Expanding a college career and getting the quote unquote "full experience" is exactly what Adrienne Mezey has done.
Mezey, senior math education major and biology minor, is the president of the Biotechnology (Biotech) Club for Kean University, a student worker for Graduate Admissions since 2013 and a resident assistant (RA) for freshmen for the past three years.
Now, hearing that she is also part of the Science, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) program at Kean University should not sound surprising at all, right?
Throughout her four years of college life, she has moved from Helmetta, N.J. and resided on campus, giving her the opportunity to be involved on campus. She has been a member of the Biotech Club since she was a freshman, moving up to treasurer during her sophomore and junior year, and now president in her last year at Kean University.
Biotech Club is a funded student organization that meets bi-weekly in the STEM Building on Mondays during college hour, and every meeting can be found on Cougar Link.
Math is Mezey's first academic love, always challenging her and inspiring her to one day make it fun for her future students who may dislike math. Some may wonder why she is part of the Biotech Club when she is a math major, but a lot of her classmates who are part of the biology program at STEM are also part of the Biotech Club.
"I would one day also want to teach [biology], so that's why I'm trying to get my dual certification," she said. "It's going to help me become more diversified."
The organization does a lot of fun events and projects that revolve around education, such as DNA extraction from kiwis and strawberries or cloning plant cells. These projects are held at local high schools, middle schools and occasionally elementary schools.
"It actually gives our members a chance to teach students. We just want to spread our love of science to the next generation," she said. Most of their events, like the science exposition or science carnival, will be held during the spring semester.
At Kean University, Mezey has made plenty of connections, fulfilling her enjoyment and time on campus.
"I wouldn't want my college experience anywhere else besides Kean [University]. After the first day, I really thought Kean [University] was more personalized. The small class sizes are great too because you can get to know your classmates and your professor," said Mezey. "You also have plenty of opportunities to be involved on campus."
When Mezey started as a freshman at Kean University, she was balancing three jobs in addition to her academics. After a while, she realized that it was too much and decided to only keep her jobs that were on campus.
"Being an RA is definitely a time commitment, but I feel it is important to be involved at Kean University. You can go about your involvement at Kean in two ways," Mezey said. "The way I look at it, you can be either a passive or active student, and much of our world today is making connections. Whether it be you're helping someone to pursue a role they want or someone helping you pursue a role you want, it's all about people, all about making connections and working with them."
Mezey advises students who want to be involved on campus to attend club events they see, even if they are not part of the club itself. She also recommends those who dorm to ask their RA for suggestions on how to get involved at campus.
"RAs are [some] of the most involved people on campus," she said. "I know my friends hold multiple positions on campus, so they would know a club that would fit you best."
After graduation, Mezey is going to be getting her masters degree in instruction and curriculum under the STEM program at Kean University. She ultimately wants to become a high school teacher or possibly an adjunct on campus.
When the time comes, it would not be surprising if people see her move up to being Principal Mezey.
