When Shayna came to RWU, she knew it was the place for her. “I chose Roger Williams because it was close to home, but not so close that family would pop in everyday,” she says with a laugh. Shayna also loved the size of RWU, which she said is small enough to be intimate, but not too small. “Of course, the Chinese and Architecture programs were a huge draw, and the amazing view didn’t hurt.”
As a freshman, Shayna was considering majoring in Architecture, but knew it was a tough program. “I came in and took my core classes and took a few architecture classes before declaring my major just to test it out. I was able to get in all of my requirements while taking time to test the waters and experience RWU life.”
Shayna also experienced RWU life through her involvement as a member of the Multicultural Student Union, the Chinese Club and the RWU chapter of AIAS–the American Institute of Architecture Students.
She also took advantage of studying abroad…in a real way. In 2008, Shayna traveled to China—all by herself. “We didn’t have a Chinese study abroad program at the time, but the study abroad office worked with me and with other programs that already existed in China to find one that would work for me. That’s one of the great things about RWU—when students express their desires, RWU takes them into consideration.”
