This series of features highlights Kean University students who have undertaken professional roles, both outside and within the university. The criterion for students chosen for this series is completed work experience in the field, with professional research, and academic achievement either in professional or graduate school.

Seldom do student scholarship recipients get the opportunity to develop a relationship with their donor. Maria Rodriguez, second year speech-language pathology graduate student, is one of those few. Through her graduate assistant position with the Office of Scholarship Services, Rodriguez interacts with Kean University donors on a daily basis.

"One of the greatest things about working in [this office] is my ability as a scholarship recipient to 'pay it forward'," shares Rodriguez. "Because of my position in the office, I am granted the opportunity to interact with my donor not only as a recipient but also on a professional level... I was able to succeed and pursue my dreams because of the generosity of the Harold and Dorothy Snyder Foundation. Now, I correspond with them in preparing to support the dreams of current and future students who are in a position where I was not that long ago."

In addition to direct connection with donors, Rodriguez has been an integral component of the recent media initiative launched by the Office of Scholarship Services. The 2012 scholarship application process is one that saw major change -- transitioning to a complete online format. To communicate with the student body in a congruent format to the recent transition, Rodriguez implemented Kean University Scholarship Services Facebook and Twitter accounts, and has maintained their function since.

"The social media outlets have become a major avenue for the dissemination of the most recent scholarship updates and changes to our student body." She adds, "It is not only an efficient method to communicate with students but also an effective way to increase awareness of the services our office provides as well as centralize information for current students in a way that is attractive and easily obtainable."

As Rodriguez prepares for her May graduation, she hopes her professional work will land her in a field of education with a "multilingual and multicultural population". Utilizing her academic work, she wishes to obtain a bilingual speech language specialist position and work in her field long enough to find a concentration and develop experience she may bring into a doctoral program.

In ascribing to her diverse beginnings, Rodriguez comments on her future work with urban public school district students - "I feel like I could be an advocate for these particular students due to my own experiences as well as having parents who came from different countries and have English as a second language."