Sedrick Golden is a junior student here at Rowan University originally from Pleasantville, NJ (Atlantic County). Sedrick is a Health and Science Communication major with a minor in Public Health and Wellness. Sedrick is breaking down barriers as a first-generation college student commuting to Rowan after transferring from Atlantic Cape Community College. On campus, he is an intern with Healthy Campus Initiatives and a contributing writer for a collaborative wellness series between HCI and Rowan Blog.
Why did you choose Rowan?
My professor at Atlantic Cape Community College (where Sedrick ended up transferring from) encouraged me and his other students to look beyond schools like Stockton University. He was aware that most people don’t want/like to travel too far from home, especially as a newly graduated/first-generation college student, and he would always start the first day of his classes off with a handout of local colleges that were still in the New Jersey area.
Rowan stood out to me because it had a notable communication program which favored student creativity and expression; something that my professor at the time always noted that Stockton lacked despite offering Communication Studies as a major.
When I finally opted on coming to Rowan, I learned of the Health and Science Communication major and it immediately interested me because I perceived it as an ample opportunity to work adjacent to most STEM careers and majors as a “liaison” of sorts and provide effective and beneficial information on some of the projects, developments and innovations that are being made in those particular fields on a daily basis.
Can you tell us a little bit about your major?
As a Health and Science Communication (HSC) major, I do everything from research case studies to reading scientific journals in order to dissect and “regurgitate” the acquired information in order to make it simpler and easier to understand for most general audiences.
What do you view as the impact of your major on society?
I honestly feel that this is a tough question to answer just because of the “newness” of this major for the Rowan community as a whole. But, if I had to say what I view as the impact of my major on society, it would be advocacy. I say this because given that my major dedicates itself to reading documents, studies and papers that aren’t readily available to the general public.
I get the opportunity to see what is normally just a bunch of statistics and numbers that usually don’t mean anything to an ordinary person on the street and offer some sense of perspective or scope on what it is that makes certain health or science-based communication and research pertinent to the average Joe. Why should anything spouted by health officials be deemed important even if it isn’t affecting said individual directly?
Could you share a few on-campus activities, clubs, or pre-professional activities you’ve been a part of? What is/was your favorite, and why? What is the impact of your major on society?
So far, the on-campus activities I’ve been a part of thus far is Healthy Campus Initiatives (HCI). Its been my favorite activity to be a part of because while we are a really tight-knit group of interns, we learn a lot about on-the-fly adaptability when it comes to running events and activities. It can be quite frustrating at times, but it helps build flexibility when it comes to event planning and organization as sometimes you’re not always going to have a backup plan ready for execution on the day of a big event.
What clubs, organizations, or sports teams have you been a part of on campus? Or events you’ve enjoyed attending?
Healthy Campus Initiatives
Which ONE club, organization, event, or friend group here has been the most meaningful to you? How has this aspect of campus impacted your Rowan experience or your personal growth?
Stress and Anxiety Student Support (SASS). During my time at Rowan, I’ve come to really enjoy this group because you get to meet a wonderful assortment of students for those that do choose to attend. The purpose of this group is to act as a safe haven for students to let loose with whatever may have them down or upset about something and give them the floor to air those grievances, whatever they may be. We’ll also provide some activities that’ll grant students an opportunity to just take their minds off anything that’s got them stressed and/or anxious and express their creativity. This will oftentimes be done in the form of coloring, origami, drawing or anything that students may find mentally relaxing.
What responsibilities are you juggling on a typical day?
As far as responsibilities are concerned, I typically see myself juggling my mixture of class assignments (both online and in-person) with the activities I do on-campus such as SASS and Chill n’ Chat.
The biggest difficulty is perhaps making sure I stay on top of my online assignments as it’s extremely easy to fall behind and oftentimes find yourself rushing to get an assignment in before the posted deadline by midnight.
Are there any professors here who have stood out to you? Why?
Dr. Miles Coleman. This was the first professor that I met when I first began attending Rowan, and I’ll just say that he is extremely charismatic and outgoing in all of his classes. You’ll never fall asleep with this professor as he’s always cracking jokes and can manage to keep the class awake with his exuberant personality. He always encourages class discussions and is eager to view how students may perceive reading assignments or rhetoric that can be found in the scientific landscape whether it pertains to technology, health or just science in general.
Where do you like to spend your time on campus? Whether it’s for hanging out, napping or food!
Since I don’t really stay on campus, I don’t necessarily have a favorite place that I enjoy spending time at. I will say that I have spent the bulk of my time between the Wellness Center and the Student Center. The latter of which is perhaps where I enjoy visiting most as the seating arrangements on the first floor are not only comfortable but also extremely spacious and never feel like you’re too crammed together, which matters a lot for someone who’s mildly claustrophobic.
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