"The College of New Rochelle is a place where students can find advisors, alumnae, and professors who are constantly thinking of internship, scholarship, and work opportunities for students. Anyone who decides to come to CNR would be wise to take advantage of the wide array of opportunities available." Vanessa Ceron Class of 2005 Honors Program School of Arts & Sciences The College of New Rochelle

Where are you from, Vanessa?

 
How did you hear about The College of New Rochelle?

 I believe I heard about CNR through a college counselor.

Why did you decide to attend The College of New Rochelle?

What are you studying?

Do you have any favorite professors?

I have so many fine professors it is hard to pick one, but I suppose my all time favorite is Dr. Russel Taylor.  What makes him my favorite is that he commits so much of his time and efforts to his classes.  He honestly cares about the type of education students receive and enjoys being part of the learning process, and it shows.

Are you involved with any clubs or committees on campus?

I am not currently involved in any clubs or committees, because I have a pretty demanding job, and at times, I juggle two demanding jobs.

You studied overseas for one year. Tell us about that experience?
Where did you study and what countries did you visit?

Where to begin? With a scholarship from the Russel and Deborah Taylor Scholarship Foundation at CNR, I spent the spring semester of 2003 at Richmond, the American International University in London. This first time abroad made me realize that I did not really know much about the rest of the world, so I changed majors from Business to International Studies.  When I came back, I could not wait to go away again. I applied for another Taylor Scholarship and I was booked to spend the beginning of summer 2004 at The University of Granada, Spain. It was right around the time when I was finalizing my summer session for Spain that an internship opportunity to work for the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS in Geneva, Switzerland came about.  CNR alumna Kathleen Cravero is currently the Deputy Executive Director for UNAIDS in Geneva. She had come to CNR in the spring of 2004, and offered an opportunity to the International Studies Department for a student to work in her office.  Through the efforts of Dr. Anne McKernan, and some help from the Westchester Consortium for International Studies, I spent the end of summer 2004 working for UNAIDS in Geneva.

All three times living abroad changed my life in numerous ways. I am not the same person I was at the beginning of it all.  Besides the three places I lived I was also able to travel to Venice, Barcelona, Paris, Dublin, Cordoba, and Seville.  I would not have been able to see so much of the world had I not gone to The College of New Rochelle.

Vanessa, do you have a job on campus?

I do not work on campus. For the past year I have worked for Stonesoft Inc., a company located in New York City.

Do you have any advice for anyone
who might be thinking of going to CNR?

What I have said to prospective students in the past is that CNR is a small school with big opportunities.  Because our campus is small your professors will know you by your first name, and you will get special attention that you would not be able to get at a big university. The College of New Rochelle is a place where students can find advisors, alumnae, and professors who are constantly thinking of internship, scholarship, and work opportunities for students. Anyone who decides to come to CNR would be wise to take advantage of the wide array of opportunities available.

What are your plans for after you graduate?

I know that I do not want to go to graduate school right away. I have been looking at Peace Corps opportunities, as well as programs offered by the Institute of International Education. What I know for sure is that I am not done traveling, learning, and seeing the world. I would like to travel and work overseas for several years and go to graduate school.

 

To find out if  CNR is the right choice for you, please contact: School of Arts & Sciences Office of Admission The College of New Rochelle 29 Castle Place New Rochelle, NY 10805 914-654-5334  email: admission@cnr.edu