{"id":2669,"date":"2020-07-30T17:04:15","date_gmt":"2020-07-30T21:04:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ramapo.edu\/alumni\/?page_id=2669"},"modified":"2020-08-26T10:45:27","modified_gmt":"2020-08-26T14:45:27","slug":"all-in-the-ramafamily","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ramapo.edu\/alumni\/all-in-the-ramafamily\/","title":{"rendered":"All In the RamaFamily"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/strong>All In the RamaFamily<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Being a student at Ramapo College is often described as being surrounded by family. For four 2020 alumni, who are also cousins, no truer words could describe their experience. Sisters Kathryn and Rachel Agnello, and sisters Heather and Hope Jans, graduated this spring and now join six relatives for an impressive total of TEN<\/strong> alumni in their family.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cousins Rachel Agnello, Kathryn Agnello,\u00a0 Hope Jans, and Heather Jans held their own graduation ceremony.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Attending Together<\/h3>\n

\u201cGrowing up, we always wanted to go to the same school being that we lived two minutes away from each other. Ramapo gave us that opportunity,\u201d said Rachel, who earned her Master of Social Work degree this year, about her twin sister Kathryn and cousins Heather and Hope.\u00a0 \u201cWe’d run into each other in the Fish Bowl, the parking lots, and a few times I ended up driving behind Heather on Campgaw Road on the way to campus,\u201d Kathryn recalled. She also shared how being a twin created some mixed-up moments on campus. \u201cWe often confused our professors and waved back at people in the hallway that we didn’t know. One time, one of my friends started a conversation with my sister and didn’t realize it wasn’t me until halfway through!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Heather and Hope had the added pleasure of seeing their father, Roger Jans \u201809, Manager of Workforce Planning, Organizational Development and Classification in Human Resources, on campus. \u201cI would always stop into his office, ask about his day or maybe even grab lunch. That was an amazing experience to be able to have,\u201d shared Hope. Rachel and Kathryn\u2019s father, John Agnello, also works at Ramapo College in Public Safety.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just a few years earlier, Karen Jans \u201812 attended Ramapo along with her son, Sean Jans \u201814. They were supposed to graduate together, until Sean decided to obtain teacher certification. Going to college with siblings and cousins seems like fun, but what about with your child? \u201cI thought it was great going to school with my son and that we ended up sharing a passion for children and wanting to help students learn in any and every way possible. I was not sure how he felt then, being a kid in college with his mom…I didn’t want it to be awkward for him\u201d said Karen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sisters Rebecca Morel \u201816 and Erica Morel \u201816, overlapped time on campus with their cousins Karen and Sean, as well as Hope and Rachel. \u201cThe best part about having so much family at Ramapo was that I never knew who I’d bump into. With busy college schedules, family time gets cut down, so having them at the same college gave us plenty of time to catch up and help each other out,\u201d Rebecca recalled. Erica shared the same sentiment. \u201cI felt so supported and there was always someone I could find to hang out with.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While attending college with relatives has given this family a unique and rewarding experience, Kathryn also noted it is not the only way to make connections, as many alumni and current students know. \u201cIf you try to connect with the people in the college, you will succeed. It doesn’t take much to make close connections and friendships. Because Ramapo has a small population of students, you start recognizing faces early on in your school career.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Amanda (Swanson) Jans \u201811, a presidential scholarship recipient, married fellow Roadrunner Sean, though they did not meet while attending Ramapo together. With Amanda double-majoring in biology and psychology, and Sean majoring in theater, the chances of having any coursework together were quite slim. Little did Amanda know that the lead actor in the Berrie Center production of Playboy of the Western World she attended one night would later become her \u201cplayboy\u201d husband, she joked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Choosing Ramapo<\/h3>\n

Having so many relatives attend the same school, it is hard not to wonder what influence, if any, they had on each other\u2019s decisions. Roger was the first to attend Ramapo in the family, and served as an ambassador for not only his children, but his wife Karen. \u201cRoger spoke very highly of the school, the programs, and his professors while completing his degree.\u00a0 I originally decided to take just one class to see if I could handle the course load while taking care of my family and working full time.\u00a0 It ended up working very well because of the amazing support from my family.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Erica grew up in Mahwah, and having many relatives attend Ramapo, she was ready to rebel. \u201cI wanted to hate it. However, when I toured the campus, I knew it was the school for me. I knew I was going into a tough major [nursing] and that Ramapo had what I needed to make it through.\u201d Rebecca felt similarly, having been on campus many times long before even looking at colleges while in high school. \u201cI didn’t want to go there because it’s about a three-minute drive from home. After I went to an open house and went on a tour, however, I knew this was the college for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Student Experiences<\/h3>\n

One of Amanda\u2019s favorite times at Ramapo College was her study abroad experience in Spain. \u201cI think I initially attended the presentation since there was pizza…I ended up living with a host family and taking courses at the Universidad de Deusto<\/em> for a minor in Spanish. It was amazing to watch the running of the bulls, visit historical locations and museums, and taste European ice cream and other treats. I miss having tapas!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of Sean\u2019s fondest memories are from his time spent with faculty in the School of Contemporary Arts. In addition to taking a number of courses with Dr. Richard Langheim, he also loved Professor Maria Vail’s \u201cwonderfully energetic, high-octane acting classes that push actors to and beyond their limits for growth,\u201d while Heather enjoyed her time as a peer facilitator, which afforded her the opportunity to connect with incoming freshmen. Roger appreciated the opportunities to network with alumni through the many events offered on and off-campus.<\/span><\/p>\n

Campus Traditions<\/h3>\n

Can you guess? Yes, it comes as no surprise that the favorite Ramapo tradition in this family is Arching. Graduating during a pandemic was incredibly bittersweet for Kathyrn, Rachel, Heather, and Hope, as they did not get the opportunity to savor this beloved and culminating activity as they had when they first arrived on campus as freshmen. Far be it for a pandemic to stop them, however. Check out the Arching Ceremony<\/a><\/span><\/strong> they created in the front yard of the Agnello house.<\/span><\/p>\n