The Whitties: The Top 10 Most Interesting Students on Campus

Allison Daniello

Daniello, a 21-year-old senior mechanical engineering major from Manalapan, N.J., has recently won the prestigious Jerry Kilby Memorial Scholarship from the Professional Engineering Society of Southern New Jersey (PESSNJ). She serves as an admissions ambassador at Rowan.

She is also heavily involved in the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honors society. In addition, she has been the president of SWE for the past year and the secretary of both ASME and TBP for the past two years.

“There are more males in the program, though women do have a strong representation,” Daniello said.

She plans on pursuing her doctoral degree in biomedical engineering after graduating from Rowan.

Matthew Hoffman

Hoffman is a 20-year-old junior health and exercise science major from Burlington Township, N.J. His achievements include being on the dean’s list, a two-time National Academic Student Athlete, two-time NJAC All Conference defensive end in his sophomore and junior year and being a part of the Brown and Gold Gridiron Club (football players with a GPA higher than a 3.0).

He is heavily involved with Rowan football and track, all while maintaining a job at Friendly’s. He is most notably recognized for his generous gift to a stranger. Last month, Hoffman donated bone marrow to a 51-year-old man with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, thus missing the last football game of the regular season.

Hoffman plans to apply to graduate school for physical therapy or chiropractics.

Jessica Cohn

An English education graduate from University of Delaware’s class of 2008, Cohn found her way into the classroom, but not exactly as planned. After teaching for a year, she is back to school as a student at Rowan University. Cohn decided to follow her dream of becoming a professional classical singer. At 23 years old, with a minor in music, Cohn is back for round two.

Attending Rowan as a vocal performance major, Cohn participates in concert choir, Rowan Opera Company and the Amici Opera Company. The aspiring classical singer’s many achievements include: concert choir fall concert soloist, orchestra concert Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” soloist, participation in the Rowan Opera Company’s “Suor Angelica and Scenes: Violetta and Mistress of the Novices” and an orchestra soloist competition winner.

“I would love to do opera, perhaps get into an apprentice program at a grand opera house and work my way up from there,” Cohn said.

Elizabeth Palmer

Being in college is hard enough for some students with classes, homework and hectic schedules, but not for Palmer. Besides focusing on graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science in May 2010, Palmer is the Student Government President, a resident assistant and belongs to University Foundation Board of Directors.

Palmer exceeds in extracurricular involvement at Rowan, all while holding a GPA of 3.6. Palmer was a student representative of Rowan’s Board of Trustees, the youngest student trustee in the university. She participates in many other committees and campus services.

At only 21 years old, Palmer has achieved many goals, won many awards and has become involved in a number of groups on-campus. She was the Pre-Law Society President from May 2007-08, a member of the National Political Science Honor Society since May 2008, Phi Beta Sigma’s “Finer Woman of the Year Award” in June 2009, recipient of the Governor’s Scholarship in June 2009 and winner of the Mid-Atlantic Association of College and University Housing Officers Academic Excellence Award.

Ashley Zazzarino

Zazzarino is a 21-year-old senior radio/TV/film major with a journalism minor from Middletown, N.J. She was the camera person in Rowan’s documentary, “Life behind Beards,” which was recently awarded the CBI Best Special Broadcast. The accomplished senior also placed second in the 2009 Greater Philly Student Film Festival for “Kelli,” which she produced. Earlier this week, Zazzarino even hosted “Rowan’s Got Talent” in the Student Center.

On campus, she has made her mark as The Whit’s arts editor and staff director at Rowan’s Television Network (RTN). She is also involved with Cinema Workshop, the campus’ film club. Cinema Workshop allows students to work on film, video and multimedia projects.

Ashley aspires to be a comedic TV writer. Her love for comedy brought her to Rowan’s New Jersey Comedy Festival, putting her in the finalist spot for the next round in New Brunswick, N.J. next year.

“I would love to have Tina Fey’s job,” Zazzarino said.

Benjamin King

Born in Portland, Maine, and later moving to Ohio and beyond, King has already established a name for himself. The senior radio/TV/film major and journalism minor is here courtesy of the Post-9/11 GI Bill and a scholarship from the Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation. He was a military journalist and the editor of his military station’s newspaper for two years.

“In that time I was never late taking it to the presses and I’ve never misspelled a person’s name,” King said.

King, who holds an outstanding 3.914 GPA, is also fluent in Mandarin Chinese. He has also explored all around the world to places like the Great Wall and Terracotta Warriors in China, the Temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Mayan ruins in Mexico and Roman and Greek ruins around the Mediterranean.

King credits part of success to the military.

“There you can find real live super heroes, people who don’t know the meaning of the word quit,” King said.

King is also a member of Rowan’s Cinema Workshop and belong to Rowan Television Network’s writers group.

Kevin Melendez

Kevin Melendez is a 22-year-old theater performance major from West New York, N.J. He is the president of Rowan’s Lab Theatre (the student theater company). Melendez was named the Best Young Musical Theatre Performer in New Jersey by Peter Filichia, chief theater critic of the Star Ledger.

He has won many awards and has received recognition from several prestigious groups, such as the Thomas H. Kean scholarship, the Rowan Performing Arts scholarship and the Governor’s School of the Arts scholarship.

Melendez aspires to become a respected actor and director.

“I want my work on stage and film to make others say, ‘I need to work with him,’” Melendez said. “Till, then you can find me in New York City starting from square one.”

Daniel Cessaro

Daniel Cessaro is a 26-year-old senior accounting major from Princeton, N.J. He serves as the president of the Veteran Student Organization.

“Our focus is to support and guide student veterans of Rowan University as they transition to and from the academic environment,” Cessaro said. “We also perform service projects that provide support for military personnel overseas and also the greater Rowan community.”

In the military, Cessaro received an Army Commendation Medal for his actions in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Academically, he has made dean’s list, and is part of the Golden Key International Honor Society.

Cessaro also works in the veterans’ affairs department as a work-study student. There, he meets and works with other veteran students, making sure they are receiving all eligible benefits.

Nevin Werner

Werner is a 21-year-old senior elementary education and history major from Dumont, N.J. He has been involved with several organizations during his college career, including serving as a resident assistant, member of Phi Alpha Theta and president of the Elementary Education Club.

He has also previously been a part of PROS (Peer Referral Orientation Staff), a player for Rowan club soccer, an admissions ambassador, class Senator for SGA and a member of Kappa Delta Pi (Education Honors Society).

“The reason why I have been involved in so many organizations is because I enjoy being a part of and giving back to the Rowan community,” Werner said.

He aspires to become an elementary education teacher and earn a master’s degree in school administration. Eventually, he would like to become a principal of a school or a superintendent of a school district.

He also expressed interest in becoming a coach for a high school soccer or baseball team. Aside from these goals, Werner wants to travel to Latin America and Spain because of his interest in Spanish culture.

Jordan Ortiz

Jordan is a 20-year-old junior sociology major, formerly a dual major with public relations. You may have seen Jordan on campus with her seeing-eye dog. Her blindness has not stopped her from pursuing her academic career at Rowan.

Ortiz is involved with the Seeing Eye Puppies program, which is housed in Morristown and run by Robin Brelsford through Student Affairs. She is also a member of the philanthropic group.

Article written by Samantha Costa, Vanessa Migliore, and Kellie Teixeira