Today’s Project 100 memory comes from Andrew Elko.  Andrew was raised in Manalapan, New Jersey.  His mother was a nurse, and his father was a school psychologist.  He has two brothers (one of whom also attended Rowan) and an older sister.  Andrew went to public schools and graduated from Manalapan High School in 1997.  He entered that Fall at Rowan University with no major, but he declared for history and education in his sophomore year.  

Andrew graduated in 2001, winning that year’s Medallion for Excellence in History.   Shortly thereafter, he began teaching at an elementary school in Keansburg, but soon moved to secondary education, teaching social studies and coaching multiple sports at Monroe Township High School.  Two years later, in the Fall of 2004, Andrew found a new home teaching social studies and coaching at Hightstown High School.  While he no longer coaches, Andrew still teaches social studies at Hightstown, over two decades later.  In 2011, Andrew won the Governor’s Teacher Recognition Award, also known as “Teacher of the Year,” for his dedicated work with students at Hightstown High School.  He also serves as an advisor for the Ecology Club.  He is happily married to Elizabeth Elko, also a teacher in New Jersey. 

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I chose to attend Rowan because it was close enough to help my family when I was needed, but also far enough away for me to be able to grow and mature.  While I was undecided when I began at Rowan, I soon encountered our history faculty in survey courses.  They impressed me with their love and knowledge of history, and I soon decided that was the field I also wanted to pursue.  I officially changed my major in my sophomore year. 

Several faculty members and individual courses stood out to me.  One of those was Dr. Carrigan’s Historical Methods class, which revealed to me that history is about far more than facts and dates.  It is a subject that combines elements of science, art, and philosophy.  I learned specific skills in that class as well, namely the ability to read challenging texts (such as Michel Foucoult), the ability to investigate and conduct research, and the ability to paraphrase and write concisely.  The history faculty as a whole were so passionate and committed to teaching.  I was amazed at the lecturing ability and sheer knowledge of Scott Morschauser.  I also remember the great depth of knowledge and dedication for understanding the past that Dr. Heinzen possessed in his Russian History classes.  Beyond what was taught in the classroom, I have great memories of faculty mentoring me about life well after college.  The Rowan History faculty inspired me to grow as a student and as a person.  I have applied their wisdom and teachings into my own classroom with great success.

In the years after graduation, my relationship with Dr. Carrigan has grown into a deep friendship.  Even when I was still a student, he invited me to play basketball with his faculty group.  We had many great battles on the court, getting to know each other in a way that was truly unique.  After graduation, we continued to play basketball from time to time, and Dr. Carrigan has been a mentor and a sounding board in my personal life, extending well beyond the classroom.  He has long given me advice on curriculum and content related to my teaching.  Dr. Carrigan also regularly invites me to come back to campus when Rowan has special lecturers who can enhance my teaching.  In particular, I remember great return visits to campus to listen and meet Nathaniel Philbrick and Ken Burns.  These were special events that came full circle as I was able to appreciate these learning opportunities provided by Dr. Carrigan and share those experiences with some of my former high school students who also decided to attend Rowan University. One of the factors that helped my former students choose Rowan was due to Dr. Carrigan’s visits to their high school classrooms. In fact, after attending the lecture given by Nathaniel Philbrick, I ended up designing a part of my History curriculum around his incredible work.

Almost every year over the last two decades, I have invited Dr. Carrigan to speak to my current history classes.  He has always agreed and volunteered a day of his life to do this for my students and me.  Dr. C. particularly speaks to them about college, helping to demystify the experience, which remains abstract for many high school students.  Often, they did not have a parent who attended college themselves.  Dr. Carrigan has always crafted specific lectures and activities for my students, as well.  He speaks with and teaches all of my courses on the day that he visits, which is usually four or five different classes.  This is a sign not only of the strength of our relationship, but of his dedication to education.  It brings me great joy when a student of mine who has met Dr. Carrigan decides to apply and attend my alma mater. 

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This is part of the Department of History’s “Project 100,” the collection and sharing of one hundred memories by Glassboro State College and Rowan University alumni and staff in celebration of the 100^th anniversary of the founding of Glassboro Normal School, later Glassboro State College, and now Rowan University.  Thanks to Laurie Lahey for helping proofread and edit the final versions.  Email carrigan@rowan.edu with questions or corrections.  You can find the Link to all of the Project 100 entries on the Web:  https://chss.rowan.edu/departments/history/alumni_highlights/project_100/