WILL Alumni Inducted Into TCNJ Program

“Students should apply for Women in Learning and Leadership (WILL) academic program because it expands your limits when it comes to learning and is a rewarding experience,” said Linda Truong, Alumna of Brookdale Community College, and attending The College of New Jersey (TCNJ.)

WILL is a collegiate leadership program that provides participants with academic and co-curricular experiences designed to develop a student’s leadership over the course of their undergraduate collegiate experience. Truong and Jaclyn Romano, an Alumna of Brookdale Community College, and attending TCNJ, were both members of WILL at Brookdale and have recently been inducted into the WILL program at TCNJ.

“From the professors teaching the courses, the content of those courses, and the connections made through participating with the WILL club activities, WILL fully defined my Brookdale experience in the best way,” said Romano.

Romano is majoring in English at TCNJ with a secondary major in Women and Gender Studies (WGS). Graduating from TCNJ in 2024 with a double major will be made possible because of the courses she took through the WILL program while at Brookdale. “I transferred in with my three WGS courses from Brookdale, so in theory, I could have simply taken the minor and ended it there,” she said. “But personally, I am very passionate about WGS, and several courses are cross-listed with the English major, so it’s sort of a no-brainer to take it a step further and double major.”

“The WILL program at TCNJ has 14 members on their Executive Board, 6 departments and 128 members, which is HUGE,” said Truong. “I would like to be Membership Chair. Getting to know all the members and making sure they feel included is right up my alley and I believe is important, especially in a bigger institution.”

Truong is majoring in Clinical and Counseling Psychology and Women and Gender Studies at TCNJ. “I feel like I have my favorite parts of WILL and Psi Beta ingrained in my curriculum,” she said. In addition to WILL at TCNJ, Troung, past president of Psi Beta at Brookdale, will join Psi Chi, the continuation and bigger sister of Psi Beta.

Both Truong and Romano have compelling endorsements for the WILL program at Brookdale.

“WILL is actually the reason I applied to TCNJ,” said Romano. “Roseanne Alverez (an actual angel on this earth by the way) modeled Brookdale’s WILL program after TCNJ’s and spoke highly of their new director Cecillia Colbeth. So, my expectations for WILL at TCNJ is that it will closely follow my experiences at Brookdale.”

“WILL is such a welcoming group and is always there to support you even outside of meetings and events,” said Truong. “There was never a time I felt out of place or unloved. You can join anytime; they will always welcome you with open arms.”

To apply, or for more information about WILL, email will@brookdalecc.edu.

Photo:  WILL receives Best Club Gold Star Award. Left to right Jaclyn Romano and Linda Truong.
WILL’s mission is Empower women+ students to become the future leaders of our local and global communities.