Today we hear from Rachel Rumsby, a junior Communication Studies and Public Relations double major from Bergen County, NJ. She has lived on-campus in Mimosa Hall and the Rowan Boulevard Apartments. In this story, Rachel shares her must haves for first year residence hall living. During my first year at Rowan, I lived on campus […]
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Alumni Success: Attorney Jennifer Webb-McRae
Rowan alumna Jennifer Webb-McRae shares how impactful her college experience was to her current career as an attorney.
Jennifer admits that Rowan (Glassboro State College at the time) was not her first choice going into college. Growing up in Vineland, she didn’t think she could possibly have her ideal college experience living 30 minutes away from campus.
Sure enough, Jennifer ended up exactly where she was meant to be and made Rowan her home. “I stayed on campus, I rarely went home, and was a part of a phenomenal little community.”
On campus, Jennifer was a Resident Assistant her junior and senior years, a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, and was part of the Gamma Tau Sigma law and justice society of Rowan University.
Coming into college, Jennifer knew she wanted to be a lawyer and felt that way all her life. “My parents would tease me and say I would argue every point, so I had that idea since I was a little girl,” she says.
During her time at Rowan, Jennifer made impactful connections that helped catapult her to that goal. “My advisor Dr. Douglass from the Law & Justice department really helped me get into law school by preparing me and guiding me through the process. He steered me in the right direction and gave me advice on taking the appropriate classes and getting good grades so I would be a competitive applicant to get into law school.”
Jennifer got accepted and attended Rutgers Law School after graduating from Rowan.
Jennifer says her education from Rowan really helped her transition to law school. “I was definitely prepared for law school. It was really the mentors I had at Rowan that pushed me, supported me, and made me feel like I could do it.” Jennifer says she still keeps in touch with those people to this day.
Jennifer serves as Cumberland County prosecutor, the first female and first African American appointed to this role.
She also teaches classes at Rowan for the Law & Justice Studies department. During our interview, Jennifer personally offered herself as a resource to this contributor and any other Rowan student. “I was very fortunate to have mentors in my life at every step of my career, and that starts in college,” she says.
Jennifer’s advice for graduating Rowan students would be “go for it, plan for it, and take advantage of opportunities college has to offer you.”
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Story by:
Loredonna Fiore, junior public relations and advertising major
Header photo by:
Anthony Raisley, senior history major
4 First Years Share Why Evergreen Is Great
Today we speak with four freshman on why they think Evergreen Hall is a great freshman dorm to live in, especially during the first semester of college. Most common points among all four: Great location Small community, know more people More space than other dorms One shared bathroom The RA’s are cool Kelly: “We only […]
7 First Years Share What They Like About Living On Campus
What’s it like to live on campus? Freshmen from four Rowan residence halls tell us what they like most about their home away from home.
1. The freedom. Matt Gandy, a resident of Holly Pointe, likes the freedom of being away from home and living on campus.
2. The community in her dorm. Nya Ritch, another resident of Holly Pointe, says that whenever anyone has a problem, everyone wants to pitch in and help. She says it is a very loving environment.
3. The atmosphere. Julianne Ferraro, another resident of Holly Pointe, says that she loves the atmosphere of the school. She says that she feels that she can walk up to anyone in the student center and talk to them.
4. The food. Tamir Reed, also from Holly Pointe, loves that there is always food around, whether you use your meal plan or you go to Pizza Hut or 7-Eleven or somewhere else on Rowan Boulevard.
5. Exploring. Iliana Pineda, a resident of Evergreen Hall, says she loves getting the chance to meet new people and explore the campus.
6. Having roommates. Rachel Rheinhardt, another resident of Mimosa Hall, says that likes having roommates so she has people to talk to during this time.
7. The college experience. Kevin Duffy, a resident of Chestnut Hall, says that you get the real college feel when you live on campus.
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Story and photos by:
Rachel Rumsby, sophomore communication studies and public relations double major
RA and Psychology Major Jeremiah Garcia Gives 5 Pieces of Advice To Incoming Freshmen
Third-year Psychology major and Urban Studies minor Jeremiah Garcia recently spoke with Rowan Blog about his freshman year experience. Today, the first-generation college student from Camden, NJ (Camden County) residence assistant (RA) offers his tips to new students.
1. When you come to Rowan, make mistakes and learn from them.
2. Recognize that you’re not alone. You get to meet new people with the same goals but different purposes.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when things are hard. During my freshman year, I felt like nobody was there, especially as a first-generation college student, and I blocked myself into a box. I realized there are resources but I was afraid to ask for help. I had a rough start, and I thought that I needed to learn everything myself. Know that it is okay not to be perfect. There are always people with knowledge that you don’t have, and they can help you. The resources Rowan has helped physically and mentally, not just academically. The Wellness Center and Rec Center are great resources too.
4. Step outside of your comfort zone and be the best version of yourself. Being involved helped me to step outside of my comfort zone. Getting involved helped me built confidence and leadership.
5. Don’t beat yourself up if your major isn’t right for you. I wanted to go into the medical field, but I wasn’t passionate about it. I took other opportunities and decided to switch my major to Psychology. Take other opportunities, explore and see what’s right for you.
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Story by:
Rachel Rumsby, sophomore communication studies and public relations double major
Photos contributed by:
Jeremiah Garcia
Sophomore Reflects: Monica Torres Shares Her Freshman Experience and Advice
Today we feature rising sophomore Monica A. Torres. Monica is a Computer Science major with a concentration in Software Engineering from Jersey City, NJ (Hudson County). Monica is an on-campus resident. She lived in Evergreen Hall during her freshman year, and now will be living in the Edgewood Park Apartments for her sophomore year. Monica is a first-generation college student.
What did you most enjoy during your freshman year at Rowan?
The thing I enjoyed the most was getting a feel for everything. There are a lot of activities set up for freshmen not only for them to have fun, but for them to get a feel for the campus. One, for example, is Welcome Week, where many students from all grades come together to enjoy each other’s company and welcome the freshman and new transfer students to campus. I enjoyed meeting new people and seeing that Rowan is very diverse.
Could you share a happy moment you had with friends, professors, or other members of the Rowan community that made you realize Rowan felt like home?
One of my favorite memories was getting to know my roommate. We were familiar with each other through PCI (Pre-College Institute), aka EOF (Educational Opportunity Fund), over the summer, but we didn’t really talk. However, once I got to know her, we had a lot in common, and exploring campus with her was fun. I’m from Jersey City, so to have someone who is from South Jersey as a close friend is great, because we get to compare North Jersey and South Jersey.
What advice do you have for future freshmen looking at colleges right now?
My advice to future freshmen is that it isn’t about getting a good grade, it’s about understanding the material for your major. In addition, it’s okay to not know what you wanna study right off the bat because that is what advisors are for. They are there to help you explore and find a major that suits you.
What are you most looking forward to next year at Rowan?
I can’t wait for some of my friends from home to come to Rowan. I can show them around and help them get around. Plus, it means the friend group on campus gets bigger. It will be nice to have a few familiar faces from home on campus, to be honest, because I won’t be as homesick.
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Story by:
Rachel Rumsby, rising sophomore communication studies and public relations double major
RA and Psychology Major Jeremiah Garcia Reflects on His Experience as a Rowan Freshman
Today we feature third-year Psychology major and Urban Studies minor Jeremiah Garcia. Jeremiah is a first-generation college student from Camden, NJ (Camden County). Jeremiah is also a Residence Assistant (RA) in Evergreen Hall.
How does being involved on campus impact your college experience?
I am an RA and I am involved in the Minority Association of Premedical Students (MAPS), and the Residence Hall Association (RHA). I was able to step outside of my comfort zone, learn leadership and confidence, and feel like I have my voice heard. As an RA I help incoming freshmen with things I had a hard time with. This has made me a better person and made me not afraid to use my voice.
How were you able to make friends on campus?
I made friends by going to the Rec Center. I was able to get my mind right at the Rec Center when things got hard and I met people there. I also met people at events, Rowan After Hours (RAH) and classes. Freshman year was competitive, but you have to be a leader in class and make study groups or say that you should get lunch together. It depends on the class, though. Some are more group-oriented than others.
How were you able to adjust to campus life?
I was able to adjust by getting help and using Rowan’s resources. Putting myself out there was the best way to adjust. It gave me confidence and a push to succeed.
What does inclusivity mean to you?
Some people are different, and it is important to have inclusivity so that people can make new friends and have the same opportunities as everyone else regardless of race, gender and appearance.
Do you think that Rowan is inclusive?
Yes. Everyone has the opportunity to be in leadership positions, they just need to do well academically and have the confidence to earn the positions. Rowan is inclusive.
What are you looking forward to next year?
Being on campus. I miss campus. I am also excited to get into new opportunities. I would like to try out for the baseball team and to get into an honors society. It will be my second year as an RA and I am looking forward to the experience. I am also looking forward to taking new classes, doing well in my major and getting better grades.
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Story by:
Rachel Rumsby, rising sophomore communication studies and public relations double major
First Year Voices: Biochemistry Major Malique Prescott
Freshman Malique Prescott, a Biochemistry major from Bridgeton, NJ (Cumberland County) who lived in Evergreen Hall until campus closed due to COVID-19, reflects on his first year as a Rowan student.
What was one way you met friends this year? One way I met my college family was through the ASCEND program (PCI) and my peers in my dorm. Then I relinked with some people I had met during orientation. Now I’m just meeting people by networking through those I already know.
What is something you’re looking forward to at Rowan next year? Next semester I plan on finishing it completely without the help of a virus. I also plan on getting more involved with the campus community and making a presence for myself and possibly joining a few organizations.
What would you tell a future student who is interested in Rowan? As for advice to a future student, I would tell them to not be too shy and worry about it. You can put yourself out there because everyone on campus is loving and accepting. And to also have fun, you are only a freshman in college once.
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Story organized by:
Rachel Rumsby, freshman communication studies and public relations double major
First Year Voices: Anjeliah Chiodo
Our spotlight (FRESH)man Voices this week is Anjeliah Chiodo. I had the wonderful opportunity to write a story about her. She is an iconic Instagram influencer with 25.1k followers.
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 Entrepreneurship. An entrepreneur is person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so. So cool, what a great goal!
Her hometown is Pine Hill, NJ (Camden County) … which is not too far from Glassboro! Anjeliah is also 18 years old.
She chose to live on campus. She lived in Evergreen Hall before they shut the campus down due to coronavirus.
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 Pre-College Institute (PCI), a program to help students financially and academically. In this program, a student can be considered an EOF student or a RISE student, and she was considered a RISE student. She stated how this program gave her a lot of structure, it taught her how to prioritize, manage her time with a full schedule (with classes, study sessions, meals, meetings, extra activities), how to become organized, and also helped her get used to the campus life. She also met a lot of people — people who she is still friends with to this day and also very important people that helped build her network … how awesome? During these six weeks, they took everyone’s phones, which many students were mad about, but she didn’t mind at all because it forced her to talk to other people (which built genuine relationships without the social media). This brought her out of her shell, and helped her look elsewhere for fun activities rather than social media!
Anjeliah’s goal is to be a successful serial entrepreneur, she wants to own several different businesses, like a coffee shop, tattoo shop, nail salon, restaurant, and most importantly a retail store (clothing brand), while also modeling for her very own clothing brand. She has decided to take a step forward, start small by taking baby steps, and start her own lip gloss line, called Anjel Allure, (right now it is under construction). So please, stay tuned!!! I’d love to try it myself. For her short term goals, right now she is working as a bank teller at TD Bank, and she also hope to get promoted as much as possible before she started her own future business.
Anjeliah has many hobbies such as shopping, having photoshoots, exercising/lifting, eating, taking pictures to post on Instagram/promoting brands as an ambassador, making lip gloss, coming up with creative ideas for a future business, drawing self portraits with charcoal and chalk, playing the piano, saxophone, and clarinet, working on hair/skin care, playing tennis. Talk about well rounded!!! A successful student, and someone who loves her hobbies. 
Rowan was always her third choice when picking where to go for college, but it turned out to be the best decision she’s ever made because of the great people that she’s met, the opportunities she has come across, and the events that she has got involved in that exposed me to a lot of publicity. The reason she came to Rowan was because they offered her more money than the other universities, especially when she became a RISE student. At first, she was told that she was not eligible to be an EOF student (when grants are given to low-income students, and their grades are high enough, so they can attend school), she realized that because of that, she won’t be able to afford to go to Rowan…and she felt lost, like the only other option she had was community college. However, ONE very important person at Rowan went above and beyond to help her become a RISE student (when a scholarship is given to students whose household income is too low, but too high to meet the requirements of an EOF student, and their grades are superior and exceptional). Therefore, she made it into the ASCEND program for the summer, and was able to afford to go to Rowan. This showed her how one person can make a great impact on her life, and it showed her how much they cared for her to do that. How wonderful!
She is also involved in the Beauty in Distress Club, CEO Club: Collegiate Entrepreneur Organization, Society for the Advancement of Management club, Student University Programmers, MOCA: Men of Color Alliance Organization, Keep the Code Organization (she is the Event Coordinator), Harley Flack Mentoring Program, and the Bronze Leadership Program. These clubs are definitely something for any one at Rowan looking to gain some more opportunities with campus.
I also wanted to ask Anjeliah about her opinions on this pandemic going on in the world right now. She honestly feels like people want to get sick because no one is staying home. Working at TD Bank, she is constantly being exposed to people all time, and it is not helping when people like to be out of their homes and endanger their health & safety and her own. She also believes that people should take advantage of this time of staying at home and pick up a hobby, eat healthy, exercise, start a new routine, read a book, etc. People can be doing anything else besides leaving their home. They do not realize that this virus spreads fast, and by being out, they are also threatening the health & safety of others. And for the people that are sick, she is sorry for their struggles and for their pain, and she hopes they are fighting with all of their strength to stay strong. As far as for the people who have lost loved ones due to COVID-19, she is very sorry for their loss and she cannot imagine what they are going through. And for the people that are still living healthy, she hopes they are appreciating that, she wishes for them to recognize that they are helping prevent the virus by staying home, and that we are all alone in this together. #alonetogether
Anjeliah, you are amazing! Keep up with your hard work and dedication to success. You have given us a story that holds leadership, dedication, talent and enterprise. For all you readers, check out Anjeliah’s Instagram and give her a follow.
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Story organized by:
Devon Graf, senior Communication Studies major
Photography and story contributed by: Anjeliah Chiodo
First Year Voices: Dance Major Sabrina Vargas
Meet Sabrina Vargas, a freshman dance major from Atlantic County who lives on campus in Evergreen Hall. Sabrina joined Rowan through the Pre-College Institute Program and is involved with many clubs on campus.
Name: Sabrina Vargas
Year: Freshman
Major: Dance
Minor: Sociology
Hometown: Mays Landing, NJ (Atlantic County)
Where do you live? On campus, Evergreen Hall
First-generation college student? Yes
Academic and Social Clubs: I am the Student Government Association representative for the Atomik Legacy Dance Crew, and I am involved with MOCA, which is the Men of Color Alliance.
What inspired you to choose your major? Senior year of high school I applied to Rowan through the Common App. I had no clue what I wanted to do as a major. I looked through my options and saw that dance was an option for a major. I talked to my dance teacher, and my dance teacher said go for it. You should audition. So I did and I love going to school for what I love.
How does your field impact the world? What impact would you like to have on the world in your field? Not a lot of us dancers can truly express ourselves through words. We express ourselves through our body art. A lot of people can relate to not speaking on certain things. A dancer can give her entire life story through a show. For me, dance is my peace. Everyone in the world should find their peace in some way, and dancers give people the courage to do so. Dance is physically and emotionally draining, and we go for it every day.
What advice would you give your high school self about choosing a college? It’s OK to stay close to home because you make your own life at college. You can make your home wherever you are. I’m 45 minutes away from home and I barely go home because my home is at Rowan.
Tell us about your transition into college and how you pushed through any challenges. I automatically connected to everyone at Pre-College Institute (PCI). I was nervous, but I knew everyone from PCI had my back. I knew I had mentors there and that I could ask for help if I needed it. In the mix of doing the hard academic bootcamp at PCI, you get a family. I live in Evergreen with my PCI family. I walk into the ASCEND office and I feel at home. I can’t imagine my college experience without it. We did a lot of self growth activities and it taught me how to be a good student.
I took an Elements of Dance class with Paule Turner, the theatre and dance department chair, during PCI, which helped me transition into the dance department at Rowan. Paule said that him having me as a student in the summer proved to him and showed him that I deserved to be here as a dance major. I knew the department and Paule so I felt a step ahead from the other freshmen dance majors when college started.
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Story and photography by:
Rachel Rumsby, freshman communication studies and public relations double major
First Year Voices: Joining Her Cousins at Rowan
After hearing good things about Rowan’s engineering program and with two cousins already here, Rowan was a natural choice for incoming freshman Krishna Barot.
Meeting people and forming the beginnings of lifelong friendships has been the highlight of Krishna’s summer at Rowan University. The first generation college student, from Galloway, NJ (Atlantic County), spent six weeks on campus as a part of the Pre-College Institute (PCI), an academic/residential program to better prepare freshmen for college.
When Krishna returns to campus in September, she’ll have already earned three college credits through PCI, will have a core group of friends she’ll be reunited with and will already have a familiarity with campus. A civil engineering major, Krishna will live in Evergreen Hall.
In September, Krishna says, “I’m most looking forward to learning about the different clubs and activities to join.”
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Inside Look: Evergreen Hall Tour [VIDEO]
Take a tour of Evergreen Hall, one of Rowan University’s first year housing facilities, and check out a glimpse into student life. Like what you see? LEARN MORE VISIT CAMPUS
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Compare/Contrast Freshman Housing
Chatting with Rowan University on campus residents on a frigid, hectic morning just before finals (seriously, is it really spring yet?!), one thing was clear: the sense of community within their residence halls is what they love most. However, what “community” means in each residence hall is different. I learned that Evergreen is known for […]
Inside Look, Evergreen Hall: Scenic Studying
Ask any Evergreen Hall resident what their favorite part of their building is, and the view is probably in the top 3. No matter which side of the building you’re on, your dorm or study room will have a view of the many trees Rowan’s campus is known for. “It’s going to look really cool […]
Inside Look: Friendly Faces in Evergreen Hall
When envisioning the ideal place to live on campus freshman year, most Rowan students immediately picture a lifestyle in Holly Pointe Commons, but forget about all the other great, affordable options there are for first year students to live. Located conveniently across the street from the Chamberlain Student Center within the heart of campus, Evergreen Hall […]