Today we feature sophomore Helaina Parejo who double majors in Writing Arts and Spanish. Helaina is from Barrington, NJ (Camden County) and transferred from Ursinus College the spring semester of her freshman year. She has an internship with the Writing Arts department and is a part of the Writing Arts Club.
Why did you choose Rowan?
Well, my mom went here when she went back to college in the early 2000s and she really loved it. So when I decided that Pennsylvania life was not for me, I decided to come back home. When I toured Rowan, we started on the Boulevard and I was blown away by all the things they had. Then, when I started to look more into the writing arts program I realized Rowan had a lot more opportunities than what was offered to me at a smaller school. So it seemed like a no brainer to come over here. I thought it would also be better for my future in a way.
Why did you transfer?
I did not fit in at my other school. I also came to find out later on that the school was science-based and I was not aware when I applied there. I felt I could not relate to many of the students there. But at Rowan as soon as I got on campus I saw that there is a huge variety of people that have a thousand different interests and I could find more people I could relate to here.
How do you like Rowan so far?
I love Rowan so far. Even though everything is online I feel like I have so many more opportunities already. For example I am part of the Writing Arts Internal Internship and that has opened a lot of doors for me within the Writing Arts department that I don’t think I could of gotten anywhere else. Besides that I feel like I am in a lot more clubs than I was at my other school. For example the Writing Arts Club and the internship helps me branch out to other organizations around campus.
Tell me about something that made you feel like Rowan was home?
Probably with the internship honestly. That is probably where I get most of my social interaction this semester with the other interns. I work with two other women who are great and we have become friends during the semester and they will continue to intern with me next semester.
What is your typical Rowan day?
Last semester, I would get to Rowan around 9 o’clock and walk to my first class. Then I would go grab lunch and do some work in the Student Center. Then I would go to whatever class I had later and sometimes I would have time to stop at the gym which was nice because Rowan offers exercise classes. One of the more exciting parts of my day was taking those classes. Then lastly I would usually try to find some of my friends so we can walk back to our cars together.
Why did you choose your majors?
I chose Writing Arts because there is not a lot of programs like it. A lot of times when you want a writing degree, it is creative writing or just professional writing. I wanted to do a mix of both as a fall back career. I feel Rowan allows you to take classes in all those different disciplines and allows you to explore your writing in a creative and professional sense. For Spanish, I did not plan on majoring in it but when I came here I took the intro test and I got placed in above the Spanish minor. I was just going to minor but I might as well since the opportunity was given to me. It seemed perfect.
Would you like to mention anything else?
If you are thinking about transferring to Rowan it has a lot of opportunities, there is a lot to do and explore here. I feel like everyday I learn something new about campus or something new and exciting to get involved in.
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Story and photography by: Stephanie Batista, sophomore Music Industry major
