When Gianna DeCrescenzo was weighing her options on where to go to school, she was looking for a college with small class sizes, where she could have a voice and easily get involved. Enrolling at SJC Brooklyn’s picturesque Clinton Hill campus quickly made that vision come to life.
“My advice to any student considering SJC is to definitely get involved,” said Ms. DeCrescenzo, a child study and speech pathology double major. “There are so many clubs and options, and when you are at SJC, you definitely should take part in all it has to offer in order to make a great college experience.”
Ms. DeCrescenzo, a junior, is happy to be back on campus this fall, resuming her busy schedule — filled with the friends made in her classes and through the multiple clubs and organizations she is involved with. She is an Honors Program student and a member of three e-boards: the chairperson for SJC Brooklyn’s chapter of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) International Honor Society in Education Honor; the social media coordinator for the Child Study Club; and the secretary for NSSLHA.
“This semester, I am looking forward to hopefully finally having a normal year,” Ms. DeCrescenzo said this summer. “With so many new commitments, I am very excited to help run events and come up with exciting things for my clubs to do on campus.”
While studying remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. DeCrescenzo stayed connected with her peers via texting. She and her schoolmates leaned on one another to adjust to learning remotely.
In the spring, she used these experiences to help the College document what student life was like during the pandemic, as part of the library’s annual Voices of SJC project.
Ms. DeCrescenzo, who commutes from the Marine Park area of Brooklyn, said in addition to the small class sizes, she also chose SJC Brooklyn because of its highly regarded child study department. She always had an affinity for helping children. Her first taste of teaching came when she tutored elementary school students while still attending Fort Hamilton High School.
“It brought me great joy to see them grow and prosper with the help that I provided,” said Ms. DeCrescenzo, who later plans to attend graduate school for speech pathology.
St. Joseph’s has helped her build on her natural abilities to nurture young minds. Ms. DeCrescenzo said she especially enjoys her speech classes with Rosemarie Hamlin, assistant professor and associate chair of the communication studies department.
“She makes information clear and interesting to learn, and overall makes learning a fun experience,” Ms. DeCrescenzo said.
