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Senior Reflects: Biological Sciences Major Brenden Finley on the Outdoors Club, Fossils and His Future
Today we feature Brenden Finley from Glassboro, NJ (Gloucester County) who recently graduated with a degree in Biological Sciences. Here, Brenden shares his favorite Rowan memories and his plans for the future.
Could you please tell us about your favorite moment with a faculty member or a favorite experience in one of your classes?
A favorite moment of mine happened in the course Edelman Fossil Park Experience with Dr. Voegele. Having the opportunity to uncover fossils in the research pit was incredible. I’ll never forget the first fossil I unearthed. It was especially memorable when I was able to record and map my finds in the log book.
What was your favorite or most meaningful personal moment at Rowan?
I couldn’t pick just one moment at Rowan, so I have to say sitting around the campfire on every camping trip with the Rowan Outdoors Club. Serving on the e-board of the outdoors club has been a favorite part of my Rowan experience by far. Giving Rowan students a chance to escape and enjoy nature is incredibly rewarding. The friends I’ve met through the club will surely be lifelong.
What are your career aspirations and how did the people or programs at Rowan help to support you with those aspirations?
I plan on becoming a surgical technician first, then going to physician’s assistant school. Dr. Supplee and Dr. Grinias helped me when I was having second thoughts about my original plan and helped me see that plans can change. This allowed me to rethink and make a new plan about my future.
Do you want to give a thank you shout out to your family, friends, advisors or mentors?
I want to thank my family and friends for always supporting my decisions and for keeping me grounded, Katie Huber and Kristin Henderson at the Rec Center for always being there to help and listen, and Dr. Grinias and Dr. Jonnalagadda for inspiring me to continue when I felt like giving up.
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Header photo: Brenden Finley (left) with friends
Family Fun While Visiting Your Rowan Student
Dr. Heidi L. Newell, parent of a Rowan sophomore, shares her insight on how to make fun family memories while visiting your Rowan University student on campus.
You moved them in, now what do you do for a little fun and bonding time? These are some on-campus or local activities my family has tried that are worthwhile. Note: some of these events require an admission fee or even a reservation.
Take a tour of the Hollybush mansion on campus. It was the site of the historic 1967 summit meeting between President Lyndon B. Johnson and Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin, and it was also the home for Rowan University presidents until about 20 years ago.
Feeling sporty? Take a Rec Center class with your student. This summer I took a spin class with my daughter and survived! If you’d like to get into some school spirit, attend an athletics event where you might run into our mascot, Whoo RU!
Attend a College of Performing Arts event. I recommend the annual Jazz Festival Concert. There are many amazing student and faculty productions such as theatre, art shows and concerts.
Sit back and relax in our own Edelman Planetarium and learn about what your student sees in the sky above campus.
Want to get your hands dirty and find out what roamed the campus long before your student did? Try the Edelman Fossil Park and bring home your very own fossil.
Rowan has a terrific program called Rowan After Hours (RAH) that offers an alternative to off-campus parties. My daughter and I attended a “Stranger Things” event with many cool activities inspired by one of our favorite shows.
Just off campus is the Heritage Glass Museum where you can learn more about the origin of the Glassboro name.
Glassboro is our second home and we’ve attended many ‘boro events. Some of our favorites happen right off campus such as the annual tree lighting or live free music nights with food trucks on the green.
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2 Alumni Donate $25M to Expand Fossil Park
On Monday morning, October 17, 2016, Science Hall swarmed with curious students, faculty and media portending a big day in Rowan’s history. Two Rowan alumni, Jean and Ric Edelman, founders of Edelman Financial Services, pledged $25 million to expand and transform the Rowan University Fossil Park into a world-class citizen science marvel and a global tourist destination. […]