“Living in Holly Pointe is really nice because it’s like living in a suite your first year. Everyone is so close in the buildings there’s always chances to meet new friends.”
Zenon Yanez, freshman electrical and computer engineering major from South Amboy, NJ (Middlesex County) who lives in Holly Pointe Commons.
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Photography by:
Jelani James, senior journalism major
Today, we speak with Gatha Adhikari, a sophomore biomedical engineering major from Begnas Tal, Pokhara (Nepal), who lives at Holly Pointe Commons as a Resident Assistant. Gatha will share her #PROFspective with us on what it’s like to be an international Rowan University student and how she’s getting the most out of her college experience as a Rowan Prof.
How is Rowan welcoming to you? During the Flying First Symposium by Rowan’s Flying First Task Force for first generation college students, I was invited to speak on the panel to 
share my journey. To see the first generation alums and get their support made me feel welcomed and a sense of belonging.
Could you tell us a little bit about being a first generation college student? My family is back home in a small village in Nepal and were supportive to let me come here for my studies. Being first-gen is a point of pride in itself, but is also a big struggle. As a first-gen student, I am able to accomplish the dreams of my parents and inspire my community. I affirm for the young ones that they can live their dreams and achieve immense opportunities. 
Tell us a little bit about the sacrifice that you and your family has made in order to make college a reality for you. My family and community have made a big emotional sacrifice to let me come to this foreign land and study while my other friends got married without finishing their education. While my family could have kept me home to assist them with their agriculture, they decided to let me fly away and be independent, which means a lot to me. I have left behind my friends and family who are very close to my heart, my traditions and festivities behind and work days and nights to make college a reality.
How do you feel your family will feel when they watch you walk
across that graduation stage? I can imagine the tears of joy in the eyes of both my parents and brother when I finish my degree and graduate. They have dedicated their love and sacrificed so much to make it happen. My parents’ goal in life will be fulfilled when they see my accomplishments. My graduation ceremony will mean a lot.
What organization is most meaningful to you on campus? I work as a Resident Assistant (RA) for the Residential Learning and University Housing which means a lot to me. As a team, we strive to build communities within Rowan’s campus to provide the best possible residential life experience to Rowan students so they can find a home away from home here. The residents I lead are a part of an engineering learning community in Holly Pointe Commons.
Tell us about your transition into college and how you pushed through any challenges. Leaving everyone I knew and my home country behind when coming to Rowan has been a challenging journey. I have faced numerous obstacles along the way including financial difficulty, as I don’t get any financial aid for being an international student and it is hard to find scholarships I am eligible to apply for. I still have this problem, but I work hard, work on-campus and apply to every scholarship I can.
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Story and photography by: Alyssa Bauer, junior public relations major
Get a glimpse of Rowan’s newest residence hall, Holly Pointe, from our Prof on the run …
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VISIT CAMPUS
Video by: Dean Powers, freshman radio, TV, film major & Vanessa Vause, senior public relations and theatre double major
Music by: Joseph Murphy, junior music industry major
Meet freshmen Carli Poeta, public relations major, and Alayna Inman, sports communication and media major, both from Pennsville, NJ (Salem County), who live together in Holly Pointe Commons.
How’d you guys meet? “We met in our second grade class.” – Alayna
What’s your favorite memory of living together? “Just moving in and decorating together and deciding how to rearrange everything.” – Alayna. Carli adds, “Her mom is into interior design, so she guided our room decor.”
What’s a ritual you guys have? “Everything. We do everything together.” Carli adds that they’re basically, “Siamese twins, it’s scary. We usually stay up really late doing homework.”
What is the most annoying habit as a roommate? “We have the same bad habits. We both leave drinks out and throw clothes on the floor.” – Carli
What do you like the most about living together? “Comfort. I don’t feel uncomfortable with open communication.” – Alayna
What did you expect living together would to be like? “Everyone was saying that we’re going to hate each other, but it’s completely fine.” – Alayna. Carli adds, “It feels like a sleepover every night.”
What was the biggest challenge of living together? “The only challenge 
we experienced was guest policies, specifically people staying the night. But we talked through it immediately.” – Alayna
What is the funniest thing that’s happened to you guys? “Definitely when Alayna’s curtain kept falling on her.” – Carli
What will you miss the most about living together? “Rooming with someone new is like starting a new long term relationship.” – Carli
What advice would you give a future Rowan student about choosing a roommate? Both encourage future students to not be afraid of rooming with someone you know.
Like what you see? Come visit us!
Story and photography by: Alyssa Bauer, junior public relations major
Like what you see? Come visit us! VISIT CAMPUS Enter for a chance to win a Rowan t-shirt! Email RowanBlog [at] rowan.edu with the date and time of your upcoming campus tour … we may just email you that we’re going to surprise you while you’re visiting! Story and photography by: Vanessa Vause, senior public […]
Meet Rowan Choice student, Jakira McCoy, a sophomore business major with a minor in African studies from Camden, NJ (Camden County). Jakira lives on campus in Holly Pointe Commons as a Rowan College at Gloucester County community college student enrolled in the Rowan Choice program, which allows her to have the full college experience on Rowan’s campus, before she transfers to Rowan University.
“I chose Rowan because it was closer to home and I did not want to be too far from my family. I also chose to come here because of Rowan Choice. It was a cheaper option and saved me a lot of money. Since you are technically enrolled in a community college, you still pay community college tuition. It helps a lot and makes the transition to Rowan University easier.”
Like what you see, come visit us!
Story and photography by:
Edris Forde, junior radio/TV/film major
Like what you see? Come visit us! VISIT CAMPUS Video by: Vanessa Vause, senior public relations, advertising and theatre majorEdris Forde: junior radio/TV/film major Music by: Bianca Torres, sophomore music industry major
