Today we feature Justin Roldan, a graduating biochemistry major from Galloway, NJ (Atlantic County), who is a first generation college student. Justin lived on campus, as a resident assistant at Rowan Boulevard Apartments.
On-campus Clubs: Alpha Phi Omega (APO) and Rowan University Philippine American Coalition (RUPAC)
Could you share with one happy moment you had with friends, professors or other members of the Rowan community that made you realize Rowan felt like “home”? Alpha Phi Omega is one organization that helped me turn Rowan into a house from a home. As a co-ed service fraternity, I joined for the service, but I stayed for the people. I became a brother in Spring ’17, and I can truly say every experience through the organization has been transformative. Every brother I met became a friendly face that I had the pleasure of getting to know, and these same brothers I met inspired me to hold two Vice President positions, and eventually become President. Completing service projects and being selfless for others releases all those feel-good hormones in your body, but completing them with people you care about truly spikes your serotonin levels.
Could you share a moment you’ve experienced in which you have felt that Rowan is a welcoming environment for you? As transformative as APO has been for me, it was RUPAC that first showed me how welcoming the Rowan community can be. Just like any freshman looking to get involved, I reflected on interests and hobbies I hold close to my identity. Luckily, I came across a flyer in Science Hall advertising RUPAC’s first general body meeting; as a Filipino-American that hasn’t ventured too deep into his Filipino identity, this was a perfect opportunity to do just that.
When I arrived at the meeting, I was met with a room full of people that looked just like me, exuding bundles of energy and warm welcomings. They had just met me, but they showed genuine interest in getting to know me almost instantly. Thanks to them, I found a pamilya (family) that I can rely on for just about anything.
What is your favorite thing to do on a typical Thursday? Before the pandemic ensued, my absolute favorite thing to do on my typical Thursday was volunteering through Rowan’s Get FIT program. As a pre-Occupational Therapy student, this program helped get my feet wet for the profession. This program brings in young adults with cognitive and physical disabilities seeking to enhance their physical well-being through exercise. The young adults can even work out with their family members as well. During my short time in the program, I had the pleasure of being paired with a nonverbal client that brought joy to my face whenever we met. Seeing him smile from exercises I taught him brought me happiness, and helped reassure me that I was making the right career choice for future.
What is one thing about Rowan that was a happy surprise for you? Coming to Rowan, one happy surprise was realizing how close the campus is to Philly. It was an even better surprise when I learned that Rowan has a free shuttle to Philly every Friday. This allowed me to venture into the city just about every other weekend, learning about different neighborhoods and people of the city. Through different networking opportunities offered by RUPAC, I met incredible people from the Filipino clubs of Philly schools. Ultimately, it was these networking opportunities that helped me decide on attending University of the Sciences in Philadelphia to earn my master’s in Occupational Therapy this upcoming May.
Describe for us an experience you’ve shared with a professor or staff member in which you felt like they truly cared about your wellbeing. In my third and final year on staff with ResLife, my Resident Director, Bri Vogel, made me feel as though someone truly cared about my wellbeing. As RAs, we have biweekly one-on-one meetings with our Resident Director. These meetings turned into free therapy sessions between Bri and I; she fostered an environment in which we were comfortable sharing personal details about our lives both in and outside of ResLife. Bri was an integral part of my journey in coming to terms with my suffering mental health, and I can’t thank her enough for encouraging me to start counseling through the Wellness Center. When people say that some of the biggest lessons you learn from college come from outside of the classroom, I feel like this small snippet of my four years at Rowan is a true testament to that.
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Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major
Please tell us about your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes? The faculty at Rowan University is incredible. One of the greatest people I have had the pleasure of knowing at Rowan is 
What are your career aspirations and how did the people or programs at Rowan help to support you with those aspirations? After finishing this degree, I plan to continue my graduate studies at Rowan. I will be pursuing a master’s in S.T.E.M. Education starting next spring. My goal is to become a high school chemistry teacher. The people and programs at Rowan have been crucial to helping with these goals and aspirations. From being an e-board member, a learning assistant for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, working as an undergraduate research assistant, and to every class, club and event in between. Rowan has afforded me so many incredible opportunities to pursue my passions. There is nowhere in the world I would rather continue my education!
What are your career aspirations and how did the people or programs at Rowan help to support you with those aspirations? I have dreamed of becoming a veterinarian since I was a child, and next year, I will be able to pursue that dream at Cornell University! I think the programs at Rowan have definitely helped me pursue this dream because they’ve given me endless opportunities both within my field and in extracurriculars. The programs at Rowan have allowed me to hone my skills in the sciences but also remain well-rounded by staying involved in clubs and music! 
experience in one of your classes? There are so many favorite experiences I’ve had at Rowan. Some of my favorite memories and moments are from my Physical Education classes! My group of classmates are so competitive and every class was so much fun!
memory was becoming acquainted with all peers from 
What advice would you give to incoming freshmen or transfers about making the most out of their college experience while choosing a university close to home? Stay grounded by doing your best academically. Social life will come no matter what. But if you are doing poorly in class it will affect all aspects of your life as a Prof.
What was your favorite or most meaningful personal moment at Rowan?
Working my three field placements during my time at Rowan University has assisted me in my professional development. I was able to move up to a managerial position within my agency and entered a program that I never thought I would if it wasn’t for my field placement. Working as a vocational specialist with adults with mental health has been an amazing experience. Watching my clients grow and become integrated into the community is so rewarding, I am thankfully to have been given this opportunity.
County) who double majored in el
My career aspirations are to become an elementary school teacher (preferably second grade) and go back to school to receive my master’s in education. I hope to get involved as much as possible within the school community and eventually become a dean of students at an elementary school. 
What did you most enjoy your freshman year at Rowan? What I enjoyed most about my freshman year was meeting my awesome friends and exploring my major.
from Camden County College. 
Tell us about your favorite moment with a faculty member or favorite experience in one of your classes. 
Tell us about your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes?
my professional career this month working for International SOS. I will work for them in government services for at least a year and then attend law school. I would like to specifically and emphatically thank Dr. Dworkin and the 
Tell us about your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes. 
Jodi Lynn Heady, a graduating senior concentrating in literacy studies under 
Favorite Memory: My favorite moment at Rowan was working at Rowan University 
: My career aspiration is to teach and shape young minds and get them ready for the years ahead of them. The College of Education supported me throughout my journey. They have provided wonderful classes with great professors. 
mechanical engineering. Matthew lives with his three engineering roommates (above) for all four years at Rowan
ent: A number of favorite moments come to mind so with that in mind I’d like to take this time to thank the entire mathematics department in Robinson Hall for always being there and willing to answer any questions that I had about my math courses!
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I’d like to thank my parents and my brother Jared for supporting me and pushing me to achieve my goals and aspirations at Rowan. I have had many amazing professors and got to know some fantastic administrators. 
ealth and physical education
County) who majored in 
Before attending Rowan, I had not declared a major. All I knew was that I wanted a career where I could be creative. I then found out that Rowan offered a major in 
Tell us about your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes?
Do you want to give a thank you shout out to your family, friends, advisors or mentors?
Shout outs! I would love to say thank you to my family and friends who have been there during this long journey. All of the love, laughter, support, and meaningful moments have truly kept me alive.
Why did you choose Rowan?
How do you think your Rowan education will benefit your student teaching experience?
Favorite Personal Memory: My favorite personal moments were the nights my roommates and I, from this past year, would hang out and just talk about random things, and have a blast doing it. We would talk about anything and everything and have the best conversations that we somehow never remembered the next day, but were amazing to be a part of when they happened. 
backgrounds can be for jobs, or even just or educational components. Whenever I would remind my professors of this other major I was pursuing, they would always include it as something to consider when making a plan. I learnt that we shouldn’t exclude ourselves from the most obvious answers or career paths but that we have to consider everything that can effect this one thing. 
meet my counselor Dr. Lesley Mateo, who along my college journey became a friend.
How did you hear about Rowan, and what made you want to come here? I searched online for schools with emergency management majors and I found Rowan. I chose this university due to it being one of the best schools in the nation for the Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management major, as well as having a counterterrorism minor, and being an Air Force ROTC Crosstown University.
What makes Rowan your home away from home? Rowan has a great community, good selection of food, awesome facilities that non-major specify students can use, such as 
What did you most enjoy your freshman year at Rowan? 
What are you most looking forward to next year at Rowan? I’m looking forward to rooming with three other talented, empowered women that I’m proud to call my friends, and I’m really excited for Rowan’s upcoming main stage season.
People in my life kept telling me I would be a good counselor or therapist or psychologist. People have always come to me with their problems and asked for advice. It wasn’t just my friends, but professionals in the field, who were telling me I had the right mindset for the psychology field. It was a sign for me. The more I learned, the more passionate I became. At first I was just going for my bachelor’s, but I realized I needed a master’s degree in order to help people more.
How do you create the “away at school” feeling if your home is close to Rowan?
What is something you’re looking forward to at Rowan next year? 
Brand Management also consisted of several projects and presentations, both group and individual. We did individual presentations on brands in the news, which kept us up to date on what was going on with different brands. We also did a ‘my brand’ presentation, where the presenter presented themselves as their own brand. I liked this one a lot because it showed that people are their own brand, that brands have personality, and it helped my classmates and I get to know each other. 
Why did you choose a university that is close to home? I chose a university that was close to home because I didn’t want to move too far away from home but I wanted some kind of commute to make me more independent.
What is one activity that you did in high school that you’d like to continue with at Rowan?
How did you meet new people and stay involved on campus as a commuter? 
Sicklerville, NJ. Her job is to muck out the horse stalls, ride the horses, take care of the horses if they are hurt and feed the horses. She still goes to work at the stables five times a week to check on and take care of the horses. She says that although the Coronavirus has made things a little bit different, she maintains her normal duties. “The virus mainly affected our airsoft field in the back. We would have airsoft every weekend, but now we don’t [Airsoft is a game where you shoot plastic bbs. The game is very similar to paintball. The farm has a field in the woods where players can play]. Instead of working 6 days a week, I have been working 5 days a week due to the virus. I continue to do my normal routine and pay attention to the 15 horses.”
“It’s in my DNA. I come from a horse family, and my aunts are 4H royalty. My one aunt was the Appaloosa Queen and the other was the Barrel Racing Queen. My family used to have racehorses, and I work at the same farm my family used to keep our racehorses at. In my family, you have to know about horses because it is in our DNA. Since I was seven, I have been working on farms. To many, farm work is stressful because there is so much to do in such little time. Personally, I find farm work to be the best work. It is relaxing to be with the horses because they are majestic creatures and it brings me so much joy to be with them.” She finds working with the horses to be relaxing during this time of uncertainty. 
How did you get the job as a student?
I live in Bergen County which has become the most populated area in NJ with the COVID-19 virus in a very short amount of time. Personally, my town has about 40 cases and that keeps increasing every single day. It is crazy but life still needs to go on, so I started doing what I would be doing while I’m home normally: working. 
Since the virus has started to spread more rapidly, a state curfew has been issued and lockdown put in place, altering our hours. Now, we need to be very cautious; I am always washing my hands when leaving to take a delivery or even after a customer comes in to pick up food. 
My experience recently at Della Cucina has also opened my eyes to how serious and scary this is right now, from seeing people come in with gloves and masks on to doing no-contact deliveries and curbside pickup. It has changed everything as far as how we do things at the pizza place.
My name is Maria Rosalba Trejo-Mendiola. I was born in Querétaro, Mexico. I moved to the United States at the age of 11. At an early age, I discovered my biggest passion in life was helping others. I knew that I wanted to pursue a career that allowed me to work with people. Of all the possible careers that I could have pursued, I fell in love with the one profession that makes all other professions possible: teaching. I attended Cumberland County College, now known as Rowan College of South Jersey, where I completed my associate degree in Liberal Arts. I then transferred to Rowan University where I completed my bachelor’s in Spanish. Then, I started working as a Career Placement Developer for Pathstone, a non-profit organization.
This first-generation college student let us have the amazing chance to get some insight on herself, her lifestyle and her opinions on some topics. Her major is 
Sometimes freshmen have a hard time transitioning into college, but not Anjeliah! She went through a six-week program in the summer before starting her first fall semester called the 
Name: 
What would you share with a future student interested in Construction Management?
2. In a separate bowl, dissolve 2 envelopes of yeast in 1 cup of warm water. Mix batter until firm, but not sticky. 
I thought helping Julia would be a nice project for me to keep my skills sharp even while classes are online. After talking to Julia she said that she wanted a new logo for her page and graphics for when she is running a giveaway or when new clothes are going to be posted. Being a big fan of the beach and spending most of her time down the shore that was the theme that she was going for. We were able to sit down and pick out a color scheme and typography that she believed fit her the best. It was a win-win for both of us. She got some new content for her page and I had the opportunity to try new things that I have never tried before on some of my projects. 