Today’s Project 100 memory comes from Naveen Khan. She was born in Saudi Arabia, but moved to Canada when she was three years old.  When she was nine, her family moved to Cherry Hill, New Jersey.  She attended public schools and graduated from Cherry Hill East in 2012.  Her father is a mechanical engineer who does control engineering for Honeywell.  Her mother took care of Naveen, her two older sisters, and her younger brother.  She earned her BA at Rowan with majors in Early Childhood Education and Liberal Studies, where she specialized in History and Spanish.  She also earned an International Studies Concentration.  In 2019, she finished her Master’s degree at Rowan in Special Education.  After graduating, Naveen began working in the public schools as a teacher’s aide.  In 2020, LEAP Academy, a charter school in Camden, hired her as an English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor.  She taught 2^nd grade initially, and then ESL for Kindergarten through Eighth grade.  Her initial teaching was in-person but shifted to virtual after the pandemic began.  Her experiences in classrooms, beginning during her practical experiences at Rowan, opened her mind that students with disabilities needed help in many ways.  She realized that she could perhaps do more to help them if she helped them with their physical challenges.  So, in September of 2020, she entered the doctoral program in occupational therapy program at the University of St. Augustine in Florida.  She finished the program in the Spring and is now working in the field.

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I began my undergraduate studies at Camden County College, and I transferred to Rowan because of the reputation of the education program.  I was told that it was the program for my interests in New Jersey.  I ended up choosing history as one of my Liberal Studies tracks because I always loved history.  It wasn’t related to my career, but I was just passionate about the subject matter. The other choices I made academically, including Spanish as my second Liberal Studies track, were made with my career in mind.  I took Historical Methods with Melissa Klapper, and I wrote a paper on how education changed after World War II, particularly the emergence of day cares and expanding role of women in education.  This was one of my favorite papers, and I had to cut it down as it was too long when originally submitted. I am sad that I never took the history of Ancient Egypt.  It was always full when I tried to enroll!  I did take two courses with Dr. Blake on the Ottoman Empire and Islamic Civilization.  I liked how these classes were taught.  I enjoyed how she painted a picture of the past, how she made it come alive and personal.  I remember getting very attached and emotional about figures who died hundreds and hundreds of years ago.  I took my Seminar class online, with Dr. Chanelle Rose I believe, and I wrote about education for African Americans after the Civil War.

I got involved with both the Student History Association (SHA) and with Phi Alpha Theta (PAT) and made some of my greatest friends at Rowan through these clubs.  The history club meetings were fun.  They were laid back, and I really enjoyed the camaraderie we built.  I served as Secretary of SHA.  One of the highlights for me was the 2015 field trip to Gettysburg National Military Park where I had a really memorable experience in the watch tower.  I fell down but luckily did not tumble all the way to the bottom.  Still, the view was worth it!  I also remember the end of the year banquet as being a really fun evening.  My positive experiences with these clubs led me to seek out other clubs as well, and I became involved with the Muslim Student Association (MSA) for whom I soon served as a Senator.  The MSA position then helped me get the position of Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs for the Student Government Association.  I also joined the Peer Referral Orientation Staff (PROS).  I also worked at the Student Recreation Center where I met many faculty, including Dr. Carrigan on his way to play basketball.  I really miss that job.  Except for having to kick people out at 11:45pm, it was a blast.

Overall, my five years at Rowan were the best ones of my life up to now.  I always felt like I belonged.  There were always things to do and organizations that wanted me as a member.  Looking back now, it is almost crazy how everything that I did fit so well together, and I wouldn’t change anything about my time in Glassboro.

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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/