What’s a typical day in the life of a virtual learner? For Rowan College at Burlington County student Christina Scillieri, of Maple Shade, it’s not very different from face-to-face learning. Scillieri, who serves as the Vice President of RCBC’s Student Government, aims to blur the lines between in-person interactions and online, maintaining a community just as engaging as the one students would encounter in a traditional on-campus environment.
“My most memorable experiences at this point have been the opportunities provided through the virtual club meets and activities hosted through Student Life that have allowed the chances to still network and engage with my peers,” Scillieri shared. “During a time where we are mostly home and not getting that face-to-face interaction, it’s been enjoyable and a great asset to my college experience to still have these opportunities available.”
Within her role in Student Government, Christina creates agendas and records meeting minutes to ensure students who are not able to attend still have access to the information. Additionally, both new and returning students are presented with tips to navigate challenges previously not experienced through traditional in-person learning.
“Each meeting, I provide different slides with helpful tips and resources to navigate a successful online education,” Scillieri said. “The resources provided are those that are available to students through RCBC and the tips range in the topic but all exist around getting the most out of online education. Many of them were created from my own experiences and often-times mistakes made as a new student trying to ‘figure it all out’ — mistakes that I hope to help my fellow students avoid. Some of these tips have included ‘Creating a Study Space At Home,’ ‘Getting To Know Your Professor Virtually’ and ‘Ways/Reasons To Get And Stay Organized.’”
Christina is also spearheading a project to highlight the current “happenings” at RCBC, including workshops, virtual town halls, deadlines for important dates, such as FAFSA and registration, and more. She hopes it will serve as a reminder to students to keep abreast of what’s going on around campus and to help keep them engaged.
Scillieri, who is reliant on financial aid and scholarships to attend college, chose RCBC due to its reasonable costs and steadfast commitment to educating students amidst the COVID pandemic.
“I think RCBC has made incredible strides to make our courses and materials available to us virtually when otherwise our education would be put on hold,” Scillieri said. “RCBC also provides many great resources and programs to help assist with higher education costs.”
Scillieri is pursuing a degree in Political Science and hopes to build a career in local government or secure an embassy position to provide meaningful assistance to create better opportunities and safer communities for all. As a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), she networks with other students with similar interests.
“I hope to continue my team building and leadership skills taught within NSLS to hopefully help my fellow students in identifying, setting, and achieving their own goals, as well,” Scillieri said. “I am currently debating applying for an executive position within our chapter where I will be a part of creating meetings with other NSLS members to network on these topics.”
Wherever Christina lands, she’s off to an ambitious start and is sure to do well with her leadership and communication skills. Learn more about her here.
