented, but there’s so much more to it. The development of different things is also part of history. I find that class very interesting because it’s basically from the Civil War and on.
Can you share why history is relevant to people who are not History majors?
For example, we can look at technology and how much of a role it has played in our lives, and its development. Fifty to 60 years ago, the refrigerator, oven or microwave were just starting to develop. Now we obviously see with our computers or phones just how that has certainly changed over time. The computers were massive, and now we basically have a computer in our pocket.
I think it’s important for non-history majors to realize that we live in history, and we’re living through it now (obviously with Covid). It’s certainly all around us. Even in car culture, there’s so much technology now within cars, the role of cars, and how that has changed in the development of our neighborhoods. [There is] so much around us that a lot of people don’t realize is history.
Do you ponder on the sociological impact of technology in history?
The first [TVs were in] black and white, now we have color TVs. Now the TVs are even smaller, thinner and bigger. Just the channels and the content you can watch [now] have expanded over time. There used to be only six or seven channels 40 years ago; now we have over 500. There are so [many] things out there for people to see and learn.
What makes the professor of this class so wonderful?
She’s been teaching this class for a while so she’s very knowledgeable. This is her area of expertise. She really connects it to the present as well. It all ties back to the present. We actually just did a class discussion on the Coney Island Amusement Park. Over a hundred years ago when Coney Island first opened up, it was a totally new concept. Now we [have] places like Six Flags. A hundred years ago that would have been a totally foreign thing.
How did this class help to support your academic or professional growth?
I really like public history because of this class. I had never taken too many courses focusing on public history, especially on material culture. I think that definitely prepares me for my master’s degree next year. It’s a great foundation and will help prepare me going forward.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
I hope to work in communications for either a private company or for public officials in the government. I see myself working in media, [although] I’m not entirely sure [on the specifics] yet, but I [have] a general idea. Most likely for a public official doing communication or research for them. I think that’s something that I see myself doing since I’m going to be down in DC.
Could you share your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes?
My favorite experience in one of my classes was in a Self-Publishing course I took during the Fall of 2019 with Professor Jason Luther. He’s the coolest professor ever. One of our assignments was to create a zine, which we then produced and sold at the Collingswood Book Festival! It was such an awesome experience!
I will start school at Rutgers Law School this fall. I hope to work as a family law attorney after graduating from law school, particularly in the realm of divorce and custody disputes.
Do you want to give a thank-you shout-out to your family, friends, advisors, or mentors?
Absolutely! I can’t thank my parents enough for everything they’ve done for me not just in the last four years, but throughout my life. Their support absolutely made it possible for me to earn my degree!
Who is your favorite professor? What class did you take them for? Why is this person your favorite?
My favorite professor was Professor Jade Jones. I took her for Creative Writing I. She’s my favorite because she was one of the kindest and most supportive people I’ve ever met. She was also such an incredible professor and truly went above and beyond for her students!
What advice would you give to incoming freshmen or transfers about making the most out of their college experience?
The advice I would offer is that it’s absolutely fine and probably even normal to not know what you want to do after graduation when you start college. I changed my major three times during my freshman year before finding something that I loved. Other than that, just enjoy your college experience and get involved in everything you can. It really goes by incredibly fast, and you’ll be graduating before you know it!
Today we feature senior Bianca Gray, an English major with a concentration in Shakespeare Studies. Bianca is a commuter student from Sicklerville, NJ (Camden County). Bianca shares her experience at Rowan after transferring from a private college in Spring 2019.
Do you commute or live on campus?
“I used to live on campus, but because of personal reasons, I will commute next school year.”
What are some likes and dislikes of your major?
“I enjoy reading, writing, and studying English. The professors in the English department aren’t only supportive in class, but they also help students get jobs in the department. One of my professors recommended me to the Academic Integrity Board after I showed my interest. I got the position instantly, and that wasn’t something she had to do. She placed me in a position where I can interact with higher ups from Rowan and have better recommendations when I apply to grad school. So far, I don’t have any dislikes about my major.”
Why did you transfer to Rowan?
“I transferred from a private college in New York. The school was very expensive, I had complications with the staff and the problem with small colleges is they run it like a boarding school. The college felt just like high school and I didn’t really like that you could be labeled for something you did your [first] year. Rowan is the opposite, it’s a public university, I feel free here, and it’s been very convenient for me.”
What has your experience at Rowan been like so far?
“At first, Rowan seemed culture shocked because it didn’t feel as diverse as I imagined it for a public university. As for friendship, I reached back to high school friends and most could connect since they live close tocampus. Overall, I am having a good experience. People at Rowan show they care about the Rowan community, especially my RA.”
What do you like to do for fun?
“I enjoy writing short stories and hanging out with friends. I also like watching old TV shows such as ‘Gossip Girl’ or ‘Pretty Little Liars.’ The older TV shows are just blunt, whereas newer TV shows show faux diversity.”
Do you have any jobs on campus?
“I work at the Writing Center, assist professors with writing, and I intern at the Rowan Blog as a Digital Content Contributor.”
What do you look forward to after graduation?
“My goal is to attend graduate school. There’s a competitive program that offers not just your master’s but your doctorate as well. After that, I would like to work in the higher education field. I would like to become a resident director, vice president or even a dean. I also want to be involved in academia, self publish, and hopefully write novels.”
What is one piece of life advice for current Rowan students?
“Honestly, live your life to the fullest. Do what makes you happy.”
Today we speak with Leah Boyle, who recently graduated with a degree in Psychology. Leah comes from Haddonfield, NJ in Camden County and is a first-generation college student. She had been an on-campus resident all four years and worked as an RA (Resident Assistant) for the LGBTQIA+ Learning Community in Holly Pointe for the last two years.
Why did you choose a university close to home?
My sister went [to Rowan]. She’s a year older than me and she graduated last year. We are very, very close and when she went to Rowan, I knew that they had a great psychology program. We were roommates in Holly Pointe my freshman year. We had an apartment together with our friends. She’s one of my best friends. That was why I chose [Rowan] and it ended up being a great opportunity. Everything about it has been awesome. It was more for family.
How do you carve out an identity for yourself if you are with a sibling in the same place?
Shannon, my older sister, specifically was an Art major. She was working on that, and I became interested in the Social Justice office. [I] started working at the office of Social Justice Inclusion and Conflict Resolution (SJICR). I worked on their programming and it got me thinking about what we do for our queer students, which got me to becoming an RA. She ended up making a club for women in our arts programs (Women of Westby, W.O.W). I was able to get my residence to come to W.O.W. events and she was able to bring the arts to my residence. So we were able to connect a lot [that way]. She was really successful in her art. I was doing my psychology and social justice stuff. We started out the same but went in different directions.
Did you ever feel overshadowed by having a sibling here?
Well, I’m not an artist! I didn’t really know much about how Shannon is such a good artist until I would meet with her in the art building. [We’d] go get food together, see her stuff and [witness] people talk about her and her art. She is an incredible oil painter. So I didn’t [feel] overshadowed because I don’t do a lot in the arts. I took an oil painting class last semester on Zoom and had to call her every day to get tips. We had our own things that we specialized in. It was good to see her grow in her art. She got a lot of involvement in social justice too.
What was it like to live with your sister in a university location after living together for your whole life?
It was much messier because we had bigger rooms now. We’ve shared a room since I was seven. I say everything that is hers is mine. She lives in Maryland now. It’s a lot more arguments about where things should be put, but it was great. My sophomore year we had an apartment with four other friends in university housing. It was really great because there’s no one you could be more honest with than your sister. I could say, “I can’t be around you right now.” I can be honest with my roommate because she is my sister.
Rowan was really accommodating to [me] living with a sophomore my freshman year. They had no problems and they were so happy for us. I’m happy we were able to do it because now she’s doing her own thing. I’m moving after this. I’m going to grad school at Montclair State University.
Do you have any other majors, minors or CUGs?
I took Child Life courses at University of California Santa Barbara, where I study hospitalization. I’m going to Montclair State for Child Psychology.
What is it like not living with your sister?
In the beginning, it was kind of a bummer. I’m happy I didn’t have to go live with someone who wasn’t her. I got used to it. It’s a little far (I’m up near New York) so we make weekends to see each other. She calls me and I call her probably a little too much. It’s not so bad, we’re [still] in constant contact.
Today we feature Liva Savaiinaea, a senior Music Performance major from Paulsboro, NJ (Gloucester County). Liva’s favorite class was Collegium Musicum within Music Department taught by Dr. Lourin Plant. Liva was also a transfer from Rowan College of South Jersey. Tell us a little about what the class is. It is an ensemble open to […]
Finding the right on-campus job can change your whole college experience, leading you to important connections, helping you discover your career goals or letting you find the right school/work/life balance. Five students share their experiences in some of the most interesting, beneficial and well-paid jobs on campus!
Summer Conference Assistant – Chase Campbell
Advertising major Chase Campbell of Burlington County worked as a Summer Conference Assistant for the Office of Conference & Event Services in 2019. As part of a staff of eight students, Chase worked and lived with his teammates! This job offers a stipend and free summer housing. He found this job through the Rowan Announcer and attended an informational session.
Some of the responsibilities in this job included helping people check into the conferences, preparing residential and event spaces and taking turns being the 24/7 customer service representative for the events. Chase learned the importance of being himself rather than just being the “perfect customer service representative.” He enjoyed speaking with clients and helping them feel welcome to the university with kindness. Look out for this job if you enjoy working on a team and assisting people!
Academic Success Coach – Alee Rebillon
Alee Rebillon, a senior Psychology major from Mercer County, worked as an Academic Success Coach her junior year for one semester. She found this opportunity through an email listing Federal Work-Study (FWS) options. She also spoke to their department staff at the on-campus Fall Job Fair. As a psych major, Alee felt this would give her great experience in working with people one-to-one. Although, Academic Success Coaches come from all different majors and walks of life!
Alee worked with fellow students who needed guidance in lots of different areas! Such as, who to speak to if they want to change majors, where to find a student organization, or even how to make a schedule for themselves. She learned so much about herself, other students, and the university from this job. She has helped people receive supports through the Wellness Center and Tutoring Services; she also walked students through how to use The Shop or Prof Jobs. If you want to help other students by being a relatable source of guidance, this job is for you!
Picking Peppers with President Houshmand – Dyone Payne
Public Relations major Dyone Payne, a senior from Gloucester County, worked for Dr. Houshmand, Rowan University’s president, on his local farm picking peppers and several other vegetables. They use the peppers to create the famous Houshmand’s Hazardous Hot Sauce, which is processed in a factory (by professionals) in Bridgeton. All proceeds from the Hot Sauce go towards the Student Scholarship Fund. The amazing part of this job is that they work to support students on all levels of operation in the making of this hot sauce. A team of students, Houshmand, and his staff go out to the West Campus farm throughout the spring and summer to begin the process.
Dyone remembers enjoying the hands-on experience and learning so much about the different kinds of peppers and sauces. The ghost peppers went into the hottest flavor, the mushroom peppers were the mildest peppers, and jalapeno peppers also went into the mildest sauce. She also shared how kind the staff was, always making sure the students were hydrated and offering transportation to and from the farm. Another responsibility of this role was selling the Hot Sauce (and Hot Sauce merch) at university football games, basketball games, and university holiday parties. She enjoyed being able to connect with the university staff and see that they truly understand the students’ struggles.
Dyone found this job through Rowan emails and contacted the president’s staff. She learned important life skills such as the importance of patience and taking your time. She also appreciates the president’s mission, even more, knowing that he is genuinely kind and interested in caring for Rowan students. Dyone also recalls the students having to leave their phones (because the pepper residue may get to your eyes and face through your phone). This helped the students to connect with each other and forge strong friendships. She absolutely adores plants and keeps a lovely mini garden oasis in her room now!
Engineering Intern – Jed Vergara
Students working in the RU Sustainable Facilities Center with faculty (Jed Vergara not pictured).
RU Sustainable Facilities Center – Rowan University + NJARNG (NJ Army National Guard) Building Information Modeling (BIM) Intern
Jed Vergara worked as a Building Information Modeling (BIM) Intern for more than two years as a Rowan undergraduate. This internship was under Rowan’s Sustainable Facilities Center in contract with the NJ Army National Guard (NJARNG). It’s offered as both a part-time job as well as an engineering clinic on campus. He first discovered this role at the beginning of his sophomore year after a professor shared the opportunity because of Jed’s stellar grades.
The internship also offers different roles in the operation. Some interns would inspect recruitment centers across NJ for the Army National Guard, and others like Jed worked on building information modeling (BIM). BIM is basically cataloging several parts of a building such as spatial measurements, construction materials, HVAC, electrical or plumbing. In the 50 years the buildings have been around, there have been so many refurbishments added that no single catalog of the buildings records all of the changes. Rowan was contracted to change this and catalog every NJARNG recruitment center in the South Jersey area.
Jed was able to work with a 3D laser scanner and connect individual room scans into a large model of the building on a program called Revvit. The basic three-step process of his internship was to scan the building, consolidate all of the scans, and finally add the details. He greatly appreciates this internship experience because he works with images of building scans as a Structural Engineer. He also found that his experiences with different computer programs proved to be very valuable in his career. Many times, Jed had to quickly learn how to use a program and help others learn how to use it as well. Another valuable lesson he learned was how to plan effectively and efficiently. This internship is open to civil engineering majors, electrical & computer engineering majors (ECE) and mechanical engineering majors. This department is located within Rowan Hall (the original Engineering building).
Rowan Blog Digital Content Contributor – Bianca Torres
Lastly, we speak with Bianca Torres, a Music Industry major and senior from Morris County, who works as a fellow Digital Content Contributor for Rowan Blog. Bianca helps the blog run smoothly in so many different ways! She not only creates content for the Admissions page, but she also contributes to the Humans of Rowan Instagram and other Rowan social media platforms. Bianca finds ways to market the school to incoming first year and transfer students. She loves sharing the vibrancy of campus life through stories. She started off creating music for the background of Rowan’s YouTube videos. She has since branched out into photography, writing articles, interviewing leads and strategy (planning stories and Google Ads). Bianca appreciates how much knowledge she has learned about journalism and marketing in this role.
She really enjoys working with fellow college students and diving into the campus culture (which helps her with networking). The schedule is super flexible and was perfect for working during the pandemic because it can be remote and you can work whenever you choose. She enjoys how much freedom she has gotten in this job, being able to pitch stories and share so many unique perspectives at Rowan. This real-world experience has taught her how to market effectively to different target audiences. Knowing that the skills she uses every day, such as blogging and creating graphics for social media, she feels confident in her career goals. Without this job, Bianca would not have known that she wants to do digital marketing for the music industry.
Bianca found this job through an email from the program director of the music industry program. She advises students looking for student jobs to start looking as soon as possible and ask their professors if they know of any openings! Many professors have side gigs and know other connections on campus. She also says to check if you qualify for Federal Work-Study (FWS). If you enjoy connecting with people and making creative content, working for Rowan Blog is for you.
“I live off campus in a house across from the football field.”
What are some likes and dislikes of your major?
“I was originally a Communication Studies major, but it was too broad for me. I enjoy writing because it forces me to come out of my shell. Since I just started in this field, I don’t have any dislikes yet.”
How is your experience at Rowan so far?
“All of my professors, especially Professor Cristin Kastner Farney, Professor Sherry Hicks and my coaches are genuinely caring and are very helpful. As a student-athlete, I started off as a defender even though I wanted to be a midfielder. Because of Covid, I could not play from September to February. Eventually, I progressed my way back to playing lacrosse, but it’s been inconsistent and challenging. I hope to start back up in fall 2021. Overall, I have had a good experience at Rowan so far.”
Why Rowan?
“I first looked into Rowan because my brother attended the school as a basketball athlete. I live pretty close, which makes it convenient as well. In my junior year of high school, I played lacrosse and wanted to play it at Rowan. Everything Rowan offered was convenient. I ended up liking the school after visiting.”
Do you have a job?
“I’m a server at PJ Whelihan’s in Medford, and so far the job’s been cool.”
What do you like to do for fun?
“I enjoy hanging out with friends, spending time with my dog, playing lacrosse and working out. I also like writing and singing my own songs, just not in front of people.”
What is one interesting fact about yourself?
“I have a twin brother, but we don’t share the same birthdays. I was born at midnight and he was born the hour before. I also have two older twin brothers.”
What is your dream job?
“My dream job is to travel, meet people, hear and write their stories.”
Do you have any life advice for Rowan students?
“You are capable of more than you think you are. Challenge yourself.”
Today we speak with Mitch McDaniels, who graduated from theHonors Concentration with a degree inBiochemistry in 2020. Mitch also minored inGerman Studies throughout his time at Rowan University. He grew up in Hammonton, NJ (Atlantic County) but now lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Mitch was aResident Assistant(RA) for three years and lived on campus for all four years. He was also actively involved in the Honors College,B.L.A.S.T. Mentoring, the Keck Behavioral Lab at Cooper Medical School, the Academic Associate Program atCooper University Hospital,Rho Alpha Sigma, and Alpha Epsilon Delta. He was also a volunteer at the Kitchen of Hope Food Bank (Glassboro), and a ChemistryLearning Assistant for four semesters.
What did being an RA and Assistant Resident Director (ARD) mean to you?
Res Life [meaning RLUH or working forResidential Learning and University Housing as an RA, ARD, graduate role, or professional role] is such a unique field and it’s such a diverse and unique group of people that come together to do so much more than just run a building. I absolutely loved it throughout my time at Rowan — the opportunity to be a part of flourishing communities of residents in their first year of college, and hopefully being that go-to guy for my residents for the good, bad and everything in between.
My experience throughRes Life has definitely been one of my favorite memories at Rowan because I met so many new, and now lifelong, friends through it. I love when my residents come back and tell me how much fun they had their freshman year or a favorite memory they had from their year in our pod. A few even went on to go into Res Life themselves; it makes me so happy to hear that!
For me, it was really special to see the ways in which my communities grew together, and the ways they found to make a difference together.
Mitch poses by the “When Pigs Fly, Pork Chopper” Statue which is part of the Sculpture Walk in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
What advice do you have for current students?
I think every first year student should take a little bit of time to find what it is they want to do at Rowan, until they really find their “why,” both on campus and off. I’m still learning exactly what that is for me, honestly. No matter what you do, who you hang out with, or the classes you take, I’ve learned that it’s best to keep an open mind because those moments came when I was least expecting them.
My first year, I was really quite quiet, but I thought that being an RA would be a really unique way to meet people and be part of a community. Lots of people become hyper-focused on the free housing and food, which is pretty sweet, to be honest, but I also wanted to find a place to help in building that welcoming environment I found on campus. I often forget that I had a meal plan and free housing as an RA because I just enjoyed getting to meet everyone and get connected and involved in a way that was different from any other role on campus because their home also becomes yours.
No matter what you do at Rowan, you really have to take the time to find your “why” [your purpose] at Rowan. There’s this proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” I really believe that Rowan’s spirit comes from that small-campus community, where friends, colleagues, and professors all have your back.
My best advice would be to enjoy college for the people and experiences you’re surrounded by — go together, not alone. I’ve found that the best way for me to get things done is when I’m passionate about it and that I want to see it through to the end, together. For me, theRes Life community was that “thing.”
Now stepping into the real world and getting off of the college campus, finding your “why” comes with the territory for everything you do.
Where do you work now?
Now, I work as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Sanford Health, a big hospital system in the Midwest, but mostly in the Dakotas and Minnesota. I’m on a team of four coordinators that are working on a portfolio of COVID studies. We have two different studies that we are mainly working on for the moment. One is for different treatments that focus on outpatient settings, where patients actively have COVID and are sick, but they’re not sick enough to be hospitalized. This study, sponsored by the National Institute of Health, is an Adaptive Platform Study, which means that we are evaluating multiple investigative treatments that can change from time to time, to quickly and safely identify medications that could significantly improve a patient’s COVID-19 diagnosis.
We’re also doing inpatient work with people who are in the ICU on ventilators, high flow oxygen or other life-saving measures to support them throughout their battle with COVID-19. It’s another adaptive platform study evaluating various medications for people suffering more severe COVID, and who have received advanced life-saving therapeutics or interventions to keep them alive or better support them.
I was always asking myself “why” because I wanted to pour all that I could into any activity I was doing. I didn’t want anything to be just a checkbox for my resume. It really needed to be something that I cared about and believed in.
Part of my “why” for medicine is that I want to be a resource for people wherever I go. That’s something I saw in my family with my father being an FBI agent. I want to be able to carry my skills into underserved areas at some point in my career and make a difference within those communities.
Mitch loves the famous Falls Park in his new hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
What do you hope to do in the medical field?
It really hit when I had the chance to really immerse myself in the Camden community through Cooper, first as a student at MEDacademy atCooper Medical School, and later as anAcademic Associate at Cooper University Hospital. I really began to see that a physician doesn’t work in a bubble, they are someone who’s active and embedded within the community that they are trusted to serve. Ever since, I saw medicine as an opportunity to expand upon the skills, mindset and joy that Res Life has brought me, to help better build a community.
Of course, Rowan has always supported and nourished my curiosity for science and the human body; it’s also helped me to find my voice in leadership. But what my time at Rowan and Cooper has gifted me with has been the opportunity to think, grow excited and imagine how I wanted to give back to the community at the intersection of science, leadership, education, research and policy.
Part of my “why” for medicine is that I want to be a resource for all people wherever I may go. That’s something I saw, and valued, in my family with my father being a Special Agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I hope to be able to carry my skills into communities (especially those underserved) throughout southern New Jersey, our nation, and the world throughout my career and in hopes of making a difference within those communities by empowering the people of those communities through all I learn from them. No matter what field of medicine I pursue, there’s nothing more important to me than to help these communities I hope to serve to thrive and grow.
Mitch captured the beauty of Falls Park with just his phone.
Tell me about your favorite memory from Res Life?
My favorite moments were those that were unscripted where I would just hang out with my residents on a random Tuesday night in a hallway or lounge ofHolly Pointe. We would have the best conversations! I would always leave my door open because I wanted people to be able to walk in and just sit down. I wanted them to know my room was theirs too, and that it was a safe space where they could unwind, have fun, or talk anything over. The most organic moments were the times when I felt true friendship forming between myself and my residents, and it was not any longer just me “supervising” their freshman experience.
One of my favorite memories in these communities as an RA and an ARD was bringing my residents to the food pantry. I really loved the idea of getting into the Glassboro Community and all of us volunteering together and seeing the ripple our pod could make in the greater community. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention the awesome staffs I worked with throughout my three years in Res Life. I couldn’t think of a better group of people to program with, spend time with, or occasionally deal with those 3 a.m. fire alarms. Those unscripted moments, with my residents and RAs alike, made every moment worth it. I owe it to them for helping me to find my why throughout undergrad.
Another gorgeous sunset by the Queen Bee Mill in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
This story is a part of the “My Favorite Class” series.
Khrissy Seay is a recent graduate and first-generation college student. While at Rowan, she was a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) major with minors in Geography and Planning. She is from Mays Landing (Atlantic County) and transferred from Atlantic Cape Community College.
What was the name of your favorite class at Rowan?
This is not an easy question. I really like my major and narrowing it down to just one is very difficult. However, by a very small margin, Fundamentals of GIS.
What department was the class in?
Department of Geography, Planning, and Sustainability (GPS)
Who taught the class when you took it?
Dr. Ashley York
Tell us a little about what the class is.
Fundamentals is the next step up from the introductory course. This class allows the student a little more freedom to explore new tools and apply them to topics of choice.
Share with us a few details on why this class was interesting or special to you.
I bonded with the professor and the students really well. I also worked on one of my favorite mapping projects during my time at Rowan.
What makes this professor great?
Dr. York is very knowledgeable and she is always willing to help. I told her my idea for the project, and she helped me develop that idea. I also worked with her during my Senior Seminar project (taught by Dr. Meenar) because she is somewhat of an expert in the topic — sea ice/glaciers.
How did this class help to support your academic or personal growth, or your professional goals?
I learned a lot about myself and the topics that are really important to me. I also felt well prepared for the next class in the sequence – Applications of GIS.
What are your professional goals?
I have recently secured a job as a GIS Analyst. I also want to pursue a master’s degree in Geography.
Today we speak with Danny Tepper of Atlantic County, who recently earned his degree in Biomedical Engineering. Danny transferred to Rowan his sophomore year from Atlantic County Community College and will be going onto his master’s in engineering at Rowan next year. He is an off-campus resident. Danny was homeschooled until he attended ACCC at 17 years old.
What has been your favorite class at Rowan?
That’s hard to pick! I’ve taken a few interesting ones, mostly technical ones. One of my favorite ones that were different from the rest was a class on regulatory practices of the FDA. For example, learning the details about how to get through the FDA approval process of new drugs. This is a topic in some engineering and medical courses that is not covered very well. It’s not a required class but it should be. Dr. Erik Brewer, a BME professor, taught this class. I took this course last fall.
Danny (at right)
What excites you about your major?
The idea of being at the front of research really excites me and sort of creating the future to some extent and really helping people. I’ve always had some interest in medicine, but I’ve also never wanted to be a nurse or doctor working with people like that. I like the concept of being on the back end and making the things that doctors use. Also, both my parents have master’s degrees in engineering. It’s only appropriate that I go into something within engineering. My brother also has a bachelor’s in engineering!
If there was anything you wish you knew beforehand about your major, what would you share?
It is a lot of work, but it is even more than I expected. There were some weeks where you had absolutely no social life if you wanted to get any of your homework done. It’s unfortunate, but it happens. You learn a lot though.
Do you have any internships or clubs you are involved in?
I have not had any internships, but I’m involved in some club sports here. I’m on the frisbee team. I’m also on the e-board of the Rowan University College Republican Club.
What did your activities add to your college experience?
The sports club definitely added a lot to my friendships. I met my first friend group as a first-year in intramural frisbee. One of those friends became my best friend and we still hang out together a lot. I still talk to all of them periodically.
What’s the last song you listened to?
“All the Way Up” by David Guetta
What are you looking forward to this summer?
Graduating, for one thing, and being back in Wildwood. Hopefully, with fewer restrictions than last year. I’ve been in Wildwood the past five summers working at a waterpark. Last summer, I turned 21 but everything was closed. Hopefully, we don’t have that again.
After I arrived, I had to go through all these different transportation modes to go from Paris to Le Havre and my phone wasn’t working! I had to navigate the entire thing just by talking to people and from reading signs. I don’t know how I ended up making it to Le Havre. It was raining, too. It was a bit of a shock to just be thrown in and use [only] French right away.
I had a Prof Référente (Referent Teacher) with whom I could communicate through Facebook. She was so helpful. She helped me find my place to stay because the high school that I worked at didn’t have housing available for me. So she asked another high school nearby if I can stay there and it ended up working out. She picked me up from the train station once I arrived. She gave me bed sheets and a week’s worth of groceries. I was lucky to have good support over there.
“La Funiculaire” (little train) Stephanie had to take to get up to her apartment.
Was it scary having to talk in French to French people?
I was honestly really scared when I first arrived because it wasn’t the same as “classroom French.” I’ve never studied abroad before, so I never knew what it was like to actually speak French in France. I went to France once when I was in high school, but I always had my teachers there to help us. This time, I was by myself. I had to use my French, especially when I had to explain things to my students. Sometimes they didn’t understand what I was saying in English, so I would have to translate in French.
You get used to it after a while. There’s a lot of slang I need to learn as well as very technical vocabulary. I had to open a bank account in France and I didn’t know any banking vocabulary, so it was a bit difficult. I also observed the biology lab classes in one of the high schools. Even small things, like DNA, were switched. It was ADN.
Your brain automatically switches to your second language after being immersed in it for a while. It’s also easier to learn different languages when you are able to see the connections between languages. When I was there, I tried to practice my Spanish with the Spanish assistants. It’s a lot easier when you’re talking to someone that’s native to that language. They can tell when I am making a mistake and they don’t feel shy to correct me and give me feedback because they are teachers. It’s what they do.
What other countries were your fellow assistants from?
I met assistants from Spain, Germany, England, Northern Ireland, Los Angeles, Colorado, New York, Kenya, Russia and Jordan.
Stephanie (bottom, right) at Le Mont Saint Michel in Normandy
What was your favorite memory (outside of being a teaching assistant)?
Spending all of my time with the assistants because that’s all we really had. Everything was closed after one week of me being there. We didn’t have museums or restaurants to go to. All we had was each other. I was lucky to live right next to the beach, so I had a lot of beach days. It was only a 20-minute walk to the beach. Having that space to get out, explore new places, and take my beach days were fun.
Meals from the student restaurant
I worked 12 hours a week, 5 days a week, a few hours each weekday. In France, they start school at 8 a.m. and finish at 5:20 p.m. They get two 15-minute breaks as well as an hour and 20 minutes for a lunch break. They can do whatever they want during their break, like walk around town and eat anywhere. A lot of my students would go home and eat lunch. They also take the public bus to school, not a singular school bus.
Dessert from the student restaurant
What was your favorite meal in France?
I ate a lot of vegan food because most of [the assistants] were either vegan or vegetarian. I really liked it because I never knew you could do so much with such little ingredients because the vegan diet is so restricted. They can’t eat any meat or dairy, or even honey. But, you can do so much with spice. We would always have potluck dinners. Also, the food at my high school was so fancy because [the students] are training to be proper chefs. They would practice making fancy French desserts and sophisticated dishes. French school meals are also very balanced and affordable.
School lunch in Le Havre, France
What was the most interesting thing you learned about France?
I guess, how welcoming everyone was! I watched Emily in Paris right before I leftand I had this idea in my head. “I’m going to be all by myself and they’re going to shoo me away because I’m American.” But no, everyone was so welcoming! When you’re walking down the street, everyone says “Hello, how are you?” Even though you’re complete strangers. When I first got back, I wanted to have a conversation with my cashier like in France.
Stephanie plays the ukulele at a beach in Le Havre
What was your favorite souvenir?
My favorite souvenir was a ukulele. I had to get rid of a lot of clothes and a pair of shoes to fit the ukulele! I only came with one suitcase, one carry-on, and one backpack. I ended up leaving a lot of shirts. I traded with other assistants. For example, I gave some of my Rowan shirts. I traded them for a Spanish white sweatshirt from Granada as well as a Spanish jean jacket. I also bought real lavender. It is really cool because it keeps its scent for a really long time. It made my luggage smell amazing!
Is there anything else you’d like to tell me about your time in France?
The overall experience made me think about how it felt like to be a foreigner in another country, which is something that a lot of us have not experienced. It made me really think about how it might have felt for my mom who came from the Philippines to the U.S.
Today, we speak to Theatre & Advertising double major Nick Flagg from Williamstown, NJ (Gloucester County). Nick has a concentration in Theatre Ed, Acting/Directing & Musical Theatre, and will graduate next spring. He shares with us why he heavily enjoys studying his majors and the endless opportunities Rowan has offered and equipped him with. Why […]
Meet incoming first year Christopher Lechuga, an aspiring Accounting and Finance major from Camden, NJ (Camden County). He tells us more about what he’s looking forward to at Rowan!
Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward in college?
I’m looking forward to the college experience as well as learning a lot about finance.
What is one hobby, activity, sport or club you were a part of in high school that you’d like to continue in college?
I was the Treasurer of Student Government.
Is there anything you’re hoping to discover about yourself in college?
Hopefully grow new skills.
What majors are you considering and why?
Accounting and Finance because I want to potentially own some businesses of my own and I want to know how to run it and do all the finances myself.
Do you have advice for other high school seniors who haven’t committed to a school yet?
Look for the best option financially.
Where are you going to live next year?
Commute from home.
What is one thing about Rowan itself that you liked?
Rowan from my experience has heart, is competitive, and shows that they want you in their school.
What is your dream profession? Where do you see yourself after graduating in 2023? If the opportunity presents itself for me to continue my athletic career, then that would be a dream come true. However, if I end up getting the chance to work as a sports broadcaster for a decent company, then that would […]
This story is a part of the “My Favorite Class” series.
Today we speak with Kevin Clee, a recent Computer Science graduate from Voorhees, NJ (Camden County) who shares with us some of his favorite classes within the Computer Science department.
What was your favorite class at Rowan?
I took Animation, just for fun. It was a lot of math, which I didn’t expect. I took it because I thought it would be cool, but I had no idea it was under Computer Science, which worked out for me.
Who taught the course when you took it?
Dr. Bo Sun
Could you tell us a little bit about the course?
The first half of the semester is using Java to give motion to shapes. The second half of the semester we used Blendr, which is a 3D modeling and animating software. We’d make animals and make them move around and walk.
What was the coolest thing you’ve made in that class?
There was one project that dealt with programming. We’d make a UFO with a beam going down, and when it went over certain objects, they’d go up into the UFO.
Was there anything about this class that made it impactful to you?
I always wanted to know how to use Blendr, so I learned that software.
Was the professor outstanding or did the professor make the class great?
Yes, the professor is very friendly. I [had] her again for another class. It’s called Data Visualization, it’s like a cross between business and computer science.
What are your professional goals?
I will be working as a software developer associate at ASRC Federal. I was very lucky because I worked with them in my sophomore engineering class. The way the class was set up, it was almost an internship. They had a project in mind and what they specifically wanted and tasked us to create it and check in and give us pointers about it during the process. At the end of the semester, they had said to keep in touch and when I emailed them they really pulled through and I was able to get a job. But I’d like to do something with data analytics in the future, since that’s my focus.
Today we speak with and welcome to Rowan first-generation college student and new transfer, Gregory Zacharko from Cinnaminson, NJ (Burlington County). Gregory is transferring from Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC) with an associate degree in Computer Science. While at Rowan University, he will be continuing as a Computer Science major with the ambition of becoming a software engineer or video game programmer.
Why did you choose to continue your education with Rowan?
It’s close to home, and the partnership Rowan has with RCBC helps me transfer over my credits with no problems and move forward with my education. I also saw a great value at Rowan; the tuition is affordable compared to other four-year universities. Seeing that Rowan’s Computer Science program is a top contender in the nation at a low cost and affordability is my number one priority. Plus, going to Rowan allows me to continue with my NJ STARS II scholarship, as well as any possible EOF scholarships or grants that I may receive.
Have you visited the campus? What was your favorite aspect of it?
I haven’t visited the campus yet, but I have talked with someone at RCBC who told me a lot about what Rowan campus has to offer. I’ve heard about the student center and the gym that’s available to Rowan students. I’m most interested in the student lounge, the game room especially because I’m a big gamer. At RCBC, I was a part of the gaming and Super Smash Bros Club and we even held a big tournament for students. I hope that I’ll get a similar experience at Rowan, because that’s where I made a lot of my friends.
Will you be living on or off-campus?
I will be commuting.
Have you set any goals for yourself during your time at Rowan?
To learn more about other people, what they like, to make friends, to get different perspectives, to learn about different cultures so I have a greater understanding of the world around me that I can apply to Software Development, which is what I want to get into post-college.
How did you become interested in Computer Science?
Back in 2007 when I was about seven years old, I got my first gaming console for Christmas, a Nintendo DS lite. That’s when I realized I wanted to make games and I wanted to make people happy through those games. I wanted to give people similar experiences that I had when playing video games.
What was your favorite game on your Nintendo DS?
There were two. One, New Super Mario Bros. The other one was FIFA Soccer ‘08. I’m a big sports fan and a big sports gamer so that was one I really wanted and enjoyed.
Early on, Gregory was diagnosed with ADHD, Asperger’s, anxiety and depression. Later on in his life, he was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. He survived a family house fire and was also put into Special Education classes up until intermediate school. Through everything he has undergone, Gregory persevered. He worked his way up to taking honors and AP courses in high school and graduated from RCBC with a 4.0 GPA and was elected co-valedictorian of the EOF program’s graduating class along with his brothers. We can’t wait to see Gregory and all he will accomplish this 2021-2022 school year back on campus.
Story by: Caitlyn Dickinson, public relations and advertising graduate
Photos courtesy of: Gregory Zacharko
Header photo: Gregory (second from right) and his brothers pose with Congressman Andy Kim at the Zacharko’s graduation from Rowan College at Burlington County.
At the federal work-study career fair, SGA had a table looking for student workers. They hired me but I also had an offer from IRT doing something that was a little bit more in [tune with] my major. But, I decided to go with SGA. I ran for the senator-at-large position. It was a mid-semester election. I served one semester as the senator-at-large. Then I ran for vice president of government relations. I’ve been there for three years.
What have you gotten out of being part of SGA personally and professionally?
I helped pass the Student Wellness Fee my sophomore year. It was introduced as a $50 fee and it wasn’t well-discussed in e-board, so it failed miserably at the Senate.
We had our CFO at the time rally against it. It lost by 125 to 10. I spent the rest of the year working with Arielle Gedeon, who [later became] President. At the time, she was the Recording Secretary. I worked with her and a couple of other e-board members in order to get the fee reshuffled and changed. Eventually, we put it up during the series 2 elections for a $30 fee to support Rowan EMS and the Wellness Center in hiring more counselors and physical health providers as well as providing free medications and other free [items] for students. During the series 1 elections, it tied exactly at 250 to 250. So, we put it in front of the Senate. Arielle and I talked for 45 minutes, then we were discussing and debating the bill.
It provided so many critical things like vehicle replacement for Rowan EMS. People spoke out against the Wellness Center charging per visit [preventing students from reaching out for help]. They were planning on charging Insurance in charging a copay. I have good insurance; my mom works for a hospital up north. However, it is one of those in-network kinds where if [the treatment] was connected to the hospital it cost $5, but if it’s not connected in any way it cost $100. So a Wellness Center bill for me would cost over $100. I really advocated for the bill and eventually, it passed.
I also did a couple other things in SGA. I attended the Conference on Student Government Associations in Texas. We actually went right before the pandemic, like March 10. A week later, we were sent home. I went with the Dean of Students, the next SGA Vice President Sarah McClure, the current AVP of Facilities & Operations Liam Cutri-French, and one senator. We thought Covid was not going to be a real thing and would be over in two weeks. But here we are now!
From that, I got the inspiration to start the New Jersey Conference of Student Government Associations NJSGA. We had the first one in 2019 around Thanksgiving.
We had it in the Business Hall. Rutgers New Brunswick and TCNJ came as well as William (Bill) Moen, who’s actually a Rowan alumnus and a current assemblyman from Camden County. He came to do the keynote speech. We took a little hiatus, but last weekend we hosted the second conference of NJSGA. Rutgers New Brunswick, Rutgers Newark, TCNJ, Ramapo, and Drew attended as well. We [aim to] raise fruitful discussion about supporting students and how SGAs should operate.
Luckily, Rowan does really great with shared governance. For example, Arielle has a meeting with President Houshmand every month. The AVP of Academic Affairs meets monthly with the Provost. The AVP of Student Affairs meets with advisor Kevin Koett. We really have very involved faculty that want to know what the students want.
It’s super important to get involved with SGA. We always have openings for our Class Senators and Academic Senators. Every class has four senators, there are four at-large Senators, and every single college has its own Senator.
With everything that you’ve experienced, what has been your most to use what is
Definitely “Rowan Well,” just having the mental health resources available to students is a really big thing. Obviously, it’s taken a long time to see that change, but there were at least two counselors hired, there are more resources available, and they got rid of a waitlist.
After the Rowan Well bill passed, they expanded counseling services to include Victoria St. and in different academic buildings. Rowan EMS also got a new truck. I think they get $3 out of the $30 every semester from every undergraduate student. It really helps a lot.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your SGA experience?
Applications are open for Senator positions. We have every position open except for the College of Science & Math. If you go on ProfLink and look into forms, you can find them. Applications close in September which allows people going through any incoming student orientation to get involved.
Today we feature senior Reshaun Timmons, a Marketing student living in Sicklerville, NJ (Camden County). Reshaun discusses the ins and outs of his major, photography, and plans on using what he learned at Rowan to one day run his own business.
What inspired you to choose your major?
All my life, I felt as though I wanted to make money, and the one way I feel as though I can do that is through business. The reason I chose business marketing specifically is due to the rise of social media and the increased need for businesses to expand their marketing teams. In the next 10 years, working in marketing will probably be the most common job.
What impact would you like to have in the marketing field?
I already have my own marketing team where we go around to small businesses and offer to run their social media. I hope in the next five to 10 years it expands into a bigger company and that I’m able to provide different people with job opportunities and experience in the field.
How would you describe the faculty within your major and talk about a time where one of your professors made a major impact on you?
I went to [Rowan College of South Jersey] through the Rowan Choice program for two years. There, I had one of the most unorthodox professors I ever had when it came to teaching. His version of teaching can be explained through this example: If McDonald’s was the best fast food restaurant, then they would get an A. But, just because Burger King isn’t making as much money as McDonald’s, it doesn’t discredit Burger King as a restaurant and doesn’t mean it’s not good, so Burger King would get an A as well. His grading scale was based off the highest grade. If the highest grade in the class was a 50 out of a 100, then that 50 would still be an A, a 40 would be a B, and so on.
How was your transition from RCSJ to Rowan?
Since I went to RCSJ through the Rowan Choice program, my transition to Rowan wasn’t that difficult since I was already living on campus and spent most of my time at Rowan University anyway.
What’s your relationship with photography?
I started doing photography my junior year of high school and it just stuck. I do both photography and videography and anything else that has to do with being creative. I like doing things where I can put my own spin on it.
My end goal with photography is to start my own photography business. Right now, I have my own business called Timeless where we focus on timeless things. We have a message called C.M.I.T: Capturing moments in time. Taking pictures are good memories, and I hold memories dear to myself. They’re one of the few things we can take everywhere with us in life. That’s why I like pictures so much. They’re visible memories. It’s inspirational and moving.
Where do you see Timeless in the future?
I hope that I’ve turned it into a modeling agency. This summer, I’m going to Paris, London and Belgium. Those countries are very big on photography, modeling and other stuff like that. I hope to go there and build connections with different people in the field there. I just want it to be a name that a lot of people know.
Today we feature incoming first year Anna Sullivan. Anna is from Williamstown, NJ (Gloucester County) and will be studying on campus. Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward in college? I am looking forward to the independence the college is going to give me. What is one hobby, […]
This story is a part of the “My Favorite Class” series.
Today we feature Alex Jackson, a recent graduate who majored in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. Alex, from Marlton, NJ (Burlington County), is now pursuing her master’s and doctoral degrees at Rowan.
What was the name of your favorite class at Rowan?
Systems and Control
What department was the class in?
ECE (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Who taught the class when you took it?
Dr. Jie Li
Tell us a little about what the class is
It involves mathematical techniques to determine various properties of electrical systems for analysis which is necessary to the success of said systems.
Share with us a few details on why this class was interesting or special to you.
I absolutely loved the content of this class. I’m a big fan of tedious math and mathematical theory, and I loved seeing how this all connected to the ECE field. The labs were also fun and weren’t extremely difficult, though they taught me a lot about MatLab and its importance in the field.
What makes this professor great?
Dr. Li was fantastic and one of the best professors in the ECE department by far. She took time to answer questions, she was great at explaining difficult concepts, she was engaged with the students, and was clearly passionate about what she was teaching. Everything was clear and concise, and she would take time to review throughout the lectures.
How did this class help to support your academic or personal growth, or your professional goals?
I struggled with my choice of major a lot during my sophomore year, but after this class I felt like I belonged there with everyone else. It helped me gain a further appreciation for teaching and how important it is to be a teacher that can truly communicate with their students. It lead me to where I am today in pursuing academia.
What are your professional goals?
I am currently enrolled at Rowan in the Ph.D. program for engineering with a specialization in engineering education and a master’s in BME. I want to broaden my understanding of engineering as much as possible and perform research that ultimately improves the way we teach future engineers. I hope to work in academia performing research and teaching various topics in engineering such as math, statistics and design.
Today we speak with JT Kurtz, a recent Computer Science graduate from Egg Harbor Township (Atlantic County). JT is a first-generation college student and worked as an Assistant Resident Director (ARD) on campus, most recently at 223 Nexus.
How did you like living on campus?
I loved it! I was a Resident Assistant (RA) in Chestnut Hall last year and Magnolia Hall the year before. It’s a complete 180 from working in traditional living to living in new apartments. I remember as a freshman, those apartments were not even there.
In your three years of being the go-to person as an RA and ARD, what is your advice for people who are living in dorms?
My advice is to not be afraid to make connections. Being the RA/ARD, I’m the middle person to connect people with programs or on-campus resources. We’re there for people when they ask, “Hey, what should I do?” Whether they’re stressed out, bored, or if they need help, RAs and ARDs know it all. For anybody — whether you’re new, a transfer, or have been here for two years — RAs and ARDs will always be there for you. We will definitely guide you to somebody that can help you. For me, being in that department, I have met so many of my closest friends who have helped him with making connections (from talking to people in the PR department to the admissions department).
What does being an RA mean to you?
In my eyes, the RA position isn’t so much about following the rules. I know a lot of people tend to put a label on RAs as “rule-enforcers” but that’s not the case. We’re here to make sure you’re safe and that you’re having a good time at the same time. There are rules made for a reason, not just to ruin the fun. We understand that we’re in a college atmosphere. We empathize with a lot of people.
The way we shift that empathy is by encouraging them and saying, “Hey, here’s a safer, smarter alternative way to approach something.” Whether that’s academics, [social life] or mental health. For example, if somebody’s stressed out they may not go to class. I’ll go to them and say, “Let’s get to the root of this and make a plan of action and then turn it around.” Rather than just saying, “Hey go over here” [and leave them to figure it alone]. We try to connect with them at a deeper level. We have rules, but we have them for a reason, making sure that everyone is having fun and staying safe at the same time.
What are some of your favorite memories from being an RA?
Some of my favorite memories (prior to Covid) are the times I’ve been able to hang out with all of my staff members. Whether it’s just getting food, pinging ideas off each other, or just doing homework, or duty nights and handling incidents. The big theme of this experience was that you’re never alone. Even in a virtual setting, we still managed to find ways to really be connected. Sometimes we would just hop on a Zoom call and have a conversation.
What is the difference between being an RA and an ARD?
Now, I’m like a team captain of the RAs. I had to figure out how to keep my staff engaged and doing their responsibilities. At the same time, I’m recognizing that my staff are still people at heart and still need to balance their lives. My thing is music, I made a Spotify playlist that everyone can contribute to and everyone loves it. They can see all of their diverse backgrounds. There are so many stories I can go on about being an RA.
I’ve met so many influential people, from my supervisors to staff members and my residents. My residents last year always went to me, even for the most random things. At the same time, my residents had no problem referring themselves and their friends to me. I’m there for them.
How do you handle that responsibility as a fellow undergraduate student?
I handle the responsibility of taking care of fellow students through time management, balancing classes, time for myself, and time for others. The department has so many people you can lean on, your staff or supervisors. If you don’t know what to do or if you need more time on something, communication is absolutely a pinnacle skill for this kind of role because that will help you succeed.
How did you become an RA?
In my first year, I lived in Holly Pointe. My RA at the time, Mitch McDaniels, who graduated last year, was a fantastic person. He was really engaged with the residents. He kept it down to earth. He didn’t come off as a policy enforcer but we all respected him. He inspired me.
I had personal roommate issues (I roomed with my best friend). Mitch managed to smooth it out and now my best friend and I are still best friends. From that moment, I knew that [being an RA] was a leadership position. If I could help one person a day, that makes it so worth it.
Meet incoming first-year Brooke Woodworth, a first generation college student and aspiring Business Management major from Freehold, NJ (Monmouth County). Brooke tells us more about what she’s looking forward to at Rowan.
Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward in college?
One thing I am looking forward to in college is meeting new people. College is a whole new experience where you could meet new people and make friendships that last a lifetime. I have already met so many new friends, and I can’t wait for school to start.
What is one hobby, activity, sport or club you were a part of in high school that you’d like to continue in college?
One sport that I was a part of in high school was cheerleading. I did high school cheer for three years and I have done all-star cheerleading for eight years. I would like to continue to do cheerleading in college because I do not want to give up what I love.
Is there anything you’re hoping to discover about yourself in college?
One thing that I would like to discover about myself in college is my independence. College is something that you have to take upon yourself and be independent about. You have to learn to do things on your own. I am excited to see what I can do.
What majors are you considering and why?
I am majoring in business. The reason why I chose a business major is because I want to one day be CEO of my own company. I hope one day I have my own company and it becomes very popular throughout the country and or one day the world.
Did you tour Rowan or attend any virtual events? If so, which ones, and what did you think?
I took a live tour of Rowan. I thought the campus was beautiful, and I loved how close everything was.
Do you have advice for other high school seniors who haven’t committed to a school yet?
One piece of advice that I have for other high school seniors who haven’t committed to school yet is choose a school that best fits you. Don’t go to school because it is the most popular or all of your friends are going. Choose a school that you will love for all four years and make great memories out of it.
Where are you going to live next year?
On campus.
What is one thing about Rowan itself that you liked?
One thing I loved about Rowan is how close the town was. Everything is walking distance, and the campus just seems like such a happy place.
It’s called TAPIF, which stands for Teaching Assistant Program In France and it’s through the French Ministry of Education. TAPIF was recommended to me by my French teacher, Dr. Maria Hernandez, a former Fulbright Program alumna.
What part of France were you mainly based in?
Normandy! It has a mix of everything. It’s in the northwest of France. You can find suburbs, cities, small towns, beaches, cliffs and the countryside. It’s about two hours away from Paris. You could take a bus to Paris from Normandy for as low as eight euros (about $9). When we traveled to the south of France, we took a train ride from Normandy that took about six hours.
Marseilles
My base city is really special. It’s called Le Havre. It is an urban city with a beach and a port. It is located right next to Sainte-Adresse, where Claude Monet created many of his paintings. What happened in Le Havre is that during the World War II bombings, the entire city was destroyed. The city was rebuilt not too long ago. It was rebuilt by Auguste Perret between 1945 and 1964, so Le Havre looks completely different from other typical French cities. The buildings are a little bit newer and more modern. They are boxier and made of concrete.
How many people again were in your program in France?
According to the website, about 1,100 people participated in it and in my city there were 13 assistants.
How close did you live near each other?
We were all within about 20 minutes of each other, whether by bus, tram or walking. Public transportation is really important in France so we all had our own public transportation card which was pretty affordable. I only had to pay 25 euros a month. It made transportation really easy. Most of us were within the city center, so it was very easy to walk to each other’s apartments.
Beach of Le Havre
Could you describe what it was like going from graduation to the pandemic to going to France?
It was such a stressful experience. From the time I graduated to the time I was actually on the plane to France, I didn’t know if I would still be doing the program. We didn’t get our acceptance letters until the end of June, because of Covid delays, and our actual placements until the end of July. And even though we got our acceptance letters, we still weren’t sure if we could leave the country because of the pandemic. The visa center did not open until mid-September. They were not accepting applications to apply for a visa until mid-September, and I had to be in France by mid-October. After I was able to schedule my appointment time for the visa center it took a little bit of time for my visa to process. I got my visa about one week before I had my flight to France.
Even after I got my visa, I had a lot of other things to do before my flight to France. I had to get a background check, my fingerprints scanned, and I had to get my COVID test done 72 hours before boarding. Until I was on the flight, it was stressful, but I made it! Thankfully, it was a lot easier to come back to the US.
Bordeux
What did you do as a teaching assistant?
I taught English and American culture. I taught at two different high schools. One was a hotel and service trade school, where they taught things like culinary, restaurant service. All of the classes I taught for that school were centered around things like food and drinks, holidays and traditions, nutrition, and service dialogues. The other high school I taught at was a technical and professional high school, where they have programs for Biotechnology, Health, and Social Science. I got to talk a lot about things I was passionate about like U.S. healthcare, our education system, civil rights, nutrition, designing experiments, ethics, biotechnology, and general American culture and traditions.
I incorporated a lot of things they were interested in learning about. I would do different kinds of presentations and activities about American culture. I helped them prepare for their oral presentations and would give them feedback.
Did you get to decide that or was there a guideline from TAPIF?
When you’re filling out your application, you get to check off a few boxes about your background. I majored in biology and I did bench and clinical research, so that’s what I included in my application.
I think TAPIF also tries to decide your placement based on your hobbies. For example, I put on my application that I really enjoy cooking so they placed me in a school with a culinary program. For the most part, they put you where they think you’d fit in best and what high school you are able to give the most to.
Marseille from Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde
What was your favorite memory as a teaching assistant?
I really liked getting to know all of my students and seeing their growth from when I first began teaching to the end. I remember when I first met them, they were so shy and scared to speak to me. By the end of the program, they were so excited to speak in class and we were able to have a lot of fun conversations together.
I loved being able to actually talk to them about what they’re interested in and seeing them build their confidence in being able to speak English. I had them pick what topics they’d be interested in learning. I really liked that because they also had a lot to teach me in return, through our discussions. I would always ask them about things like what kind of music, shows, food, stores, and activities they like. It was like an inside scoop to their culture.
Vieille Ville (Bordeaux)
How did Rowan’s French program help prepare you for this experience?
I loved how small Rowan’s French program was. I had a lot more opportunities to practice speaking with the students in my class because there were only five or six students. There’s also more one-on-one help from your professors.
The support I got from the faculty was huge. I wouldn’t have gotten the position if it wasn’t for Dr. Hernandez. She encouraged me to pursue the French minor and apply to the program. In the beginning, I was debating on whether or not I should go to France because I am also applying to medical school. Dr. Hernandez walked me through the pros and cons of going to France in the midst of a pandemic. Eventually, I made my decision to go based on the idea that I’ll never get to experience and learn about France the way I did in those seven months. It truly would’ve been an opportunity of a lifetime.
In the end, I was honestly so thankful that I went this year. Even though everything was closed the entire time I was there, I don’t think I would have built such a strong bond with all the other assistants if everything was open. We would have each been doing our own thing. Being able to experience big cities like Paris with fewer people on the streets was also really cool.
This story is a part of the “My Favorite Class” series.
Today we feature Caitlyn Dickinson, a recent Public Relations and Advertising graduate from Toms River, NJ (Ocean County). Caitlyn is a first-generation college student and transfer student.
What was the name of your favorite class at Rowan?
Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)
What department was the class in?
Advertising
Who taught the class when you took it?
Professor Rodolico
Tell us a little about what the class is
IMC goes over all the parts to an integrated marketing communications plan, such as advertising, public relations, direct marketing, digital/internet marketing, sales promotion and personal selling. You really get to work a lot of different muscles within the communications industry.
Share with us a few details on why this class was interesting or special to you.
In this class, I was put into a group where we were tasked to create an IMC plan for a sustainable company. We created a situational analysis including a competitive analysis, SWOT analysis and storytelling summary. We wrote objectives and strategies for our plan, and we also wrote up a creative brief regarding our vision for the campaign based on research which would be used when making the creatives for the campaign. We featured billboards, print ads, a radio script, social media posts, app icon design, email blasts, interstitials and a news release.
Is there anything else that made this class impactful?
This class was so impactful because it allowed me to use the knowledge I have learned from previous classes and put it all together in one IMC plan. I learned how to write news releases from Basic PR Writing, how to write radio scripts and create print ads from Ad Copywriting, and use basic design elements I learned from Publication Layout and Design.
What makes this professor great?
Professor Rodolico is one the best professors within the advertising department. He presents information in a way that’s easy for students to grasp and understand and also in a way that’s interesting. He grabs your attention with humor and creates an environment within the physical classroom and over Zoom that is comfortable. You’re never afraid to ask questions or speak up and comment on something. Since I’d had him for Ad Copywriting, I tried to take as many classes with him as I could.
How did this class help to support your academic or personal growth, or your professional goals?
This class exposes you to a lot of different aspects within the communications industry. You leave the class at the end of the semester with a strong grounding of each part of an IMC plan. A lot of what was covered in the class was review and the opportunity to put what you’ve learned to the test. While some material I learned was brand new that I was able to try out and add to my knowledge.
What are your professional goals?
Rowan has offered me so much knowledge about my industry that I feel like I have so many options with what I could get into post-graduation. Being an advertising and public relations double major, I’ve learned a lot and have done a lot of work in both respective fields that allows me to choose where I want to take my degree. I’d like to end up in either content creation or event planning. I like to be creative and use my skills in a way I find exciting and fun.
Meet incoming transfer student Brandi Hunter! Brandi is an aspiring Nursing student from Deptford, NJ (Gloucester County) who transferred from Rowan College at Burlington County. She tells us more about what she’s looking forward to at Rowan University.
Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward at Rowan University?
Academic growth in the nursing field.
What is one hobby, activity, sport or club that you’re involved in that you’d like to continue at Rowan?
I actually like fishing.
Is there anything you’re hoping to discover about yourself at Rowan? Grow a new skill? Try a new interest? Starting a new activity, sport or club?
I want to just continue my nursing career and be able to have professional growth.
What majors are you considering and why?
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). RN to BSN.
Did you tour Rowan or attend any virtual events? If so, which ones, and what did you think?
I didn’t tour Rowan because I have already been to campus!
Do you have advice for other transfers who haven’t committed to a school yet?
Stay on top of your dreams and emails.
Where are you going to live next year?
Commute from home.
What is one thing about Rowan itself that you liked?
The community atmosphere with the restaurants and people.
Advice for incoming transfers or freshmen who want to live on campus?
It’s very exciting to see all the facilities Rowan has to offer and the new things that Rowan is developing. There’s great housing and great options for everybody. I’d definitely say to live on campus if you can because the experiences you get are certainly unique to being an on-campus resident. I very much enjoyed my time living on campus all four years.
What are some of the advantages of living on campus?
It’s much easier to walk to class and to visit friends in other residence halls. Also if I have to meet up with other classmates to work on projects, it’s easy to meet in one of the academic buildings or in one of the resident lounges.
What about practical tips for packing? Tips on what to leave at home?
Each year you get better and better with picking and knowing what you need to bring. To be honest, I never bring enough (lol). There are things where I’m like, “Oh, you really don’t need this.” But you can never have too many sweatshirts if it gets chilly on certain days. Don’t forget the rain boots or rain jacket. Those are things you forget because it’s a beautiful August day when you move onto campus and then you realize once it’s October: “Oh yeah, I need my boots and rain jacket!” Definitely prepare for all of the elements, but it’s great to see the campus change through all of the seasons!
How did you make friends as a resident?
My freshman year, when I moved in, I started off running cross country and track. I was able to move in early. I met the guys on the team. Everyone from Rowan Athletics is fantastic, makes you feel welcome, and helps you with your transition from moving from home into college. My sophomore year I was still running. I [also] started working in admissions as an ambassador. Being able to meet a lot of my fellow ambassadors as a sophomore, junior, and senior, you get a great idea of what Rowan represents as far as all of the different backgrounds and different majors. It’s a great way to meet people that way. It’s a great environment to work in. In my junior year, I started working for the social media team, another great way to meet people and professional staff as well.
How did you get connected with Rowan Social Media?
I saw an email or announcement online. Immediately, I was interested in it because on the side I take photos. Being able to be part of this environment, taking photos of campus, and getting to meet so many people has been fantastic.
What do you want to do professionally after graduation?
After graduation, I’m actually going to Georgetown for grad school. I’m moving to Washington, D.C. because the program I got into was the Master of Arts in Communication, Culture, and Technology. It’s exactly what I love, all those subject areas even with the minors that I have here and also my major. It all fits together. I’m so glad I’m able to pursue that next year. It’s nice because you can pick what you want to focus on. That’s what’s in store for me this fall.
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.
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.
Today we welcome Stefano Fiducioso, an incoming first year from Carneys Point. Stefano will be studying Health and Physical Education in the fall. Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward in college? Really excited to be involved with the Physical Education Department and participate in extracurricular activities. What […]
Meet Jenna Bottiglieri, who graduated from Rowan with a degree in Exercise Science and is now pursuing her master’s degree inWellness and Lifestyle Management through Rowan Global. Learn more about Jenna and how her work with two health research and grant programs helped her zero in on her career goals.
Seeing a new installation of wheelchair-accessible raised beds for the first time while visiting the Williamstown Organic Community Garden, Jenna Bottiglieri witnessed part of her research come to fruition.
Jenna, a student in the M.A. in Wellness and Lifestyle Management program, serves as project coordinator for Inclusive Healthy Communities, a grant-funded initiative that works with South Jersey towns on projects that make spaces more welcoming for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Jenna (second from right) checks out one of the new, accessible raised beds in the Williamstown Organic Community Garden with the Borgersen family, clients whom she worked with from both Rowan’s Get FIT program and the Inclusive Healthy Communities project. Standing, from left: Kim and Brenda. Seated, from left: Charlotte and Nathan.
She also coordinates the Shop Fresh Foods Rx program, a research study combining nutrition outreach and education for South Jersey residents who are pre-diabetic and food insecure.
Jenna’s work on these research projects has altered her academic career trajectory; she now wants to pursue another advanced degree in public health policy either at the master’s or doctoral level.
“I think that it’s so interesting being involved in research. And that’s definitely something I would like to continue, in my next degree, and after that, and actually, in my career … continuing some kind of research,” Jenna says.
A chance discussion set Jenna on a continued path at Rowan in graduate studies and sparked her passion for health research. As an undergraduate Exercise Science major, Jenna headed into her last two semesters unsure of where to go next. One of the highlights of her college career had been volunteering and then working for Get FIT, a Rowan fitness and nutrition program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
She describes the program as “fitness oriented but also very socially oriented.” Rowan students and volunteer staff work one-on-one with each client. “They’re able to exercise together, they talk together. And it’s really just a great program for everyone,” she says.
“I definitely see myself leading a nonprofit organization or working for a state Department of Health,” Jenna says.
Jenna worked all the way up to program coordinator for Get FIT, run by Dr. Leslie Spencer, professor of Health Promotion and Wellness Management. She and Jenna were to conduct a study on the social impact of Get FIT on clients and caregivers before the Covid-19 pandemic paused both their research and the in-person client sessions. At the height of the pandemic, Jenna then organized a virtual Get FIT program.
When Jenna shared her uncertainty about her future with Dr. Spencer, the professor suggested Jenna look into the Wellness and Lifestyle Management master’s program through Rowan Global. Here, Jenna says she could expand her health and wellness knowledge beyond the anatomy and kinesiology-based training she received as an undergraduate. She also appreciated the online format that allows her to craft a flexible schedule around her research.
“That was really helpful, because I wasn’t really ready for that commitment of going back onto campus right after I graduated. So this ended up being perfect from not only just the criteria that I’m learning in the curriculum, but also the structure of the courses definitely just aligned with my schedule,” Jenna says.
She now works with Dr. Spencer on the Inclusive Healthy Communities project, a grant from the Division of Disability Services, NJ Department of Human Services. Jenna explains the university’s work has three main components. A Rowan team, working with master gardeners, has partnered with seven area community gardens, reviewing each and making changes such as reducing sensory stimuli, adding Braille and images to signage and designing paths and beds that are more accessible.
Jenna (fourth from left) with the Borgersen family, Patrick McDevitt of Sustainable Monroe Township (center) and Alex Seidel and Brian Pearsall (standing, left) of Backyard Gardens, LLC, who designed and built the garden’s accessible raised beds.
Jenna says the second and third parts of the project include a collaboration with five area group homes; the Rowan team has subcontracted area master gardeners to build garden spaces and organized cooking classes for its residents.
“The goal is to hopefully use what they grow in the garden,” Jenna adds.
Her work with Dr. Nicole Vaughn, assistant professor of Community Health, on the Shop Fresh Foods Rx program analyzes data collected throughout a four-month period with 20 participants, whom Jenna recruited throughout South Jersey. Participants receive groceries and dietician-created recipes, then attend sessions on food, fitness, nutrition and managing stress. For the last four weeks of the program, Jenna says participants will shop for their own healthy groceries using the skills they learned from the program.
“The goal is to see if this lifestyle change will prevent their onset of type 2 diabetes,” she explains.
Jenna speaks highly of her faculty, recalling: “My friend Brianna … we work together in Dr. Vaughn’s lab, and we met working together on Shop Fresh Foods Rx. We had been discussing a topic like nutrition knowledge and social media, because we go on social media, [and] there’s so many things that are just not true. And we actually ended up presenting this to two professors in our department (Dr. Dara LoBuono and Dr. Dylan Klein).
“And they were extremely happy to hear us out there even though it sounded very ambitious, they were all very supportive. The professors are so helpful at Rowan, they really want you to succeed and get involved within the research.”
She adds, “I just wish other students would get involved in research because it really is a really great experience, especially at Rowan. There’s so many opportunities.”
See Jenna’s work with the Inclusive Gardens project in this video:
“Flip the Script,” by Rowan alumna Mandi Devers, is an award-winning audio documentary on queer representation in the media. Mandi’s doc covers how much representation is out there, how characters in media are being represented, and the ways in which queer representation still needs to improve. Mandi graduated from Rowan in May 2020 with a Radio/Television/Film degree and Audio Recording minor, which she completed in three years.
How did you become involved with Rowan Radio?
“I went to a vocational high school and I was part of the video/audio editing program. When I got to college I wanted to do as much as I could with that because I had a lot of fun doing it in high school, but I started late. I didn’t want to miss out again, so in my first semester I signed up for Rowan Radio and I was there the entirety of my college career.”
How would you describe your experience with Rowan Radio?
“It was a very fun place to hang out. Even when we were doing serious work it was still fun work to do, and the amount of things I have learned from there, I don’t know if I could have gotten that anywhere else.”
Rowan Radio is a licensed radio station and club opportunity for students. Anyone can join and undergo training to learn the necessary skills and knowledge about radio and production. “At that time it was the closest I would get to how an actual radio station runs and it needed to be treated as such, which is why training is so necessary,” says Mandi.
What was the process of the documentary like and how long did it take?
“It took a couple of months. It started off as a semester-long project for a class. Some of the process included figuring out what topic I wanted to do, how I wanted to explain it, and what I wanted to say. Also, I had to find people to interview and then come up with questions to ask them. I gathered examples I wanted to include and then it was another month of editing. It got tricky at times, for example, it took an entire day to select the outro music because nothing felt right. The professor of that class was the Assistant Station Manager for Rowan Radio. He selected a couple of documentaries from the class to play on air, mine being one of them.”
Mandi shared that she grew up having a lot of queer friends and she found herself wanting to educate others on the topic. Even in high school and all through college, Mandi took every opportunity she had for a class project to talk about the LGBTQ+ community. “I want people to know about these things so they’re less stigmatized and less misunderstood.”
Since releasing “Flip The Script,” do you feel Hollywood and the media have improved queer representation in TV and film?
“A bit. I think there is still a way to go, but I think it’s becoming more mainstream. A big step is media, TV, film, and books having queer protoganists and characters without making the story about that. Making queer just another characteristic like hair color or eye color.”
What are some ways you think the media could do better in regards to queer representation?
“Just expanding on the types of representation that are out there and the identities being represented. There is a lot of representation for lesbians, gays, and we’re seeing more transgender roles, but there are many more identities that are often left out. It’s important to show these, because the more they’re shown, the more normalized they become to the audience and the closer they become to ending the stigma surrounding these identities.”
What do you think is a good, diverse example of queer representation in TV or Film?
“In the documentary, I talked about [the TV show] ‘One Day At A Time,’ and I think that’s a really good one because it has one of the main characters written as a lesbian and when she finds a partner, the partner is nonbinary and so the show includes pronouns as well. It was really refreshing since I had never seen a nonbinary character on TV.”
Mandi earned three awards for the documentary, including third place under the Radio Feature category in the 2020 Garden State Journalism Association Memorial Journalism Awards, first place for the Society of Professional Journalists (Region 1) and a Hermes Creative Platinum Award.
I see your radio documentary received three awards, could you expand a little on what these awards mean to you?
“All of these awards proved to myself that I made quality work because I was more stressed about the quality and the editing of my work, than making it. I was very concerned with making it the best product I could put out or making it the best story in the most efficient way.”
How did you come about submitting your documentary?
“A lot of the submitting was through the professors and advisors who allowed me to do so. Leo Kirschner and Derek Jones, who work at the radio station, helped put my submission through to the organizations to be nominated, judged and awarded.”
Mandi hopes her listeners will understand that these identities are normal and are prevalent in our society today. “In order to accept that we need to show it being accepted. And the more we show it’s accepted, the more accepted it already will be. With all the media that we consume, I think that’s one of the best ways to do so,” she says.
For more information and to listen to “Flip The Script,” visit here.
What made you interested in pageants? How did you get started?
“This is my first ever pageant. What made me do it … it sounds so funny saying it out loud but I just kept seeing these ads on my phone come up about these pageants and how they are looking for people to compete … It’s still a mystery to me today how these ads ended up on my feeds considering that I have never searched anything about pageants. The main reason on why I wanted to do this because I am always looking for ways to push myself out of my comfort zone, to expand my leadership skills, and to meet new people.”
What do you think your favorite part about competing in pageants will be?
“I think my favorite part of the pageant will be the interview because I simply love talking. Because of leadership roles I have held in high school and even at Rowan, my public speaking skills have flourished over time. I like to think of confidence as a muscle; the more you work at it … the better you are going to have it and the better you will be able to utilize it at any moment.”
Do you need a talent portion in your pageants? What does your talent portion include?
“Unfortunately, this one does not include a talent portion. If there was a talent portion I would probably perform a monologue because in my spare time I write my own pieces. Fun fact: the longest monologue I have ever written took about 10-12 minutes to perform.”
What is a misconception about competing in pageants?
“I would say that pageant girls are dumb or that the competition is all about physical appearances. In order to prepare for this pageant, I have been researching past contestants for all different types of pageants and based on what I have been studying from past winners — Miss Teen USA, state title winners, and even Miss Universe — when you look at these people’s credentials and accomplishments … these individuals are super intelligent, very philanthropic and truly inspiring.”
Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to compete in pageants or to try something new but is too scared to get out of their comfort zone?
“My advice has to be one of my favorite quotes. The quote is by Childish Gambino. He says, ‘If it makes you nervous, you are doing it right.’
“You know I figured out along the way that growth is uncomfortable and that is normal, and in order to grow you need to experience growing pains.”
How can Rowan students and fellow supporters follow your journey in the 2021 Miss New Jersey pageant in July?
Information is available on the website at https://missnewjerseyusa.com/pageant-information/
Today we feature first-generation college senior Luis Ozoria. Luis’s favorite class was Foundations of Music Education in the Music department taught by Dr. Adrian Barnes. Luis recently graduated with a bachelor’s of music in Jazz Studies and is from Galloway, NJ (Atlantic County). Tell us a little about what the class is… The class gives […]
Today we feature Brooke Neilio from Mullica Hill, NJ (Gloucester County), who attends Clearview Regional High School. Brooke will be studying Inclusive Elementary Education on campus. Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward in college? I am looking forward to meeting new people and exploring all of the […]
Today, from a member of our Rowan Blog team: “In honor of Pride Month, I wanted to share my own story in grappling with and understanding my sexuality.”
Dealing with my sexuality has never been an easy task since it isn’t something that can be easily placed into one box. My identity in general intersects at multiple points that, until recently, have been viewed as separate entities.
I’m Black, which subjects me to racial discrimination; but I’m also a girl, which dips this racial discrimination/prejudice in a coat of misogyny known as misogynoir. However, I can acknowledge that in spite of the fact that I have experienced misogynoir throughout the duration of my life, I also experience privilege in that I have never and will never experience colorism which is something that my darker brothers and sisters have been subjected to for years that I, in spite of being a Black girl, will never know. These conflicting intersections of my racial identity have already complicated how I view myself and how the world views and interacts with me sometimes leaves me confused. This confusion was only heightened when I fully embraced by bisexual identity.
I’ve known I wasn’t straight ever since I was a child and always did my best to hide it knowing that people aren’t exactly accepting of people whose identities stray too far from the social norm. Growing up, I saw my other peers who were more open about their sexual identities be the targets of bullying and harassment, which only caused me to further retreat into myself and hide that part of my identity. In middle school, I was already a Black child in a predominantly white school whose mother couldn’t afford many of the same luxuries that my peers had, which made me an easy target. I knew that disclosing my sexual orientation would only make this harassment worse, and maybe there was a bit of privilege in that in some capacity.
There is no way to look “gay,” “straight,” or anything else but people often associate certain characteristics with a person’s sexuality which is so ignorant but it was a part of growing up and something people (on all points of the spectrum) still actively do in their adult life. The fact that I didn’t have any of those perceived characteristics allowed for me to hide in plain sight and would continue to allow me to hide if I wasn’t no longer ashamed of my sexuality or the woman I’m becoming. It’s actually at Rowan University where I was able to get in front of a group of my classmates and openly say, “I’m bisexual” and not care what people think, and the response I got was very warm and welcoming.
I won’t lie and say I now live a life without fear, but I do live a life where I care less about what people think. While my sexuality is no one’s business, it is also not something I’m ashamed of. If it comes up in conversation, then I have no problem disclosing it and, if anyone has a problem with it, then that’s not something that will weigh on me. In the words of Nicki Minaj, “I am who I am because I am who I am.” Take it or leave it.
This story is a part of the “My Favorite Class” series.
Scott MacLean is a senior Writing Arts major enrolled in the 4+1 dual degree program. He is from Wenonah, NJ (Gloucester County) and transferred from Rowan College of South Jersey.
What was the name of your favorite class at Rowan?
Professions in Publishing
What department was the class in?
Masters in Writing (MAWR)
Who taught the class when you took it?
Megan Atwood
Tell us a little about what the class is.
Professions in Publishing looks at the publishing industry as a whole and trade publishing in particular. We went over the various career paths involved in the publishing process, with an emphasis on the editing aspects. We worked to edit manuscripts and learned from many guest speakers who all play a role in the publishing industry.
Share with us a few details on why this class was interesting or special to you.
I’ve always been a book lover, and throughout my time at Rowan I’ve learned I’m an excellent peer editor. My goal is to one day work as an editor in the publishing industry, and this class gave me the skills needed to realize that dream!
Is there anything else that made this class impactful?
I have never had a class that so closely applies to what I want to do with my future. I am so thankful for the chance to learn from Professor Atwood and the many guest speakers!
What makes this professor great?
Professor Atwood has first-hand knowledge of the ins and outs of the publishing industry. She is truly a wonderful professor who made this class not only informative, but fun too! She is always open to questions and creates a safe environment for classroom discussions. It’s easy to tell she’s invested in our futures and wants us to have all the knowledge we’ll need to be successful writers and editors.
How did this class help to support your academic or personal growth, or your professional goals?
For the first time, I feel not only prepared for my future career, but eager to begin! It’s as if some divine force crafted this class to fit my needs perfectly.
What are your professional goals?
My dream is to become an editor in the publishing industry and to eventually go on to be an author myself.
Meet incoming first year student Lauren Kliniewski! Lauren is a first-generation college student and aspiring Biological Sciences major from Sewell, NJ (Gloucester County). She tells us more about what she’s looking forward to at Rowan! Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward in college? Furthering my education and […]
If there’s one member of the class of 2021 who truly knows the ins and outs of Rowan University, it’s Ashley Hermansen.
The Gloucester County native and dual major in International Studies and Modern Languages and Linguistics works as an Admissions Ambassador coordinator. In this student leadership role, she has recruited and trained dozens of students to connect prospective Profs and their families with Rowan’s history, culture and campus.
As a sophomore, Ashley led the Spanish Studies Association as its president. She’s also been involved with the Arabic Club and Model UN, contributed articles to Her Campus, coordinated opportunities for the Office of Volunteerism and studied abroad.
“The more you talk to people and the more you take advantage of all the opportunities you have, the more you’re going to feel like you got out of it. And so I feel like I’ve exhausted all my opportunities” at Rowan, Ashley says.
“I’ve done everything. And I’m ready to pass the torch on to the next incoming [first year] class because there are so many things for them to take advantage of. And I know I did, and I know they could totally do the same thing and have just as great and even a better experience, too.”
Her favorite experiences — and people — extend to the classroom as well.
“My advisor, Christine Larsen-Britt, she’s my favorite person on this planet. She has helped get me from point A to point B in college, and I could not have done it without her. She’s the best.”
She adds, “My favorite class was with Dr. Schrader. He was absolutely awesome. He’s turned my research from high school level to academic and professional level. I’ve had experiences with all the Modern Language professors, Dr. Hernandez, Mousa, mainly all of them.”
Ashley hopes when she enters graduate school, it will even compare to the level of connection and care she has had with her Rowan professors.
“They care about you so much. They just want to see you succeed. They’re so happy when you do succeed, they all support you really well,” she says.
Ashley will head to Washington, DC this fall to begin her master’s program in International Development Studies at The George Washington University.
Meet incoming first year student Emily Gizzi! Emily is an aspiring Advertising and Management dual major from North East, Maryland. She tells us more about what she’s looking forward to at Rowan.
Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward in college? (Personally, academically, anything!)
I’m really looking forward having a dorm. I can’t wait to meet a roommate and decorate the dorm!
What is one hobby, activity, sport or club you were a part of in high school that you’d like to continue in college?
Future Business Leaders of America.
Is there anything you’re hoping to discover about yourself in college?
I’m excited to find a deeper independence but also a more social side of myself.
What majors are you considering and why?
Advertising and management because I have a very creative mind and I enjoy being a leader, so I’d like to learn about how a bit more.
Did you tour Rowan or attend any virtual events? If so, which ones, and what did you think?
It’s been so good. I love everything about it. I’ve gotten so many opportunities through it. I am the RA for the LGBTQIA+ Learning Community. I make programs and oversee all of our students as they transition into Rowan.
Is there a moment that stands out to you as particularly meaningful being the RA of this pod?
Making programs [focused] on helping people introduce themselves and finding footing in a completely safe space for the first time has been the most impactful to me. Just having people refer friends to me if they have questions. Knowing that I myself am a resource has been my favorite thing about it.
Do you get a lot of first years?
Yes, it’s only first-years. I’m so happy I was able to do it. It’s been the happiest job I’ve had. It’s been so positive and a great environment.
Can you tell me more about the programming that you’ve offered?
Because of Covid, it’s a little bit different. This semester I taught American Sign Language every month on Zoom. Last year I did Coming Out parties and LGBTQIA+ History Trivia Nights (showing the names and faces of people who are really important to our history). We have certain events for people who were celebrating their one-year anniversary since transitioning. It was so great, we had so much fun.
It’s a little different with Covid. I had a Diversity Movie Club, where everyone would watch the movie on their own time and then we would get together later on and discuss whether it was reflective of our experiences. It’s more flexible, but last year I had a lot more [spontaneous yet purposeful] events.
What feedback have you gotten from residents in comparing this community to where they originally come from?
I’ve had people tell me that this is the first time that they have had people refer to them by the name that they always wanted to be referred to by. [I’ve been told], “You’re the first person to ask me what my pronouns are and if I’m comfortable” or “I was nervous about my roommate but because I’m part of the LGBTQIA+ Learning Community, we’ve had the same experiences and I feel validated.” It’s so important that we have this space for people to meet other people. They all go off and join clubs together and lead together through Rowan. Having people show up to events that don’t even live in my pod and knowing more people around campus is so great. This has been great too. If people are happy within the community, it will continue to grow and grow.
When you talk about your job with people who are not directly part of the campus community, such as parents or relatives, do they embrace it or do you find yourself having to explain its importance?
One of my favorite things about coming to college has been that everyone comes from a different understanding of the community. It’s a bit confusing for people who are older than me or don’t really understand [why] I work specifically with this community. [It] also means that sometimes my job is more difficult than the people who live in neighboring pods because it comes with more difficult conversations. Sometimes I have to explain that, “Yeah, I have fun programs but sometimes it can be really intense.”
It’s a bit different from a typical resident assistant but a lot of times my friends would always want to show up to these events, meet people, and get people involved. I think it’s important to talk about it and learning communities at Rowan are so important. They’re really, really successful. I hope that the more we talk about it, maybe we could have learning communities in one or two other buildings. I like to spread the good word and let people know it’s a really great space.
Have you ever encountered any hate towards you as being the RA or towards people who live in your pod?
I think with having a diverse community living in a space, people can make the decision to come through and be judgmental or defacing property. In those situations, we have a lot of things in place to make sure that students are feeling supported. It’s not very common. I’ve been in this position for two years and very few times have I had to sit down with someone and say “Let’s talk about why you’ve done this thing.”
It doesn’t really happen that often. A lot of the time we get people who didn’t sign up for it but they’re really just happy at the end of the experience because they were able to learn. I’ve had a lot of people grow and learn more. It helps not only our community but the people around us. Yes, we’ve had situations where people have not been accepting, but Rowan has a very strict policy for any of that behavior. It’s always been taken care of.
For people coming into the university, do they have to share who they are to be able to qualify for this pod in terms of identifiers?
We don’t want anyone to feel like they have to out themselves to their family or friends when they’re coming to Rowan. So, what they can do is when they sign up for housing there will be boxes of all of our learning communities. You can select that you want to be with first-gen people or social justice people. Then you can have information sent to your personal email about the LGBTQIA+ community and find out if you were able to be placed.
I don’t get a list of [how] people identify. You can join if you’d like to and it’s not shared with a lot of different people. So I go into my job [thinking] that maybe this person signed up or maybe they didn’t. It’s more of an educational experience. A lot of people will come in letting me know that they’re so excited and share their past experiences. This year is different because we have different numbers than usual. I have people who don’t identify as LGBTQIA+. They have the complete same housing experience as everybody else. They just get more resources. It’s a win-win.
Today we feature recent graduate Amanda Carlin. Amanda earned her degree in English with a minor in Psychology and is from Bridgewater, NJ (Somerset County) where she transferred from Raritan Valley Community College. Amanda’s favorite class is Gender, Sexuality, and Literature in the English department, which was taught by Dr. Yvonne Hammond. Tell us a […]
Today we feature incoming transfer and first-generation college student Stephanie Berdugo-Hernandez from Rowan College at Burlington County. Stephanie will be commuting from Eastampton, NJ (Burlington County) and studying Biological Sciences. Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward at Rowan University? I am looking forward to continuing my education […]
Today we feature incoming first year and first-generation college student Maria Celeste Lopez Vasquez. Maria will major in Exploratory Studies and commute from Camden, NJ (Camden County). Maria attended Camden Academy Charter High School. Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward in college? In college, I’m looking forward […]
Today we feature first-generation college student Anderson Chumpitaz, who will graduate this summer. Anderson majors in Health Promotion and Wellness Management and is from Newark, NJ (Essex County). He gives advice and tells us about his involvement on campus. Do you have any advice for people who are moving to campus for the first time […]
Today we speak with four out-of-state first year students about why they chose a university further from home and their experiences here at Rowan. Abby Riley, a first-generation student and Exercise Science major from Elkton, Maryland, shares the value of attending an out-of-state university. Abby says, “I considered and chose an out-of-state university because I […]
This story is a part of the “My Favorite Class” series.
Madison Dautle is a junior Bioinformatics major. She is from Cherry Hill, NJ (Camden County) and transferred from Stockton University.
What was the name of your favorite class at Rowan?
Philosophy of Science
What department was the class in?
Philosophy (PHIL)
Who taught the class when you took it?
Dr. Nathan Bauer
Tell us a little about what the class is.
Most people assume that science is constantly progressing to explain the true nature of the universe. To explain what it is we see. This class teaches you that isn’t necessarily true. It opens up your eyes to assumptions you hold as a scientist that you probably didn’t even know you were assuming.
Share with us a few details on why this class was interesting or special to you.
This class finally made me think. Sure, I’m good at explaining chemistry and biology, but that doesn’t make you think, or at least not in the same way. That class made me think in ways I never had to before, and it was exciting!
It’s funny to be able to believe something yet not have a fully thought out reasoning for why. Like one hypothesis referred to as the Grue hypothesis. This idea states that all emeralds are green until a certain date when they all suddenly turn blue. Seems silly, right? That can’t possibly be true, but until the date passes, it can’t be proved false. Yet we all believe that the emeralds will stay green when that hypothesis has a 0% chance of occuring. Look it up. It’s really interesting. My brain hates it but also loves it because I want to know why we believe that.
Is there anything else that made this class impactful?
The way Professor Bauer ran the class. He really made it easy to follow while still making us think. He asked for student input and gave us the opportunity at the end of the semester to present one of our own ideas as a group. I still think about that class daily, and it’s been a while since I’ve taken it.
What makes this professor great?
He’s engaging. Quirky. Kind of what you’d expect from a philosophy professor, but you can tell he loves it. Sometimes you’ll ask a question and he’ll become confused because he didn’t think of that, but he just tells you to go write it down because it’s a good idea. He supports a learning environment and gives adequate room to grow.
How did this class help to support your academic or personal growth, or your professional goals?
To be honest, I thought I would hate this class. Turns out it was the best possible thing that could have happened to me. I finally have something to really THINK about. I am thinking about things that can’t be reconciled by a Google search or even a bit of heavier research. The answers for these questions aren’t written down because no one has truly figured them out yet. Academically and professionally, it can help just broaden my horizons. But personally, it entertained my brain.
I’m lucky that I don’t struggle with understanding most teachable concepts, but with this class, the more he taught, the more questions I had. A really amazing class.
What are your professional goals?
I would like to perform genomics research using bioinformatics. Currently, I am interested in long-term memory — what genes, and in what concentrations, are expressed during memory recall and consolidation.
Today we feature senior Radio/Television/Film (RTF) major Joshua Hedum. Joshua was a transfer from Atlantic Cape Community College and is from Cape May, NJ (Cape May County). He shares with us his journey to becoming a RTF major and his club, internship and class experiences. What is it like having a parent who went here? […]
Today we speak with Hannah, a graduating senior Biomedical Engineering major from Seaford, Delaware. She tells us more about her time at Rowan and provides some advice for incoming students.
Could you share your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes?
Working with my classmates to all get through a semester together that was really tough. We shared notes, studied together, and even though it was one of my hardest semesters, it is something I am fond of and will cherish.
Could you share your favorite social memory?
Hanging out with my friends in the Holly Pointe dorms and having bonfires with my friends when they moved off-campus.
What are your career aspirations?
I want to do research and development in industry with nanomedicine.
How did the people or programs at Rowan help to support you with your professional growth or career aspirations?
The BME program at Rowan helped me find out that I was interested in drug delivery. The faculty also helped me write my personal statement, and helped me fill out my applications to graduate school.
Do you want to give a thank you shout out to your family, friends, advisors or mentors?
Thanks Mom and Dad and Dr. Brewer!
Who is your favorite professor? What class did you take them for? And why is this person your favorite?
Dr. Brewer was my favorite professor. I took him for three classes, and he was always down to help with coursework at any time of the day, even weekends. He was also a good teacher and willing to help and advise in any way he could. His personality was great and class was never boring. He really cares about the students here.
What advice would you give to incoming freshmen or transfers about making the most out of their college experience?
Stay out of your dorm room as much as you can, spend as much time with your friends as possible.
This story is a part of the “My Favorite Class” series.
Ross Billig is a senior Geography major with a Planning minor. He is from Marlton, NJ (Burlington County) and transferred from Rowan College at Burlington County.
What was the name of your favorite class at Rowan?
Earth, People, and the Environment
What department was the class in?
Department of Geography, Planning, and Sustainability (GPS)
Who taught the class when you took it?
Prof. Richard Federman
Tell us a little about what the class is.
This course revolves around the broader spectrum of geography both with the physical environment as well as social issues facing the world today.
Share with us a few details on why this class was interesting or special to you.
I liked this class a lot because it’s a microcosm of what geography is. It includes earth science, sociology, regional issues, and so much more. If someone is considering Geography as a major, this is the class for you.
What makes this professor great?
I took this class online, and the fact that Professor Federman can make an online course so engaging and so relatable is a huge testament to his teaching abilities. He has great lectures with very good visual aids and finds ways to make everything easy to understand.
How did this class help to support your academic or personal growth, or your professional goals?
This was the course that let me know that I had truly selected the right major, and it was the catalyst for the rest of my undergrad experience.
What are your professional goals?
After Rowan, I’m looking forward to attending grad school, initially for my master’s and possibly a Ph.D. program after that. My goal is to help protect the environment by better educating the public about how valuable and fragile our planet is.
Today we feature incoming transfer student Mallory Harris. Mallory will be living on campus and studying Marketing. She is from Havre de Grace, MD and transferring from Harford Community College. Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward at Rowan University? I am most looking forward to meeting new […]
Today we speak with Alex Brown, a senior Music Industry major from Glassboro, NJ (Gloucester County). He tells us more about his experiences in the Music Industry program.
What area of the music industry interests you?
“Artist management. I’ve always enjoyed helping people, and I’ve taken that aspect of my personality and translated it to music. Music is one of my passions; I used to sing throughout middle school and high school. I kind of just merged the two into this field of managing artists, getting their music out there for fans to discover them and make sure those fans stay to support them. That’s my dream job, but I’m content with anything within the music industry.”
What music was played in your home? What music did you grow up listening to?
“I’m from a Caribbean family. Both of my parents and I were born in Jamaica, but since my father had citizenship in the U.S., I’m considered American. They would play all kinds of songs, top 40 pop songs, reggae, old school songs like classical blues. I had a wide range of influences.”
Alex mentions that there are two different tracks you can take within the program. The first is the business side of the industry, which focuses on contracts, the structure of labels and organizations, learning about deals, management, marketing, touring, promoting and sponsorships. The second aspect is the technology side that focuses on the production of music, where students gain skills about special effects, recording vocals, using a soundboard and live recording.
Alex says, “There are many options available for people who want to be an artist and hone their craft or people who want to work more behind the scenes and looking at the business aspect.”
Alex enjoys that the program is run by professors who are still actively working in the industry. He mentions one of his professors is currently working at Atlantic Records managing artists like Estelle. Alex adds, “It is good to have that aspect that you’re working with people who are still in the field.”
Have you had any internships yet?
“I’ve had two internships, one being with the Philadelphia International Music Festival. They bring in [students] from all over the world for a two-week program where they get to work with professional musicians who are part of the Philly Orchestra. Before the camp started, I worked in their offices where I was mainly contacting universities and schools to see if anyone was interested in registering for any last-minute spots. Once the camp session started, I acted as a residential manager for children who chose to stay on the camp. I’d stay there for the entire two weeks, live in the dorms with them, make sure they were going to lessons, practice their instrument and I helped out with the choir program.
“My second internship was with the school label, Rowan Music Group, over the summer. We essentially worked on building up our social media, looking for music to put in a compilation, and learning about different aspects of how labels run.
“Both internships were so fun, I learned different things from the two and I hope to take that experience with me into whatever next position I can get.”
Is there anything you wish you knew beforehand about your major or anything that is better than you expected that you could share with others?
“I wish I knew more about this option in high school. I never knew there were dedicated programs for the music industry and learning the ins and outs. I wish I was better prepared for all this program has to offer.”
Today we speak to Madison Jacobs, an incoming first-year Elementary Education major from Franklinville, NJ (Gloucester County). Madison tells us what she’s looking forward to at Rowan.
Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward in college?
I am looking forward to meeting new people and getting involved in different clubs/activities.
What is one hobby, activity, sport or club you were a part of in high school that you’d like to continue in college?
I am involved in my school’s FEA Club and also am a state ambassador for NJFEA. I am looking into continuing my involvement with these types of clubs while in college.
Is there anything you’re hoping to discover about yourself in college?
I am looking to expand my involvement throughout campus.
What majors are you considering and why?
I am majoring in Elementary Education because making a change in a child’s life has always been my biggest dream.
Did you tour Rowan or attend any virtual events? If so, which ones, and what did you think?
I have toured Rowan and have also attended a future teachers’ convention. Rowan felt like home from the very first time I went there, and I’m super excited to spend my next four years there!
Do you have advice for other high school seniors who haven’t committed to a school yet?
My advice for a senior who hasn’t committed to a school yet is to simply follow your heart. You know what’s best for you, and the place that feels like home the most is the place you are meant to be!
Where are you going to live next year?
Commute from home.
What is one thing about Rowan itself that you liked?
One thing about Rowan itself that I liked is the family oriented relationship between everybody on campus.
Today we welcome incoming first year student Maddie Angradi. Maddie plans on studying business and living on campus. Maddie is from Lumberton, NJ (Burlington County) and attended Rancocas Valley Regional High School (RVRHS). Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward in college? I’m looking forward to experiencing life […]
Emily Higgins is a senior Biomedical Art and Visualization major, with minors in Art History and Biological Sciences, from Randolph, NJ in Morris County.
Could you please share your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes?
One of my favorite class experiences was going to the cadaver lab at Cooper Medical School in Camden. I was able to draw from in-person observations, as well as being exposed to a professional medical setting as a freshman.
Could you please share your favorite social memory?
Some of my favorite memories come from Outdoors Club, like going camping for the first time, to seeing wild horses at Assateague Island, to eventually joining the executive board and helping plan club trips.
What are your career aspirations?
Medical Legal Illustrator.
How did the people or programs at Rowan help to support you with your professional growth or career aspirations?
I had several professors over the years offer practical advice for entering the workforce, and professors who went out of their way to help support their students’ professional growth and personal well being.
Do you want to give a thank you shout out to your family, friends, advisors or mentors?
I would like to say thank you to my parents, my sister Trish, and my partner Danny for their continuous love and support over the past four years. I’d also like to give a big shout out to the friends I have made while at Rowan, including the BMAV crew + co., friends from freshman year D-Pod, and countless others who I hold very near and dear to my heart.
Who is your favorite professor and what class did you take them for?
My favorite professor was Ron Mathias, who I had for a few classes within my major including Introduction to Figure Anatomy for the Artist and Digital Rendering Techniques. Ron no longer works as a professor here, but keeps in touch with former students and is always available to give us advice about our art and practical advice for our futures as well.
What advice would you give to incoming freshmen or transfers about making the most out of their college experience?
Join some clubs and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Everyone else is just as nervous about making friends as you are, so reach out to others with compassion. You can reinvent yourself into whoever you want to be, and can choose to take a step in the right direction at any point, no matter how many mistakes you have made in the past.
Meet incoming transfer student Stephanie Maszera! Stephanie is an aspiring double major in Athletic Training and Education from Millstone Twp., NJ (Monmouth County) who transferred from Brookdale Community College. She shares why she chose Rowan and what she’s looking forward to!
Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward at Rowan University?
Being able to fulfill my dream career for real.
What is one hobby, activity, sport or club that you’re involved in that you’d like to continue at Rowan?
Stage crew, managing a sports team, and participating in any sort of band.
Is there anything you’re hoping to discover about yourself at Rowan?
I’d like to learn a new language in my program!
What majors are you considering and why?
I want to double major in athletic training and education, because both would go together really well in a school environment, leading to two great jobs. I love the field of sports medicine, and I see myself as a teacher.
Did you tour Rowan or attend any virtual events? If so, which ones, and what did you think?
I toured Rowan back in 2018, and was in love with the campus ever since.
Do you have advice for other transfers who haven’t committed to a school yet?
The process is extremely tedious and frustrating, and it takes all of your time. You’re going to worry about things not working out, but I promise if you take it slow and get help, everything will be perfect.
Where are you going to live next year?
On campus!
What is one thing about Rowan itself that you liked?
Today we speak with Ryan Geiger, who attended Rowan from 2004 to 2008. He was an RTF major and advertising minor. He now owns his own media studio called Pinch located in North Jersey. Ryan also is an independent filmmaker and has won awards in several film festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival.
Can you tell us more about where you currently work?
Ryan Geiger recently opened his own media studio called Pinch. With 15 years of experience in the creative industry, Ryan created a strong network with many creative professionals. Ryan previously worked at Bingley Digital in Connecticut as the Creative Director. Bingley was bought by one of their clients, and the owner of Bingley trusted Ryan with its remaining clients.
He strongly encourages students to forge strong connections as early as possible and opportunities like this can be in their future.
Ryan remembers his first job immediately after college, proving the power of connections. Through one of his connections, Ryan went to work as an Assistant Director for Center City Film & Video (CCFV) in Philadelphia, which films commercials. Ryan enjoyed the feeling of being on a stage set with actors and how it felt so professional. Ryan shared the news about opening Pinch studio with his network and received a request from CCFV to work with that same client he worked with at CCFV.
“You never know when someone from your past is going to come to you for more work!”
“Starting your own business is way harder than it looks. You see people on Instagram; they sell cookies and go viral because [a] celebrity posts about their [product]. In all life, you [either] get lucky or you work, grind, hustle, and you make a name for yourself.”
What does your day-to-day work look like?
“When you start your own business, a lot of it is me reaching out to previous clients and new clients trying to get work. Then, it’s directing all the current workload. Working with the clients to direct digital ads, web design, a video series, or social media videos.
It’s navigating when things are due, how things get done, and who needs to work on them. I still have my hand in a lot of it. I was editing up until the minute I took this call. I’m always working on something. We [creatives] are always working, always tormented. We’re always trying to do better things. We are obsessed with looking at what other people are making and learning how they made it. It’s not an easy job.”
Can you tell me about your experience as an undergrad?
“I had a wonderful four years and that was partially due to the fact that I engrossed myself in everything. I dabbled in Rowan Radio (89.7 WGLS-FM) and had a morning radio show. I had a television show on RTN called The Rowan Update. I shot 22 episodes and it was a spin-off of “The Daily Show,” a comedy show that reports on the news. I was a Student Ambassador and I ended up becoming the Ambassador Coordinator my senior year being the leader of all of the tour guides. I could walk around campus blindfolded! I knew everything about every single building! Landmark was my local watering hole as an undergrad.”
Did you have a favorite class or professor?
As a freshman, Ryan took a philosophy class and fondly remembers the professor treating every student as an adult. The professor’s honesty, seriousness and curtness left such an impression on Ryan.
“He was the classic idea of a professor who comes in barreling through the door, yells at everybody, and writes things on the wall. It really opened my eye to philosophy, to the phrasing of sentences, and to the thought process of decision-making.”
Ryan’s favorite professor was Prof. Sheri Chinen Bieson, who wrote a book about film noir called “Blackout: World War II and the Origins of Film Noir.” Her contagious passion and giddiness about film made the class more engaging and exciting.
What was one thing about Rowan that was a happy surprise for you?
“I think the Student University Programmers really did an amazing job in finding a lot of really funny things to do and keeping people engaged. I remember a lot of my fun memories are going to all the comedian shows. They had Bob Saget to Zach Galifianakis. They had a ton of bus trips to go to Philly and to Broadway shows. All the tickets were so cheap! Coming from a guy who grew up in North Jersey, there were a lot of really funny things that I never experienced before. I hope it’s still being funded and that they are still doing awesome stuff because they really did some great programming.”
What was your journey like after Rowan?
“My journey after Rowan has been nothing but completely tumultuous, challenging and exciting times. I graduated in 2008, during the collapse of the economy and the housing market crash. It was a real psychological struggle to realize that it wasn’t as simple as I thought it was going to be.”
Ryan hustled and worked on a few TV shows and movies, but never got the breakthrough he was looking for. He continued to chase his passions in 2009, making his first feature film called “Stealing God’s Money.” It went on to win Best Feature at the Garden State Film Festival.
“It was such an encouraging and amazing thing. I was at the awards ceremony and sitting at a table with production companies that spent $100,000 on their film. One guy leaned over and he asked, ‘What was your film budget?’ I said, ‘A thousand bucks. What was yours?’ He said, ‘A hundred thousand.’”
Ryan continues: “You can do it on a scrappy budget. I made some more movies and that went on to also win film festivals and awards. Most notably, my film ‘Town Red‘ screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013. That was a massive moment for me to go there, walk the red carpet, be in the same building as Leonardo DiCaprio (who was showing ‘The Great Gatsby’ that year). I even got an interview on NBC about Town Red. But, the phone doesn’t just ring because you get an interview. You still have to hustle and work hard. I didn’t let that discourage me and I still kept going down the creative direction.”
….
Although Ryan loves Rowan, the journey after was not the easiest. Rowan taught him so many things but most importantly to never give up. As an alumnus, Ryan would like to help current students get involved in more real-world productions. He also hopes to offer his mentorship through the Alumni Association, offering a valuable connection to students now and in the future.
Sarah Niles is a senior Leadership and Social Innovation major, with a Dance minor and a CUGS in Adventure Education Leadership, from Haddonfield, NJ.
Could you please share your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes?
My favorite class experience was in my Wilderness First Responder class when we went out into the woods behind Rowan Hall and pretended we were injured or sick and had to fake rescue our classmates using what we learned in class. We learned how to make tents out of sticks and leaves, how to administer emergency first aid, and how to survive in the elements. It was the most fun I’ve ever had in a class!
Could you please share your favorite social memory?
My favorite memory is my freshman year Homecoming Lip Sync competition! I was on the Student Center and Campus Activities team and we ended up winning first place! That’s where I truly felt like I found a home at Rowan and with the SCCA. That’s also where I met some of my closest friends. Full circle, I actually oversaw that event in Fall 2020 as the student director!
What are your career aspirations?
I hope to become a professional in Student Affairs in a higher education setting. I want to oversee college students that have a passion for being involved in student activities and being campus leaders. I’ll be attending University of South Florida for the M.Ed College Student Affairs program and will be the new graduate assistant for Student Support Services there.
How did the people or programs at Rowan help or support you with your professional growth or career aspirations?
My mentor, Megan McHugh, guided me to be as involved as I am today, as well as my best friend, Mia Nardone, who basically made me join clubs with her so I would be involved. Through my work with the names above, as well as the SCCA, the Orientation team, and Admissions, I have found my love for student affairs in higher education and I’m determined to continue to do this in my future.
Do you want to give a thank you or shout out to your family, friends, advisors or mentors?
Shout-out to my dad, who is my best friend and does everything he can to support me. I got my work ethic and drive from him and hope someday I can be as amazing as him. Also, I’d like to shout-out Maria Arbizo, Melissa Ulmer, Megan McHugh, Serafina Genise, Mia Nardone, Dylan Regan, Ayala Gedeon and Arielle Gedeon for supporting me and loving me unconditionally.
Who is your favorite professor and what class did you take them for?
My favorite professor is Shari Willis, who I completed my Adventure Education Leadership CUGS with. She is my favorite because she cares about her students as both people and students and is willing to help you do anything to accomplish your goals.
What advice would you give to incoming freshman or transfers about making the most out of their college experience?
I would say get involved! Don’t sit in your dorm all day long, get an on-campus job. Get the most out of the money you’re paying for student activities fees. Go to events and get free food and t-shirts (you’ll want to make a t-shirt blanket when you graduate).
Today we feature incoming first year and first-generation college student Vaniece Washington from Woodlynne, NJ (Camden County). Vaniece will be studying Writing Arts and commuting from home. Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward in college? Meeting people with my same interests. What is one hobby, activity, sport […]
Donald “DJ” Ivy Jr. recently graduated from Rowan University in December 2020 with his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. He is from Browns Mills, NJ (Burlington County) and transferred from Rowan College at Burlington County.
Could you please share your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes?
One of my favorite classes that I would tell anyone to take is Computer Lab Techniques. It’s a class anyone can take because it teaches you all the ins and outs of shortcuts on the computer. We’re required to take it as Computer Science majors, but I think it’s a more universal class for anybody who wants to learn more about computers. We learned directories and even how to program a clock, like the ones found in microwaves.
Could you please share your favorite social memory?
I made a lot of friends in Robinson, specifically in the computer lab. When I transferred to Rowan, I was already a junior and knew that there were already established friend groups made with people who have been here since freshman year. I’m a pretty shy person, so it took me a couple months; but once I opened up, my friends and I started going to the events at the Student Center. In high school and community college, I didn’t know a lot of Computer Science majors, so it’s been so cool meeting so many new people with the same major as me.
What are your career aspirations?
I was fortunate enough to find a job right after college. I’m currently working at McKesson, we’re a pharmaceutical distribution company, but I want to do more. I want to work for a bigger company or maybe try and do a start-up, but that I need the experience first, I can’t just make a business out of nowhere. I have thought about coming back to Rowan to get an engineering degree. Computer science deals a lot with the software of computers and applications, and I want to be more well-rounded and involved in what the computers actually do and would want to know how to fix a computer if it ever breaks.
How did the people or programs at Rowan help to support you with your professional growth or career aspirations?
My advisor, Mike Schillo, was a really big part of getting me on the right path and figuring out what I wanted to do within my major. There are a lot of computer science classes that all count towards graduation, but if you wanted to specialize in something specific they have a lot of different avenues you could take.
Do you want to give a thank you shout out to your family, friends, advisors or mentors?
I want to thank my parents and shout out to two friends who also went to Rowan but I have lost contact with: Joe Barton and Siobhan McGuinness. They were two people in my life who made me want to come to Rowan in the first place.
Who is your favorite professor and what class did you take them for?
Professor Mansaray, I took him for Software Development. He was such a down-to-earth guy and very straightforward. He let us in about everything we’ll need to know. He made all my worries about post-graduation just go away. He told us to build up a portfolio, and what’s so nice about my program is that we do so many projects that by the time we leave, we already have things to put in a portfolio.
What advice would you give to incoming freshmen or transfers about making the most out of their college experience?
Focus on what you really want out of life, this is the time to do it.
Today we speak with Jessica Russo, a senior Marketing major and Economics minor from Westwood, NJ. Jessica is a first-generation college student and an off-campus resident.
Could you please share your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes?
My favorite memory is when Professor Pontes told me that in the past two years he has had over 180 students and I have been the first to have completed the Salesforce Assignment so early. He praised me for my abilities and that being a “pre-crastinator” is a great quality to have.
Could you please share your favorite social memory?
I want to go into the fashion industry where I would be conducting B2B activities on a global scale as I would be purchasing products from different brands to distribute to consumers at the company I would work for.
How did the people or programs at Rowan help to support you with your professional growth or career aspirations?
By developing personal relationships with my professors, they were more inclined to recommend me for opportunities presented by Rowan alumni. They have taught me important key characteristics for job interviews and how to professionally present myself.
Do you want to give a thank you shout out to your family, friends, advisors or mentors?
Shout out to the lovely ladies on West High Street!
Who is your favorite professor? What class did you take them for? And why is this person your favorite?
My favorite professor is Dr. Nina Krey, who I had for Advanced Marketing Research Methods, since she has real-world experience. She was able to teach me skills that I can bring into the professional world. She is a great person to go to if you need advice as she is very honest and helpful.
What advice would you give to incoming freshmen or transfers about making the most out of their college experience?
Get involved in extracurricular activities! It’s always a great idea to increase your network!
Today, we speak to graduating senior Bianca Fusaro. Bianca is an Art Education major from Randolph, NJ (Morris County). She shares more about her favorite times at Rowan and offers some advice to incoming students.
Could you please share your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes?
My favorite moment with a faculty member is with Doc Appelson in Printmaking. He made the class fun to be in and I learned so much. Almost everything in printmaking I know because of him. he also helped me become a better teacher by giving me tips and tricks on how to create printmaking lesson for little kids!
Could you please share your favorite social memory?
My favorite memories I have with clubs is every year TRAC, or The Rowan Arts Collective, participated in Homecoming Banner Competition. It was so fun and exciting to complete a banner in a matter of a couple of hours.
What are your career aspirations?
I want to become an elementary art teacher. I love little children, their love to learn and their drive to want to create.
How did the people or programs at Rowan help to support you with your professional growth or career aspirations?
The Art Education program is very small here, but that smallness created a family. Everyone in the program helps each other when it comes to teaching, even our senior project, which is presenting at the Art Educators of New Jersey conference. The professors in the program have been art teachers throughout their life. They know what you’re going to go through when you get a job. They want you to succeed and they share stories to help you become the best art teacher you can be.
Do you want to give a thank you shout out to your family, friends, advisors or mentors?
I want to thank everyone in the Art Education program. These professors helped my classmates and I become who we are today as teachers. We learned from the best, and I hope that I can be an amazing art teacher like they are.
Who is your favorite professor? What class did you take them for? And why is this person your favorite?
Fred Adelson is my favorite professor at Rowan University. I took his Art History classes during my time at Rowan. He is so knowledgable about everything he teaches. He makes art history fun to learn about because he is so energetic and passionate about everything he teaches.
What advice would you give to incoming first years or transfers about making the most out of their college experience?
Make friends with the people in and outside of your major. Get out there and join clubs that you are interested in. You may make lifelong friends!
Today we speak with Dyone Payne, who will be graduating this May with a degree in Public Relations and two minors in Journalism and Strategic Communication. Dyone is from Glassboro, NJ (Gloucester County) and is part of the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority.
Could you share your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes?
My favorite class memory was with Dr. Schoenstein during IMC. Every week we would give a presentation about a product or company we created. From start to finish, we created the logos, company brand, position statement, and most importantly the presentation. She actually wanted us to be prepared for the real world. She wanted us to be able to present a brand in a short amount of time.
Could you share your favorite social memory?
Meet the Greeks is one of my favorites. To see all of the organizations come together, perform, have a good time, and most importantly inform students about who they are.
What are your career aspirations?
I aspire to work in the marketing and advertising space. I would love to contribute to storytelling, especially in this environment.
How did the people or programs at Rowan help to support you with your professional growth or career aspirations?
The EOF program is how I got admitted into Rowan. They have been a major support system to and for me throughout the past four years! Shout out to everyone in that office.
Do you want to give a thank you shout out to your family, friends, advisors or mentors?
Shout out to my advisors and professors, Mr. Morton, Ms. Brucker, Mrs. Mummert, Prof. Farney, and Prof. Rodolico. From beginning to end, all of you have pushed me to grow beyond boundaries, ask questions, and go beyond what is expected of a student, person, and most importantly, a professional. I value each lesson I learned from every one of you.
Who is your favorite professor? What class did you take them for? And why is this person your favorite?
Professor Royek! I believe I took Composition Writing I or II with him my freshman year. Professor Royek taught me so many lessons, but most importantly he taught me to always ask questions, be patient, and learn something from what others have to offer. I’ll never forget he helped me with my paper and as we did the mock interview he taught me how to be conversational rather than sticking to the script.
I then applied that to my life by always having a plan and if the plan fails, improvise! Want to learn from people. Want to be friendly. And most importantly take your time!!
What advice would you give to incoming first years or transfers about making the most out of their college experience?
Incoming freshmen, take your time. Whatever you want to do, do it and don’t let anyone stop you! You’ll learn so many things once you just live life outside the classroom. At the end of the day, JUST DO YOU!
Today, we speak to senior Civil Engineeringmajor Liam Cutri-French from Glen Gardner, NJ (Hunterdon County). He tells us more about his time at Rowan and provides some advice for incoming students.
Could you please share your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes?
My favorite moment from a class was freshman engineering clinic, where I had to trade up from a paperclip to a backpack.
Could you please share your favorite social memory?
My favorite memory from Rowan was probably my time spent in the Holly Pointe. I was able to meet so many great friends while working together to pass freshman year courses.
What are your career aspirations?
I plan on attaining my M.S. in Engineering and Public Policy, and after that I hope to work on designing major infrastructure projects with a focus on how infrastructure impacts the public.
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How did the people or programs at Rowan help to support you with your professional growth or career aspirations?
My work with interdisciplinary courses as well as extracurriculars helped me to grow as an engineer. I was able to gain valuable project management skills through Engineers Without Borders. I was also able to learn about the intersection of engineering and policy while working as the AVP of Facilities and Operations for SGA.
Do you want to give a thank you shout out to your family, friends, advisors or mentors?
I would like to give a shoutout to my roommates Augie Scorzo, Sam Mardini, Chris Contos and Matt Cangemi for always helping me be the best student I could be.
Who is your favorite professor? What class did you take them for? And why is this person your favorite?
My favorite professor is Dr. Jagadish Torlapati, who was my advisor for the Engineers Without Borders Clinic. Dr. Torlapati was extremely helpful for us to complete our projects and has been an excellent mentor.
What advice would you give to incoming freshmen or transfers about making the most out of their college experience?
I would recommend that freshmen and transfers should get involved as quickly as possible. Don’t turn down any opportunity, as you never know where it could lead you.
Today we speak with Sarah Dixon, a graduating senior Law & Justice Studies major from Philadelphia. Sarah is a commuter who transferred from Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC).
Could you please share your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes?
In my Public Speaking class, the professor was 9 months pregnant. Each class, she would tell stories at the beginning of class about her life. She had four kids already, and the way she told the stories was so funny and real! I loved her class!
What are your career aspirations?
I aim to be a public defender.
How did the people or programs at Rowan help to support you with your professional growth or career aspirations?
Do you want to give a thank you shout out to your family, friends, advisors or mentors?
I wanna give a huge shout out to Professor Buie who teachers Law Seminar because he is the best professor on earth!
Who is your favorite professor? What class did you take them for? And why is this person your favorite?
My favorite professor is Buie. I have him for Law Seminar. He is the most intelligent, down-to-earth professor I ever had!
What advice would you give to incoming freshmen or transfers about making the most out of their college experience?
Be yourself and follow your own path! Everything happens for a reason and as long as you choose good over evil you will succeed in college and in life!
Today we speak to Holly Zurenda, a senior Computer Science and Mathematics double major. A Rapid City, South Dakota native, Holly attended Black Hills State University and South Dakota School of Mines & Technology before transferring to Rowan University ten years later. Holly commutes from Egg Harbor Township, NJ (Atlantic County). Holly is set to graduate in December 2021.
How was your transition into Rowan?
The process was amazingly simple. I had originally applied to be in the Combined Advanced Degree Program (CADP) in Subject Matter Education for Math and Science majors. Then, somebody had mentioned Computer Science and told me to try that degree program instead to see if I would like that more. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I thought I would teach, but I liked math more, so I ended up in the Computer Science program.
Could you share a moment when you felt that Rowan was the right place for you?
I think most of all, it’s the professors. I feel like every professor is always willing to help. They help within office hours. They’ll schedule meetings with you outside of office hours if you need help. I think definitely it was the professors who have made this experience the best that it can be for me.
What are you most excited about when Rowan returns to face-to-face learning?
I think I’ll be most excited to work as a team with people in person, rather than on group calls. It is a little more difficult to work in a group online, especially when it’s computer science. Everybody has something up on their screen and we can’t all share our screens at once. I’m definitely most excited to do a group project in a true group fashion.
What are your plans for after you graduate from Rowan?
I think I will get a master’s degree in Computer Science. Then, I will get a Ph.D. in Computer Science. I want to teach Computer Science at a college level.
What are you passionate about in your majors?
I wouldn’t say that my passion is truly for computers, science or math. My passion is actually teaching people. I seem to have a knack for it, and computer science is a high-need area. Most people don’t understand math and therefore they don’t understand computer science or vice versa, so I just figured it would be an excellent subject that I could actually help people learn about.
How was transferring to Rowan the right choice for you?
I think that overall, it comes down to flexibility. A lot of colleges put a cap on how far you can commute, and I could commute from an hour away to Rowan. Also price-wise, it was better for me than other colleges. Overall, I just think Rowan is a pretty standup school.
Do you have any advice for someone else who is returning to college after a long hiatus?
It’s definitely going to be difficult at first, but don’t give up. You will get back into the swing of things so quickly if you just keep trying.
Could you please share your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes?
In one of my core BME courses, I had the opportunity to work with an industry professional to discuss the validity and feasibility of a design project that I was working on with a group of students. This gave me better insight into what I could expect outside of my undergraduate career.
Could you please share your favorite social memory?
I made most of my close friends in the Holly Pointe study rooms [my first] year. We would study together, watch movies, and just spend most of our free time in those public spaces. It was a great way to meet new people as well. I was also the Assistant VP for Habitat for Humanity. This gave me an opportunity to help the organization build houses with the families that were going to live there in the future.
What are your career aspirations?
I am planning on attending medical school after graduation. Some fields I am interested in include pediatrics, orthopedics and surgery.
How did the people or programs at Rowan help to support you with your professional growth or career aspirations?
My advisor, Dr. Staehle, was a great resource all throughout my time at Rowan for both biomedical engineering and the steps needed for me to prepare for medical school.
Do you want to give a shout-out to your family, friends, advisors, or mentors?
Who is your favorite professor? What class did you take them for? And why is this person your favorite?
Dr. Ik Jae Lee! I took him for Math for Engineering Analysis, and he was probably the best professor I have ever had. He would stay up the night before an exam with us in the library to hold study sessions. He was also just a great professor who made us interested in learning difficult engineering math.
What advice would you give to incoming freshmen or transfers about making the most out of their college experience?
Make sure to join clubs that you are truly interested in and don’t be afraid to go up to people and just introduce yourself. It seems daunting at first but most freshmen have that same social anxiety because everyone is in a new environment.
Today we speak with Ryan Geiger, who attended Rowan from 2004 to 2008. He was a Radio/TV/Film major and Advertising minor. He now owns his own media studio called Pinch located in North Jersey. Ryan also is an independent filmmaker and has won awards in several film festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival.
What advice would you give to students about starting their own business?
Pinch is going really well, but starting a business was so much harder than I thought it would be. When you start small, you wear all of the hats. It can make for a very stressful work environment. You have to juggle all of the balls all at once. If I had $1,000,000 in seed money, I would hire 100 people. You have to think about every single step because there is little room for mistakes.
I was a Creative Director for nine years, and after Bingley was bought out, I finally decided that I did not want to put my career in the hands of somebody else. I know this [field], and I know what I want to do. It just made sense at that moment, with the handful of clients I was trusted with, to start my own marketing studio. Earning those clients was the ultimate push to start building Pinch. Now, I’m making an animated logo for the Yankees and filming commercials for Roadwarez Backpacks, Natural Delights Medjool Dates and Vinglace Wine Chillers. I get to be a director every single day!
I think like a storyteller, not a marketer that’s focused on the numbers and packing in as much information as possible. I want people to connect with the story we show the people they’re watching and the name of the brand. Part of this has to do with the fact that I am a perfectionist and my love for the craft of making compelling stories gets me up every morning.
Every single day I’m learning something new, whether it’s how to better interact with a client or finding the right conditions to film with a drone. In my last commercial, it happened to be raining that day and the street we wanted to film on had too many wires for flying a drone. I’m problem-solving every day. I really look forward to seeing Pinch continue to grow. I hope one day to make more industry connections and possibly pivot into producing a television show or an animation.
How did you learn to be your own boss?
All of my bosses over the years have played a role in shaping the professional I am today. Also, knowing what I want to accomplish gives me drive. I want to feel proud at the end of the day, knowing that my clients are happy is what motivates me every day.
What was the most important lesson you learned after you graduated?
When I was the Creative Director at an animation studio in Brooklyn, we were always recruiting local talent or talent that came from college. It was really important to me to onboard them correctly and prepare them for the real world. This means you’re making creative [meaning creative projects or materials] for clients. You’re not making your own personal little project. In any kind of art, you go from being told by professors to look deep within yourself and create wonderful art. When you start working in the real world, you’re making art for other people. You have to start thinking about that. It’s a hard thing to accept when you step right out of college. It’s really critical that we prepare our oncoming workforce to be ready for the challenges.
When Ryan graduated and became an art director for a magazine called Hometown Quarterly in Cranford, N.J., he made ads for local businesses. He remembers the creative director slashed through his designs because they were not geared for the client’s taste. He quickly learned how to adapt to this expectation in the creative industry.
What advice would you give to a student today, especially a RTF major?
I could write a book about advice for RTF majors. I was a huge part of the RTF program. I was part of RTN and Rowan Radio. I really tried to take full advantage of everything while I was there.
If you feel embarrassed to join RTN late, it doesn’t matter. Get in there and make friends. These people are going to be your peers in the future. These people are going to eventually find work. Make friends with everybody in the RTF network. Before you graduate get their email and contact information. Don’t just rely on Facebook. People get off Facebook or become married and change their names. Go around all to all the people that you admire and have done really great stuff. Say, ‘Hey, I want to stay in contact.’
Get behind a camera. Mess with a camera. Go shoot some birds. It doesn’t matter. Write a really short little movie. This is the time to take advantage of the fact that you have all of this free work at your disposal to make movies. Always be creating because you need to walk away with something to show for yourself. All I had was my resume. I thought it was a good one because it had NBC on it. I still had done nothing to show for it. I had no real website. It’s so crucial to showcase some of your work.Post your videos.
I wish I made more movies in college. I wish I’d kept in contact with a lot of my friends and not just watched what they did on Facebook. I wish I actively kept calling them and picking their brain about how they got out to L.A. Once you go five to 10 years without talking to them, it’s hard to build a relationship back up again.
You have to think of yourself as your own little business. Even in college, you need to start building a repertoire of work. Nobody goes to art school, just takes a class and says, ‘I’ll start painting when I get my degree.’ You gotta have a gallery of work by the time you graduate.
There are so many options and roles for RTF majors. I was so pigeonholed and determined on directing films. There should be constant filmmaking on campus and pushing students to utilize the bubble that they’re in. You have talent all around you, friends who can help, and scriptwriters [from any background]. Once I graduated, no one could help me anymore with filmmaking.
At the same time, the film wasn’t like it is now with DSLRs and 4K cameras. You can grab your iPhone 12 and you can make a movie. It’s come such a long way since I graduated. You have to get on set and realize that it’s not just about directing. There are 1,000 roles on set.
Who do you hope to work with one day?
I really hope to work with Apple, Pixar and Nickelodeon one day. I created a script for Nickelodeon in the past, but I’m holding onto it because I hope to line up the right stars and the right budget for this idea. From the film festival circuit, I learned festival judges have to be very selective because almost anybody can make a movie. When recognizable names are attached to a project, they often get more attention than projects without those names. Being a perfectionist, I want to have all of my ducks lined up, and it would be really great for Pinch to be able to financially host those big names one day.
Today we speak to Cory Monroe, a graduating Public Relations major and mom from Medford, NJ (Burlington County). Cory transferred to Rowan from Rowan College at Burlington College. Corey is a first-generation college student.
If you could paint a picture of your time here at Rowan, what would that look like?
It would look like it’s come full circle, I suppose. I graduated from Rowan College at Burlington County and transferred to Rowan University in 2014. I was finishing up one semester and then the next semester would have been my final year at Rowan, but my mom got sick and was hospitalized the week of finals. I couldn’t even finish taking my finals because she was diagnosed with cancer. It was a chaotic time for me. She passed away quickly the next month. It took me a very long time to come back to school. I would say that I just feel like my time at Rowan, though chaotic, has come full circle.
What are some challenges you faced, being a student and a mother?
I would say that I experienced mom guilt sometimes. Sometimes I need to ask my husband, “Hey, I didn’t get everything done that I had to get done. During naptime or bedtime, I need a few hours to study or to write this paper,” and I feel bad. My husband is very supportive. I still feel bad segmenting off that time, even though it’s for the better. It’s for the best that I finish my degree. I would just say time management has become really important, and conquering mom guilt is very important.
How has Rowan helped you achieve your goals?
I would say that Lori Brucker, the advisor for the Public Relations and Advertising department, has been very helpful. There were a few times I was going to come back to school, but then it just didn’t pan out. I was suffering with some depression prior to having my son, and the people at Rowan were really patient. They didn’t say, “Oh my gosh, this is like your third time talking about coming back to school, get your life together.” They were really patient and believed that I could graduate. Each time that I would come back and ask “Okay, what do I have to do?” and then I didn’t go through with it, they were always just very supportive of me finishing my degree and telling me what I had to do to get there. I appreciated that.
What was your inspiration for coming back to finish your degree?
My son, 100 %. Eventually, when he’s a little older, I want to go back to school for nursing in an accelerated bachelor’s program, and you have to have your bachelor’s degree to be in the program. I want to complete what I started and make my mom proud of me for finishing it, even though it wasn’t easy.
How do you best balance school, life, and being a mom?
I take advantage of nap time. Luckily, my son still naps. During his nap time, I set a goal of getting something finished, and that’s when I do it. I actually find that I’m more proactive with deadlines now as a mom than I was before. I used to wait until the last minute and say that I don’t have any time, but now I finish assignments two weeks in advance. I try to get things done, so it’s off of my shoulders.
What advice do you have for other mothers that are thinking about coming back to school or that are already here trying to finish their degree?
I would say that if it makes you happy, come back to school and complete your degree. You’re definitely going to be inspiring your son or daughter. They’ll be able to see that you made sacrifices and that you work towards an end goal that wasn’t easy. They’ll see that as an adult, it’s difficult to come back to school to finish a degree, or begin and finish a degree while having a child.
What is your favorite thing about being a mom?
I love absolutely everything about being a mom right now. I’m a stay-at-home mom. I love being a stay-at-home mom. My son is always happy to see me. As soon as he wakes up in the morning, he’s always so happy to see me. He is just full of like endless love and limitless fun. He’s my heart.
Alexis Houck is a junior Advertising major and a certificate of undergraduate study (CUGS) in graphic design student from Ocean County, NJ. She shares her first-person perspective, tips and advice for the mom going back to college.
Two years ago, I was at a dead-end job being paid minimum wage not feeling very fulfilled with my life. I was married, and my husband worked hard to take care of us. I had always thought about going to college, but unfortunately, I could not afford the luxury of it straight out of high school. I also lacked the support, guidance and help to get into one.
Well, that all changed July 2018 when I saw two pink lines and I knew. It was time to go back to school. I understood the challenges I was about to face being a new mom and now a [first year student] in college. Yet, I knew the importance of an education.
The second I saw the positive pregnancy test I knew I wanted, I needed, to do more for my baby. He needed parents who were not too stressed out about money and bills to enjoy life and parenthood. I wanted to make sure we could live comfortably on two incomes not just one. I wanted to make sure my child knew how important an education and hard work is.
I made the right choice to go back to college, and I started that fall. Of course, when my son was born, I took one semester off and then jumped right back into it. I now have my associate degree and am currently working on my bachelor’s in advertising and undergraduate study in graphic design here at Rowan University.
I could not be prouder of being a Rowan Prof even at 30 years old with a 2-year-old at home. If I can do it so, can you. I hope I can inspire some hope and encourage you to further your education here at Rowan University.
Stop asking how and why? Stop questioning if you could do it because yes, Mama, YOU CAN DO IT!
Here are a few tips and advice for the mama starting your college education journey here at Rowan University:
Talk to an advisor and be realistic.
This is a big one. You need to be honest, talk about what you want to do. If you are unsure this is where you and your advisor discuss your strengths and what you have a particular interest in. I changed my major three times before I finally found the one I love.Ask your advisor about the courses you need to take and how much time you will need to delegate to your studies. Rowan offers full-time and part-time enrollment. I prefer full-time, but do what you can. Certain degree programs only have day classes; making a schedule that is realistic and works for you and your family is crucial. College and being a parent are hard enough; do not stress yourself out any more than you need to.
Financial aid, grants and other scholarships are available!
Financial aid and grants have been super helpful! Make sure to apply in time and get that situated ASAP. Scholarships are available as well. Make sure to do your research so you know you will be prepared and financially stable during your time at Rowan.
Rowan supports parents with a family-friendly campus!
Rowan has on-campus childcare. It is called the “Early Childhood Demonstration Center,” home of the Little Owls!They are parenting friendly at Rowan — they even have a Lactation Center and Nursing Mothers’ Room available, which is open Monday through Friday, they even provide storage for your milk!
Rowan is a “family-friendly campus.” Rowan offers resources and events for all students who are parents. Rowan CCAMPIS Program (Child Care Access Means Parents In School), offers free or low-cost tuition for eligible students’ children at the Early Childhood Demonstration Center as well as social and academic services designed just for college student parents.Rowan also has events for student parents who attend the university! Join in! You will meet others going through exactly what you are, and you can really lean on each other.
Stay organized and keep your family on a schedule.
Make sure you have an area in your home you can designate to your studies, a nice, quiet and organized place where you can store all your school supplies that is away from any distractions. Due to COVID I know it is tough to find places nearby, luckily Rowan has some great on-campus options including the library. When you are going back to college, you need to pick out a regular time each week to get the work done. I personally make evenings a time to get my work done. I cook dinner and then my husband takes over for bath and bed time while I get my work done. Once you schedule your time for your assignments, treat it like you would a doctor appointment for your child(ren). You and your work are important, too. Let the rest of the family know that you are unavailable at these times.
Let your support system help you.
Thankfully, I have an amazing husband and family who support me in my goals and help as much as they can. There will be days when unexpected things happen, I mean, come on, we are parents!!! It’s important to acknowledge that you will need some help to get it all done. Make sure to let your support system help when they can. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, it takes a village.
Today we speak to Victoria Hable, a first-generation college student and mom from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Victoria transferred from Harrisburg Area Community College to Rowan College at Burlington College. She will transfer to Rowan University in the fall as part of the 3+1 program. Victoria is majoring in Psychology and will graduate next spring.
Can you tell me a little about the 3+1 program that you’re currently enrolled in?
I’m in the 3+1 program for Psychology. The 3+1 program is going to Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC) for three years and transferring to Rowan and finishing a bachelor’s degree there for one year. I was a Music Business major at Harrisburg Area Community College. When I transferred to RCBC, I changed my major to Psychology. I had a lot of credits from the Music Business program that my 3+1 advisor Diana helped me work in as some extra electives so it wouldn’t delay my graduation date. From there, I created a plan to complete my last two years of my bachelor’s degree at RCBC and Rowan.
How did you hear about Rowan and what made you want to come here?
I moved to the area two years ago for a change of scenery. I was able to live with family and babysit for them. I started at RCBC in 2018 to finish up community college, and I found out about the 3+1 program while I was there. I started the program when I was a year into my time at RCBC, and that is how I found out about Rowan.
What is it like to balance being a mother with being a student?
It’s difficult. It’s definitely a lot. My son was born with Down Syndrome, so he has a lot of therapies and appointments. Balancing his appointments, my appointments and schoolwork is a lot. I’m not working, so it gives me a little more leeway in my schedule, but my job right now is to take care of him and finish school.
How has Rowan supported you in being a mother and a student?
It was two weeks into the spring semester, last January when I went to Diana, my advisor. I told her I had just found out I was four months pregnant, and I didn’t know what to do with my 3+1 plan. She helped me rearrange my plan to accommodate my being out for six weeks. I was out over the summer, so it only put me behind by two classes. It did not move my graduation date back at all. Instead of encouraging me to take a semester off because I found out I was pregnant, my advisor encouraged me to keep going. Diana was very dedicated to helping me figure out a new plan and stay in college like I wanted. The professors I have had so far are also willing to work with me.
How does your son motivate you to continue to pursue your career?
I had some prenatal testing that was done about five months into my pregnancy, but I didn’t know until my son was actually born that he was 100% going to have Down Syndrome. Last May, I saw that the first student with Down Syndrome graduated from Rowan University last year. That was really cool for me to see, and that gave me more motivation to keep pushing to pursue my career and more motivation that my son might be able to go to college. Seeing that student graduate is also the reason why I decided to name my son Rowen. Rowen is in therapy twice a week, we’re working with him constantly. Seeing his resilience to everything and how he adapts to his environment is a big motivator for me, especially me being a psychology major. Watching him grow and learn new things is so fun, and it just makes me want to learn more about him and more about neuro-psychology.
Do you have any advice for any current or incoming Rowan students that are also moms?
Since COVID has happened, I have met online classmates who are moms as well. But as for advice, if you have a support system, take advantage of it. The school is 100% percent behind you to help. But I think the biggest thing is just to stick with it. Even if it gets a little heavy sometimes.
What are your goals after you graduate?
When I switched my major to Psychology originally, I wanted to pursue my master’s in Psychology. I wanted to apply for the FBI and work in forensics. But since I’m a Mom now, I had to change my path a bit. Now, I eventually want to get into trauma psychology and maybe criminal justice reform.
Today, we feature the long-term and short-term goals of two students in the Engineering Entrepreneurship program.
Kenyon Burgess, a sophomore from Jackson, NJ (Ocean County), is taking advantage of the programs Rowan has to offer to reach his goals.
Currently, Kenyon is on an engineering research project and is also attending events held by the College of Business for networking and personal development. These are all steps he’s taking to be prepared for his next steps after graduation.
His long-term goal is to own his own business where he can utilize his engineering experience.
Senior Micheal Lampasona, from South Plainfield, NJ (Middlesex County), is taking charge of his future by actively expanding his network, self-educating through reading books and watching videos, and reaching out to business professionals to ask them questions regarding his interests in different industries.
In his last semester, Micheal wants to continue to search the technical and business fields to see what industries he gravitates towards for his career. His long-term goal is to own and develop real estate by investing in and developing multi-unit (30+) properties.
He says: “Engineering entrepreneurship will support my dreams and goals because it gives me the best of both the technical and business world. I know that the world of technical sales, product development, project management, technology commercialization, and operations in manufacturing is what I was born to do.”
The insightful & inspiring story of one adult learner pursuing a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) at Rowan University’s Rohrer College of Business [Reviewed and updated by editor November 15, 2024.] A mother running both her household and an essential business during a global pandemic, Marguerite Romilus stayed the course, not even taking a break […]
Today we speak with JT Kurtz, a first-generation college student from Egg Harbor Township (Atlantic County). JT will be graduating this year with a degree in Computer Science and currently works as an ARD (Assistant Resident Director) on campus. He is also active in RUPAC (the Rowan University Philippine American Coalition) and is a Human Factors Researcher for the Psychology department.
What clubs have you been a part of?
I am part of the Rowan University Philippine American Coalition (RUPAC – the Filipino club). I am half-Filipino and half-Italian!
I’m also a Human Factors Researcher for the Psychology department. Human Factors looks at processes (not just technical, anything with how a team operates or any technologies they work with). We try to find the most efficient way to make it better or redesign it so that it’s much easier for everyone.
When I was in the Honors College, my Comp II professor (Professor Flocco) was the coordinator for the Honors B.L.A.S.T. Mentor Program. I told her about my passion for computer science. I really like taking something, being innovative or redesigning it, and making sure it’s the best for someone to visually see and understand. That’s considered User Interface or User Experience Design (UI or UED). That segued into “Oh, she knows somebody at UPenn. Speak with them and see what opportunities you can get from there.” So, I went all the way to Philly, had a 30-minute conversation and that person was like “Hey, I know somebody that’s here at Rowan.” I came back and had an interview with my advisor, Dr. Tremoulet. She is fantastic without a doubt. She said “I’m going to bring you on board with my team. So I’ve been in her lab for about a year and a half now. We actually just published one of her researches. It was super awesome.”
Tell me more about RUPAC!
I’ve been a part of that since my sophomore year. I went out my freshman year to the Org Fair, that was always an awesome opportunity. My friend and I went to high school together. He’s been in it since freshman year and was like “Hey, you should check it out.” I met some really great people and being part of that org has helped me start my DJ career because they always needed a DJ for any of their on-campus events. And from there, I was able to build my network because RUPAC is affiliated with major regional and national Filipino conferences [all under the organization called “Filipino International Networking Dialogue” (FIND) spanning colleges from Massachusetts down to Florida].
I believe it was last year, prior to COVID, I went to TCNJ. They hosted a big conference called “Dialogue” where all of these other Filipino organizations come together. They talk about what it’s like to be Asian American and how we can better our communities from all different kinds of perspectives. It was really cool, it’s always fun! You play games, share stories, and then you make new friends. With that, I was actually able to segue into being the DJ for their regional formal dance (hosting students from 7 out of the 8 regions in FIND). With RUPAC, it’s been really great to be on campus. I know they’re still working their best now even with the pandemic.
Are you part of any other clubs?
I feel like I always do too much (everyone always describes me like that). Aside from that, nothing else on campus. I have my off-campus internship as a software developer for General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT).
Where are they located?
They have a lot of different branches and offices. They’re a government contracting agency, similar to Lockheed Martin. I interned with them over the summer and I will continue interning with them throughout the school year. Thankfully, I just accepted a full-time job with them.
When do you start working for them full-time?
I believe I start with them in June. I have to smooth things out, fill out some paperwork with the manager. I’m super excited. The game plan from there is to work with them and hopefully, I would like to pursue my master’s in Computer Science.
How did you find that internship?
Every year since freshman year, I went to the Career Fair and that’s how I found GDIT.
Do you have any thoughts on what’s happening with Asian hate?
We definitely live in a world where there’s hatred all throughout. It’s a shame that there are different groups that are being targeted. I think a lot of people try to work together to make things better. I know recently we had a march around campus [protesting Asian hate]. I encourage any group that has [been targeted] to come together and speak on how we can make our society better. We can acknowledge that things are happening in our world that is definitely wrong. At the same time, we need to work together and come up with solutions to prevent that from happening.
Have you ever experienced any Asian hate on campus?
Personally no, that’s actually an interesting topic now. I think about how when you walk around campus and how people can tell if you’re of a certain race. I don’t think that’s fair because you don’t fully know their background. You probably didn’t know I was Filipino because I don’t portray the common characteristics of a Filipino. I think that contributes to why I don’t experience much of that perspective. At the same time, I can still resonate with my friends, my family, and my culture. I’m sure there are other people in that same situation. Maybe they don’t contribute to the hate but they don’t understand it. I will definitely support this movement as much as possible with as much as I can.
Today we speak with Ayanna Johnson, a junior Environmental & Sustainability Studies (ESS) major under the School of Earth and Environment. She comes from Ewing, NJ in Mercer County and is the captain of the Women’s Basketball Team. She also participates in We Are One Team, Social Justice Action, and OWL (Outstanding Women Leaders) Group.
Why did you choose ESS?
When I was a senior, I went on a trip to the Bahamas and studied at the Island School. I focused on environmental science and marine biology. We saw the coral reefs that were dying and how the Bahamas is being disproportionately impacted by global warming. It made me feel that this is a really important field more people need to study.
What has been your favorite ESS class?
My favorite ESS class was called Earth, People, and The Environment taught by Professor Richard Federman. I learned about the interconnectedness of people and their environment.
What do you want to do in the future?
Every company needs an Environmental Sustainability Specialist to make sure they’re following the rules and regulations from like the EPA. I want to do that in the future.
Do you have a mentor on-campus?
My mentor is Mandy Jiang, the former assistant coach of the Women’s Basketball Team. She helps me with school, studying, basketball and basically anything!
Can you tell me more about the We Are One Team panel that happened in October 2020?
The We Are One Team panel was an opportunity for me to speak on my personal experiences and also listen to different people from diverse backgrounds speak on social justice issues. We also discussed how we’ve been working to improve our communities by helping people become more educated and understanding about issues that are going on in modern-day America.
I was able to connect with other people that cared about these issues and also wanted to learn more. I made good friends with people who are dedicated to making a difference and speaking out. We bounce ideas off of each other about how we can do more to get our message across.
What’s it like being the captain of the basketball team?
It’s not much different than being a regular player. Everyone on my team is so awesome, and we all work together. It’s more about the responsibility of leadership. It pushes me to be more confident when speaking up and in my ability to lead. I never really looked at myself as capable of this, but it’s forcing me to face my insecurities and just do it.
What advice would you give to newer college students?
Appreciate the moment and enjoy it. Don’t keep thinking about the next thing. You’re going to waste your whole life thinking about the next step. You have to be in the present and enjoy the current moment. Appreciate life when you are happy because it’s not going to always last.
If you spend your whole time stressing and not experiencing college, you’re going to regret it. You’re not going to be in your 20s forever.
Make sure that you’re taking care of yourself because it’s a hard time for everyone. We don’t validate our own emotions or acknowledge things that we’re feeling inside. Everybody should take time to look inside yourself.
What social justice issues are you most passionate about?
I’m most passionate about educating people. A lot of what perpetuates injustice is people being ignorant to it. People not understanding how the small things are actually big things which allow for injustice to continue.
On your busiest day, what academic, non-academic and social responsibilities do you juggle?
I have practice, academics and work. I also juggle about 15 credits per semester along with basketball. This gives athletes room to stay above the 12-credit minimum and drop a class if necessary.
How do you balance all of it?
I’m actually not very good at balancing or time management. I try my best to get organized and refocus. I try to make sure that I’m taking care of myself first because I can get caught up with so many different things. I’m not going to be able to do my best like mentally and physically if I don’t take care of myself.
Meet incoming transfer student and first-generation college student Erin Finter! Erin is an aspiring Liberal Studies major from Medford, NJ (Burlington County) who transferred from Rowan College at Burlington County. She shares more about what she’s looking forward to at Rowan University and she gives advice to other transfer students.
Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward at Rowan University?
New professors!
What is one hobby, activity, sport or club that you’re involved in that you’d like to continue at Rowan?
I’m currently the VP of the criminal justice club … I’d love the chance to continue that!
What majors are you considering and why?
I’ve chosen liberal studies with a focus in law.
Did you tour Rowan or attend any virtual events? If so, which ones, and what did you think?
The 3+1 info event. It was well put together and full of great information!
Do you have advice for other transfers who haven’t committed to a school yet?
Figure out what you want to do after graduating and pick a school bed equipped to help you achieve it!
Meet incoming transfer Prof Heather Doerr, a Public Health & Wellness major from Marlton, NJ (Burlington County). Heather transferred from the University of Maryland Global Campus. She shares how she chose Rowan and what she’s looking forward to!
Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward at Rowan University?
I am looking forward to being involved in clubs and initiatives that advocate for wellness and support communities’ overall health.
What is one hobby, activity, sport or club that you’re involved in that you’d like to continue at Rowan?
I recently joined the Public Health Club.
Is there anything you’re hoping to discover about yourself at Rowan? Grow a new skill? Try a new interest? Starting a new activity, sport or club?
I have changed my major from IFSM to Public Health and Wellness, which is a new venture for me, but an interest I have had for a few years. I hope to combine my passion to advocate for our community’s good health with the skills and knowledge that I will be learning at Rowan and play an instrumental role in educating, empowering and improving the overall health of communities.
What majors are you considering and why?
I am enrolled in the Public Health & Wellness BS program. After working in the Information Systems realm for the last two years, I realized my work did not fulfill my desire to help users as I had intended when entering the field. Working in a stationary position in front of a computer for 8-12 hours a day was not conducive to my good health, both physically and mentally. When I took the Nutrition class in my first year, I was amazed by how uninformed I was in what my body needed for optimal health function. This sparked my interest and passion to play a role in improving not only the health of myself and my family, but also society.
Did you tour Rowan or attend any virtual events? If so, which ones, and what did you think?
Yes, I attended the Rowan self-paced tour. The Rowan campus was huge, the campus has grown into its own community, which is very inspiring and comforting. Although I was there on a Saturday during COVID restrictions, I was able to get a sense of the positive energy and support that exists at this school. The buildings that I was able to access were easy to find and had an abundance of resources.
Do you have advice for other transfers who haven’t committed to a school yet?
Review all the programs that Rowan has to offer as well as the career options within those programs. Rowan provides prospective students with information online, over the phone, and through various tour options of the campus. Everyone I have communicated with through email or virtual meetings were very informative and helpful.
Where are you going to live next year?
Commute from home.
What is one thing about Rowan itself that you liked?
The abundance of resources to help achieve success.
Meet incoming transfer Prof Rosetta Briscoe. Rosetta is a Psychology major from Pemberton, NJ who transferred from Rowan College of Burlington County. She shares how she chose Rowan University and what she’s looking forward to!
Welcome to Rowan! Could you share with us one thing you are looking forward at Rowan University?
I’m looking forward to everything the school has to offer. I’m excited for the academic and personal growth that is to come.
What is one hobby, activity, sport or club that you’re involved in that you’d like to continue at Rowan?
I’m not active in any clubs, but I do have a hobby of jewelry making and singing. I would love to be a part of any club that inspires me to be creative and help individuals.
Is there anything you’re hoping to discover about yourself at Rowan? Grow a new skill? Try a new interest? Starting a new activity, sport or club?
I would like to explore my options and join clubs, be active, and perhaps try a new skill. I love learning something new and being able to apply the knowledge toward my degree.
What majors are you considering and why?
Psychology so I can help counsel, and perhaps business, so that I can have my own practice.
Did you tour Rowan or attend any virtual events? If so, which ones, and what did you think?
I attended a virtual event for Psychology, it was informative and wonderful. I would recommend it to students.
Do you have advice for other transfers who haven’t committed to a school yet?
Do your research, then see which schools are the best fit for you. Think about the financial requirements, your academics, and what would be best for you.
Where are you going to live next year?
Commute from home.
What is one thing about Rowan itself that you liked?
I like that so far I have experienced people working together as a team to make sure students are able to succeed.
Today we speak with Dominick Natali, a first-year Music Industry major from Washington Township (Gloucester County) who lives on campus.
What are you looking forward to about next year?
I’m looking forward to my first apartment and not having people accidentally come into the room. I currently live in a suite. Some days I’m working in my room in my pajamas and one of my suitemates will accidentally open the room when they’re trying to lock the door.
Do you know how to cook?
I know how to cook pasta. I’m a proud Italian! I can only make pasta. I don’t know what I’ll be learning to cook next year, but I am going to get an unlimited meal plan. I love getting as much food as I want. I do enjoy Jersey Mike’s.
What aspect of apartment life do you look forward to most of all?
I am looking forward to having personal space and the way the apartment is set up where everyone has their own individual room.
I don’t have a roommate right now luckily. So I don’t experience having to hear somebody else’s alarm before your own or somebody not coming back to the room because they’re out. If anything, I’m just excited to be able to have a place with some buddies.
Has it been lonely without a roommate?
It hasn’t been very lonely this year even without a roommate. It’s also beneficial because I like being able to play loud music in his room. I listen to a lot of rock and metal, 90s metal (Slipknot, Korn, Linkin Park) and modern stuff. I met Stephanie Batista [featured here] through the Rowan Alternative Music Club. I thought I was the only person that liked this kind of music because everyone talked about Weezer. I didn’t hear anyone talk about Slipknot or Chevelle until Stephanie did! That’s how we became friends.There’s always a place for loud music at Rowan. Rowan has a diverse music taste.
Tell me more about your social life!
My friends at Rowan are from before college as well as music events. The Rowan Alt Music Club and Rowan Photography Club have been really great for making new friends. I’m not a photographer [yet] but I model for the club and hope to learn more about photography.
I haven’t been able to do much because of school work, but I go to the trivia nights with friends. [Surprisingly,] a whole room of 30 people didn’t know anything about Tom Cruise movies! I also go to RAH events, and I look forward to “post-Covid” in-person classes. I learn better in person and can focus more when in an actual classroom compared to studying in your dorm room on your laptop. I associate the dorm room with downtime, food, comfort and the classroom with work. For me, it’s a weird balance of “I have to learn” and “I want to get food out of my fridge and take a nap.”
Need some tunes to help you study for finals? Here are some recommendations from upperclassmen music majors.
Spiegel im Spiegel – Arvo Pärt
“It’s one of my favorite minimalist pieces. It repeats over and over, so it’s good to listen to when you’re trying to focus. I love how delicate it sounds; it reminds me of a lullaby. A couple years ago, I was reading a book called ‘The Rest Is Noise’ by Alex Ross. Pärt was mentioned in it, so I wanted to dive into his music more,” says senior Kimmy Speers, a Music Education: Instrumental major from Morristown, NJ (Morris County).
3Am Talk – Icemann
“Chill vibe.I created the song myself,” says first-generation junior Justin Nunez, a Music Industry major with a concentration in Technology and a transfer from Kean University from Jackson, NJ (Ocean County).
Nocturnes (all 21) – Chopin
“It is very calming and relaxing. Chopin is very popular in the classical music world, and played very often by pianists,” says senior Lisa Harkisheimer, a Music Education Instrumental major from Sicklerville, NJ (Gloucester County).
Etude No.2 – Phillip Glass
“Phillip Glass is a minimalist artist. His songs are thought provoking and stimulating to the ear. I studied minimalist artists in my theory course a year ago and found the compositions of Phillip Glass. I use his Playlist on Spotify to focus when I’m studying and thought it might help other students,” say junior Melissa Breslin of Washington Township, NJ (Gloucester County), a Music Education Instrumental major and transfer student from Rowan College at Gloucester County.
Rêverie – Claude Debussy (or really anything by Debussy)
“It relaxes me without putting me to sleep. I discovered the song by researching romantic composers on my own and also hearing his music in my music classes,” says senior Liz Cicali, a Music Education major with a specialization in instrumental music from Absecon, NJ (Atlantic County).
The Brain Dance – Animals as Leaders
“This will stimulate your mind and senses in every way. You will be awakened to learn and receptive to new information. I discovered the song at a concert,” says senior Sunshine Jones, a Music Education Vocal Major and Classical Guitar minor from Sewell, NJ (Gloucester County).
L.A. Vibes – Iman Omari
“Iman Omari is the king of chill and loops. He’s a producer that makes dream like beats. He can chop any song up and claim it as his own. A lot of his music doesn’t contain words, he has a beat tape that has nothing but loops and it really helps me study. Hearing the beats allow me to read, think and focus on my tasks. I’m able to listen to music and concentrate, that’s all I need in this world. Music and focus,” says first-generation college junior Phinesse Scott, a Music Industry major and transfer student from Rowan College at Burlington County
Phinesse adds: “I discovered Iman Omari through YouTube. You can really go down a never-ending hole on YouTube. I typically like to search for beats on there and I came across one of his old tracks and it was at that moment I became a fan and looked for every song I could find that he made.”
Check Yes Juliet – We The Kings
“It’s a good song and catchy but by studying to this song it helps you to think back to what you read right before an exam if you listen to it again.It’s a popular pop rock song similar to artists I listen to,” says first-generation college junior Amanda Uretsky, a Music Industry major with a concentration in Technology and Business from Lumberton, NJ (Burlington County).
Imagine Paris – Daniel Paterok
“I find this song very relaxing, which I believe is important when doing homework or studying. Plus, I find the melody really pretty and catchy. I found this song on a public Spotify playlist that I sometimes listen to when I study,” says junior Emileigh Zane, a Music Industry major with a Business concentration who transferred from Rowan College of South Jersey and is from Penns Grove, NJ (Salem County).
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