degree in three

Meet #Rowan2024: Law and Justice Major Haley Flores “Super Excited to Start New Beginnings”

Posted on by Melanie Sbaraglio
Photo of Haley (left) and a friend.

Today we feature Law and Justice major Haley Flores from Sussex, NJ (Sussex County). 

What is one activity, club, sport or hobby that you did in high school that you’d like to continue with at Rowan?

A couple activities I would like to continue at Rowan are joining the softball and volleyball clubs.Portrait of Haley Flores looking down with sun casting in the frame

How or why did you choose your major?

I chose Law and Justice as my major because I’ve always been interested in being a police officer. When I was younger I lived on two military bases. The military police officers were always around making sure we were safe while we played outside. I want to continue to keep communities safe.

What is something you’re looking forward to next year at Rowan?

I’m really looking forward to meeting many people at Rowan. Along with that I’m super excited to start new beginnings and begin learning more about my major.

Have you noticed any differences yet between northern New Jersey and southern New Jersey?

What I noticed the most is that in Northern Jersey we say “Taylor ham” but in Southern Jersey many say “pork roll.” Everyone gets very political about a piece of meat.

Why Rowan?

I chose Rowan because when I first toured the school I absolutely loved everything about it and I felt like it was the best choice for me. It’s not too far away from home and Rowan has a small town felling to it. All of the staff members already are super understanding and helpful with everything and Rowan provides  great programs so I can further my education quicker by enrolling in the Degree in 3 program.

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#PROFspective: Degree in 3 Grad Now Earning MBA

Posted on by Julia Mcaleavey
Victoria Ieradi: Graduate student MBA

Today we feature Victoria Ieradi, a third-generation Rowan student (her paternal grandfather, maternal grandmother, father, brother and cousin all attended or currently attend Rowan). From Mount Laurel, NJ (Burlington County), Victoria is a graduate student in the master’s in business administration (MBA) program with a management concentration, after earning a bachelor of science in marketing in three years through our Degree in 3 program. Before the campus closed in response to COVID-19, Victoria lived in 220 Rowan Boulevard. 

Victoria (second on the left) with her family members who attended Rowan with President Ali Houshmand.
Victoria (second on the left) with her family members who attended Rowan, with President Ali Houshmand.

On-campus job? I worked at the Rohrer Center for Professional Development as a marketing intern for three years. Currently I’m a part-time graduate coordinator for the College of Business and the Wellness Center.

Clubs/Organizations: I was a ProjectNest competition winner. I pitched free colon cancer screening tests at the Rowan Medical Clinic in Lindenwold. I also compete with Rowan club swim, and was a part of the American Marketing Association and the Outdoors Club during undergrad.

Take us through one typical Rowan day for you.
My typical day at Rowan usually starts with waking up, then getting dressed and ready for the day while I make a cup of coffee. I grab a quick breakfast and walk to either Business Hall or the Wellness Center, depending on what job I am reporting to. I work from 10 – 3 then go back to my apartment to get some homework done. I make dinner in my apartment and walk to class. The MBA program has all night classes, online, or hybrid, so it is really convenient to those who work full time.

If my class is one of the hybrid courses, you can find me driving to my hometown where we meet for the class in person for half the semester at the RCBC campus in Mount Laurel. I’ll spend the late evening with my parents and then drive back to my on-campus apartment. If it is a Monday or Wednesday, I take my swim bag with me to class and go to the Rec Center to go to club swim practice. Here, I hang out with my teammates and get a great workout in.

Victoria competing at a club swim meet
Victoria competing at a club swim meet

Once I am settled into the apartment for the night, I make a cup of tea and watch Netflix or the news with my roommates (it seems like it is the only time they get to see me as I am out most of the day). Having a schedule that is pretty much full actually helps me focus on my homework, assignments, papers, and studying for exams. If I had too much time to myself, I would get distracted. Being busy may not work for everyone, but it definitely keeps me on task. During the weekends, I try to spend time with my friends and boyfriend outside if the weather is nice! We like to go hiking, skiing, rock climbing (at a gym or outside), and kayaking.

Why did you chose your major?
I chose this major because I want to work in product/brand management, where you develop the voice of a brand and how consumers perceive it. I also have an interest in healthcare management, and I knew that an MBA would be really beneficial for me to get into that field if I wanted to later on in my career. 

What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned this year in one of your classes?
The most interesting thing I have learned in my classes this year has been through my class Managing Organizational Strategy. My professor uses a lot of real time examples and helps teach us using current topics as to how not only internal, but external, factors can affect the success of a company. Especially as times are rapidly changing for corporations big and small right now, I am able to see what we learn in class being applied to companies every day. 

Victoria (second from the right) with some of her closest friends that made Rowan feel like home.
Victoria (second from the right) with some of her closest friends who made Rowan feel like home.

Tell us about one moment that made you feel that Rowan was the right fit for you:
One moment that made Rowan feel like the right college for me was freshman year on my birthday. My birthday is early in September, so I didn’t think I had close enough friends yet to celebrate. I called my mom a little sad that I wasn’t going to have a good time as I was walking to my statistics class that night. I got back to Holly Pointe and sat on the floor to wallow in self pity. Then, my roommate at the time (now forever friend), came bursting through the door with people from our pod and people I knew from high school with a cookie cake and chocolate covered pretzels! It made me feel so welcome I was grinning ear to ear knowing I was a Prof, had a new family, and belonged at Rowan University! 

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Story by:
Julia McAleavey, senior advertising major

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Degree in 3 Success Story: Amanda Devers, Radio/Television/Film

Posted on by Nicole Cier
Amanda wears a Rowan shirt and sits on the ground smiling in front of a Rowan logo on the ground.

“Rowan was always in the back of my mind, since my mom went here for her undergrad and master’s,” says senior radio/television/film major Amanda Devers, from Gibbstown, NJ (Gloucester County). “We drove through campus all the time, so I was able to see it from a younger age.”

Amanda discovered at GCIT (Gloucester County Institute of Technology) vocational high school that she enjoyed working with film and audio, and kept that in mind as she began her college application process. She kept RTF in mind as she considered the universities she wanted to apply to, and discovered that Rowan met her needs. 

Amanda writes at a desk with a microphone and audio mixing equipment at the Rowan radio station.
Amanda on the job as operations manager at the Rowan Radio station, WGLS-FM.

“Rowan has a quality RTF program, and going [here] would allow me to mix that closeness to home with my passion for RTF,” she reflects.

Amanda’s acceptance letter to Rowan came with an option to participate in the Degree in 3 program, and RTF was one of the majors offered. “I talked it over with my parents, and we decided [Degree in 3] was a great idea. I wouldn’t have to pay for tuition, room and board, or dining for a whole additional year. I’d be saving a lot of money, and I could even live on campus,” she says, as a current resident of the Whitney Center apartments. 

Upon entering campus as a freshman, Amanda was interested right away in becoming a part of Rowan’s radio station, WGLS-FM.

“I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t get involved immediately, so I could have the longest time to be [at the radio station] throughout college,” she recalls, “this time last year, i applied to be operations manager, the highest position for students, and I got it! 

My responsibilities included helping the station manager and faculty-run Rowan Radio. It was such a professional environment, and I was surrounded by a lot of cool people who really love what they do. Rowan Radio was like my second dorm.”

Amanda and her friend, Alex, hold up their nametags at an event.
Amanda and Alex, her co-operations manager at Rowan Radio, at a radio event.

Amanda, who has a minor in audio recording and an honors concentration, knew that an accelerated program such as Degree in 3 would be challenging, but she felt that the workload was worth the money and time she’d save in the long run.

“For the program, we’re encouraged to take six classes per semester, instead of the typical five for traditional four-year students. As the years went on, I got a job and became more involved with the radio station, and had to learn to balance everything in my life,” she says. “Time management was definitely something I struggled with during my busiest semesters, but support from friends and my parents helped get me through the challenges.”

To stay organized, Amanda started keeping a bullet journal her freshman year, where she wrote to-do lists to prioritize and keep track of her assignments. 

“Being an RTF major, I had a lot of hands-on projects to do, so it helped to block off steps of each project for one day at a time. I would do a certain step one day, and another step the next. I looked at each part of the process as a separate task, instead of looking at the whole picture, to help me feel less overwhelmed.”

Amanda, wearing glasses, holds up the Rowan Radio Operations ManualAs Amanda wraps up her last year at Rowan, she recommends the Degree in 3 program for those who are interested. “It definitely has shaped the way I view my workload,” she says. “My whole mentality has changed when it comes to work, and I’m able to balance a lot of tasks and manage my time better. I feel like I work harder now and when it comes to my workload, I don’t have the same mindset anymore.”

And as for her future career plans? “I would like to continue work in RTF, especially radio and broadcasting. I’ve learned this past year that I like to manage people and projects, and would like a similar position at a radio station. I feel like I’m well-prepared for that now.”

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Story by:
Nicole Cier, senior writing arts major

Photos submitted by:
Amanda Devers, senior RTF major

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Beyond the Classroom: Marketing Major Interns at Rohrer’s Center for Professional Development

Posted on by Alyssa Bauer

Shreya Shah, a sophomore Marketing major from Hightstown, NJ Shreya Shah posing on the bridge behind Rowan University's Business Hall.(Mercer County), is charging through college in the Degree in Three Marketing program, and she’s making sure she gets the most out of her three years here.

With two parents in the computer and science industries, Shreya took a lot of science-related courses in high school. Shreya quickly found out she didn’t like any of them … at all! After talking to one of the marketing managers at Citibank where her dad works, Shreya dove into her family’s unknown territory into the business world.

After taking a marketing class in her senior year of high school and shadowing at Citibank, Shreya applied to Rowan’s Marketing Degree in Three program, where Rowan University students are eligible to graduate in three years (saving around $22,000 in tuition fees). 

Shreya Shah reading off of a clipboard in the Center for Professional Development.Last semester, Shreya visited the Rohrer Center for Professional Development (RCPD) for resume help before applying to a Social Media Services Manager position at EveryDayEspo LLC, a one-stop-shop for all multimedia and marketing needs. After receiving an offer for the job, Shreya went into the Center to thank the intern who helped her. The intern encouraged Shreya to apply to work at the Center in the fall, which is exactly what she did. Fast forward a few months and Shreya is now a marketing intern for RCPD.

Shreya is in charge of coordinating the International Business Industry Night happening in November, checking in students for resume, cover letter or career-related help. Shreya says: “I’m learning very quickly what I have to say as a female, and at my age, is factual and true in terms of what I am doing. It’s important to formulate your own ideas when you’re in a place that traditionally welcomes robotic personalities. I’m glad I have a job that loves my own individual thoughts and ideas.” Shreya Shah sitting outside of Rowan University's Business Hall.

Shreya attributes her confidence to the marketing four-year plan of Career Development Modules. Each workshop or programming, networking event provides her with the necessary tools to succeed in the workforce post-grad. The modules help her become a better speaker and professional, competitive employee. “I’m able to apply these skills to my everyday routine,” Shreya says.

Shreya is excited to see what else she learns while being a part of an incredible network of students. She advises, “The most important thing you can do at any job is to be yourself, as cheesy as it sounds … and networking.” 

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Story and photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major

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