College Student Affairs Ed.M. Program 2010 Cohort (Class of 2012) Student Profles *Not all students from the 2010 Cohort have a student profle listed here. The information in the profles listed below have been voluntarily submitted by each student, for publication on the Rutgers University's College Student Affairs Ed.M program website.
Name: Melissa Amaral Hometown: East Providence, RI Undergraduate Institution: Brown University Email mamaral@eden.rutgers.edu Tel. 401-699-3960 Internship: Paul Robeson Center Field Experiences: Career Services Why the CSA program at Rutgers University? I chose the CSA program at Rutgers because of the internship opportunity and the caliber of the faculty. Name: Jon Buchalski Hometown: Freehold, NJ Email jonbuch@eden.rutgers.edu Internship: Greek Life - Fraternity & Sorority Affairs Field Experiences: Monmouth Greek Life Why the CSA program at Rutgers University? I chose Rutgers CSA because of the proximity to where I live, my deep understanding of Rutgers and its resources, and the network of contacts I had already developed.
Name: Adam Carlson Hometown: Belleville, NJ Email adamcar@eden.rutgers.edu Tel. 973-342-7820 Field Experiences: Offce of Student Conduct Why the CSA program at Rutgers University? I chose the Rutgers CSA program because I had a great experience as a Resident Assistant during my undergraduate years and want to follow through with student affairs as my career path. I heard great things about the CSA program from current students, so I decided to give it a shot. Name: Gregory Costanzo Hometown: Morris Plains, NJ Email gcostanz@eden.rutgers.edu Tel. 201-213-8459 Internship: Residence Life - Administration & Personnel Field Experiences: Campus Information Services Why the CSA program at Rutgers University? I received a tremendous amount of information and support when I frst looked into this program and later when deciding to apply. No other school offered this kind of personal attention, and it made me believe that the Rutgers CSA program was of a much higher quality than the rest.
Name: Paul DeStefano Hometown: Paramus, NJ Undergraduate Institution: Pace University Email paul.destefano@gse.rutgers.edu Tel. 732-445-4141 Internship: Center for Social Justice Education & LGBT Communities Field Experiences: Residential Life - Training and Personnel Why the CSA program at Rutgers University? I was excited about the opportunity to learn about student affairs in the classroom and to put it into practice through the assistantships and feld work offered to us. And, Rutgers brought me home to New Jersey. Name: Vidhi Desai Hometown: South Brunswick, NJ Email vidhi.desai@gse.rutgers.edu Field Experiences: Student Life - Leadership Why the CSA program at Rutgers University? Rutgers New Brunswick has been my home for the past four years, and it still has a lot to offer to me. No matter how much time you spend in this city, there is always something new to learn from. Our CSA program was one of those new things. I had been working in Residence Life and Academic Advising as an undergraduate student, and came to learn that I would be happy working with college students as a career. Applying to this CSA program was the next logical step for me, and I'm happy to say that I know I made the right decision.
Name: Tierra Fields Hometown: Elkton, MD Undergraduate Institution: Towson University Email tierra.felds@gse.rutgers.edu Tel. 732-445-4086 Field Experiences: Offce of the Dean of Students - Busch Campus Why the CSA program at Rutgers University? I chose Rutgers due to an interest in the courses offered and the opportunity for in the feld experience which includes internships and feld experiences Name: Catrina Gallo Hometown: Middletown, NJ Undergraduate Institution: Boston College Email catrina.gallo@gse.rutgers.edu Field Experiences: Student Life - New Student Orientation Why the CSA program at Rutgers University? After being away from home during my undergraduate years, I was ready to come back to NJ. I wanted more than just a higher education masters program, and the CSA program at Rutgers offered the classes that I was interested in and practical experiences through internships.
Name: Sandra Golis Hometown: Middlesex, NJ Email sandra.golis@gse.rutgers.edu Internship: Admissions Field Experiences: SAS Transfer Center Why the CSA program at Rutgers University? The College Student Affairs program at Rutgers offers the chance to experience a wide variety of student affairs practices and research in higher education with renowned faculty and staff members who are passionate about their work. Students in the program not only learn about Rutgers, but also have the opportunity to get involved with national organizations and other colleges and universities in the tri-state area. Rutgers has an extremely active and diverse student population and graduates in the CSA program become a vital part of student development and programming. We also have fun outside of the classroom as a cohort hosting fundraisers, concerts, open houses, luncheons, movie nights, karaoke nights, speakers, and carnivals and working various sporting events, volunteering in the community, and SO much more. Name: Nicholas Gramiccioni Hometown: Bethlehem Township, NJ Undergraduate Institution: Rowan University Email nickgram@eden.rutgers.edu Tel. 732-373-5665 Field Experiences: University Housing Why the CSA program at Rutgers University? Rutgers University provides a program which is academically challenging, experience-focused, and capable of providing resources and opportunities for me to achieve the goals I have.
Name: Sarah Grun Hometown: Rockville, MD Undergraduate Institution: Randolph Macon Woman's College Email sagrun@eden.rutgers.edu Internship: Student Center Operations Field Experiences: Senior Dean of Students Why the CSA program at Rutgers University? I looked at and interviewed at a handful of grad programs but decided that the Rutgers CSA program was the one for me. I liked the fact that the Rutgers program is committed to tying theory to practice by requiring all grad students to have an internship while in the program. I believe that this experience will be incredibly valuable when entering the feld. I also liked the fact that the program is new, which offers excitement and the chance to help shape the program. Finally, I love the cohort aspect of the group. Having a group of 25 people to go through the program with together is a great experience and hopefully we will build a strong and reliable network that we can use as practitioners in the future. Name: Megan Hyndman Hometown: Saratoga Springs, NY Undergraduate Institution: Union College Email mhyndman@eden.rutgers.edu Internship: Residence Life - Programming & Student Leadership Field Experiences: Study Abroad Why the CSA program at Rutgers University? I chose the Rutgers CSA program because I was excited about being part of a new program; the ability to help shape what will inevitably become one of the best student affairs programs in the nation is a unique opportunity. I also wanted a program that emphasized feld experience and internships. The last big reason I chose Rutgers was because of the cohort feature. I liked the idea of talking classes and working with a group of 25 people over the course of two years...built in colleagues and support system!
Name: Jessica Prodoehl Hometown: Toms River, NJ Undergraduate Institution: Rider University Email jessica.prodoehl@gse.rutgers.edu Tel. 732-373-7069 Field Experiences: Dean of Students - Livingston Why the CSA program at Rutgers University? I picked Rutgers University for the CSA program because of the variety of experiences that I knew I would be able to have. It is a large, public institution which is a new experience as a student. From the standpoint of a future student affairs professional, the feld experiences allow me to gain personal experiences within many areas of student affairs. Name: Sara Spear Hometown: Basking Ridge, NJ Undergraduate Institution: Mount Holyoke College Email: sara.spear@gse.rutgers.edu Tel. 732-932-7496 x8928 Internship: College Student Affairs Graduate Intern Field Experiences: Student Life- Student Involvement Why the CSA program at Rutgers University? After completing my student teaching, I shifted my career plans towards working one on one with college students in an advisory role, particularly academic advising. When I looked at Master's programs, I really wanted a program that emphasized both theory in its coursework and practice via feldwork; Rutgers was a perfect blend of both criteria.
Name: Timothy (Tim) Uhrich Undergraduate Institution: Pennsylvania State University Internship: Residence Life - Student Support Field Experiences: Princeton University Campus Club Why the CSA program at Rutgers University? Ambition. It is evident both in the program and in its students. Cohort members and faculty are constantly looking at new ways to engage the campus, scholarly, and intercollegiate communities. This is a program on the move. If you want to have a formative impact on a growing program, this is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Last updated 11/5/2010