Roger Williams University's chapter takes a break from a recovery to snap a photo. (From left to right: Evan Cassani, Katie Boyd, Josh Henessey (food services director and chapter advisor), Kate Gladsky, Trevor Nelson, and Kelsey Rogers)
Kelsey Rogers first heard about FRN when she saw a video of co-founder Ben Simon talking about FRN's start at the University of Maryland. Kelsey immediately sought out her campus chapter, signed up to volunteer and, as she says, the rest is history! Read more about Kelsey and her chapter below.
THE BASICS
Name: Kelsey Rogers
School: Roger Williams University
Year of Graduation: 2017
Major/area of study: Graphic Design (minor in Film and American Studies)
Position on leadership team: President
WE ASKED Kelsey...
Where are you from? I am from Billerica, Massachusetts! For those who have no idea where that is (AKA everyone), it is just north of Boston.
How did you get involved in FRN? I first heard about FRN on Facebook when I saw a video about Ben Simon and how he and his friends began the first chapter in Maryland. I decided immediately that I wanted to start a chapter on my campus, and when I looked into it, I realized someone already did! That was Katie Boyd, a local who reached out to Bon Appetit at RWU to get things going. I e-mailed her and got started right away; the rest is history!
Can you share a favorite FRN memory? To be honest, that is a hard question! There have been so many small memories that have built up into one, memorable experience. One of my favorite memories would have to be all of the car rides to and from the local shelters with Katie and the other officers, Trevor, Evan, and Kate, singing at the top of our lungs to "Uptown Funk"! To this day I will always think of those great times whenever I hear that song!
What's one thing you love about Roger Williams University? The FOOD. Ask anyone who goes here. It is by far the best (sorry, Mom!). We all wait all year long for steak and lobster dinner, midnight breakfast, Halloween dinner, and Thanksgiving feast. So much of our food is locally grown and we have so many options that people never get tired of it. We are so privileged and it is so important that we share what we have.
What are your ambitions post-graduation? What a loaded question! Well to get to the point, I’d like what everyone would like, to be happy and able to support myself! I would love to go into the publishing business. Working for a publishing company such as Simon & Schuster would be amazing. However, I have a passion for Pixar, and working as a story artist or animator for such a prestigious animation studio would be a dream come true. I think it is a good thing to have many plans for myself; I’ll do it all someday!
Tell us something unique about yourself! Just one?! Well, I had a pretty unique high school experience! I graduated from Shawsheen Valley Technical High School in 2013. I matriculated through the health technology shop, and competed for my school in SkillsUSA. SkillsUSA is a student-governed organization that encourages students in vocational schools to be better prepared for the world of work. I truly owe my self-confidence, initiative, and leadership skills to my experience with this organization as a competitor and student leader. Without SkillsUSA, I would not have had the strong ability to organize our FRN chapter at Roger Williams.
Interested in learning more about Roger William's University's chapter? Check them out here.