Hey Profs, this week’s campus celebrity is a pretty cool dude… He is very involved and loves to help others. His desire to do so led him to join quite a few clubs here at Rowan. Who is he? Saad Noman! A junior biological science major who just loves to experience new things.
What do you do on campus?
I am a senator for MSA, a treasurer for CAR, a peer mentor in the Dr. Harley Flack mentoring program, I used to be a researcher in the biological sciences department, and I was accepted as an RA, and will start in fall 2015.
How did you get involved?
CAR – I was a commuter my freshman year and I thought it would be a great way to meet new people and get involved in campus.
MSA – Well, that’s a long story. My freshman year, I ran into a fellow Muslim friend of mine who was working project Nur, a program that aims to bring together interfaith dialogue and acceptance between different communities and religions, and then another friend of mine came up with the idea that we needed a club for Muslim students on campus! We had all been looking for a place to hang out and connect with other Muslims, and pray together too, so this was the best way to do it!
AN: Many (if not most other) universities have a Muslim Student Association, and now Rowan does too.
Mentor – Honestly, I just saw it on the Rowan Announcer, and I thought it would be nice to help a new student at Rowan. My older brother had been a mentor for me and I wanted to pay it forward and help someone too. My brother kept me on the right path at Rowan, and I know a lot of students struggle with that when they come to college; so I wanted to help someone else like that too.
Researcher – That is a funny story – well, not really. I was going to drop off an assignment at my professor’s office and I ran into him on the way. He asked me if I would be interested in doing research at Rowan and I figured heck yeah, who wouldn’t? My progress in his class had made me stand out to him, I guess, and it just went from there! I don’t do it anymore though; I was more involved in other things and didn’t have much time for it anymore. But it was a good experience, I’m glad I did it.
RA – I just heard about it on the Rowan announcer and thought it would be a good experience, plus since I can’t commute anymore, I thought it would be a good way to save money.
What responsibilities did each position entail?
CAR, treasurer – Keeping track of the club’s finances; how much was spent and on what, preparing a budget for next year, coming up with fundraiser ideas, and keeping the rest of the club updated on what is working and what isn’t in terms of spending.
MSA, senator – I needed to attend the biweekly senate meetings to get information from other clubs and the SGA, what clubs should be doing, information about deadlines and then relay all this new information to the rest of the club.
Mentoring – I have a professional mentor and two mentees. I needed to build a friendly and professional relationship with my mentees and keep in contact with them throughout the week. We set up goals for them; what they want to do, accomplish and how they want to get more involved. I worked to help them all achieve these goals. I was like an older brother to my mentees; if they needed anything they would contact me. My professional mentor is a professor at cooper medical school. We met once or twice a semester; he’s been helping me with my professional goals and aspirations to become a doctor. He answers my questions, guides me, and helps me get internships. I like the program; it’s pretty awesome and my mentor and mentees are cool.
Researcher – We were studying saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is basically yeast. We examined what would happen under low oxygen conditions and see how it would affect different biochemical pathways. I need to make sure all the experiments were being run on time and that the results were recorded on a daily basis. I kept the work flowing on the projects we were on, prepared abstracts for the STEM emporium, analyze results from the experiments and relay them to the researcher.
What has your experience been like for each of these?
CAR – I think CAR is awesome! It is a good group of people and friends that I can relate to. We all have the commuter experience and can relate to one another. It’s a fun place to hang out and discuss commuter events on campus; they’ve been a lot of fun.
MSA – It’s the best club ever, haha! I really like MSA; we’re like a big family. Our religion brings us together in such a cool way. I’ve learned a lot through the events about what it means to be a Muslim. Even just a regular e-board meeting, I have a lot of fun. All our events have been a huge success and they’re always fun – the food is great so I have nothing to complain about!
Mentor – I love being a peer mentor because the peer mentoring family is one thing; you get to meet so many new people, but the best part is the way I can help my mentees. I’m a guide for them; it makes me happy that they can rely on me. I like that they know I can help them. And working with the SJICR office is fun too; everyone is cool and nice.
Researcher – It was a really good experience; I learned a lot about what it is like to work as professional. It was more hands-on rather than reading my notes or studying. I was actually making advancements in science instead of just reading about it. I didn’t know what to expect, so it was a lot different than doing a lab in science class. If something went wrong, I had to rework the experiment and start over. It was a lot of work but it was worth it and fun.
What have you learned from these?
These experiences taught me how to work with other people, helped me become well rounded, and branch out and expand your horizons. I learned more about myself too; I learned what I can handle and what I am interested in.
Is there anything you would change?
I wouldn’t change a thing, that’s what made the experiences what it was. All the hardships contributed, whether I liked it or not I learned something.
And finally; what are your plans for the summer?
I’m going home to Texas! I will spend time with my family. But most importantly, I will be studying for the MCAT. I will return to Rowan in the second week of August for RA training.