Parent & Student Testimonials

One of the best ways to learn about Roosevelt is to talk to students and parents about their experiences.  Below are three different perspectives about the Roosevelt University experience:

Student and Parent Profile: Jon and Julie Schroeder

What Jon Says About Roosevelt

The school has a lot of energy. People are warm and friendly. It’s like a small town in the middle of a big city.

What Jon’s Mom, Julie Schroeder, Says About Roosevelt

What are the most positive things about Jon’s time at Roosevelt so far?

Jon liked the city and said he wanted to go there for college. We’re from a small town, so he wanted to try something different. He likes to be busy all the time, so Chicago offered that to him. At Roosevelt, he likes the small class sizes so he can talk one on one with his teachers.

It’s nice for us to know that Jon lives in the dorm and goes to class in just a couple of buildings, so he does not have to wander his way around a big campus. Even though the city is big, the school is small, so he gets a lot of personal attention there.

Two more kids from our high school, Iroquois West in Gilman, Illinois, are going to school at Roosevelt in the fall because of Jon. They got the brochures from Roosevelt and saw him in there. It made it more personal to see someone they knew in there. It made them realize that you can go to the big city and be recognized.

How do you connect with Jon while he is in college?

It seems like he calls home more than he did when he was in high school. We also stay in touch through the Internet. I’ve visited Jon and gone to the ballet with him at the Auditorium Theatre [of Roosevelt University]. He got tickets at a discount because he goes to school there.

Student and Parent Profile:

Jim, Pete and Walter Tashjian

Pictured, from left: Jim, Pete and Walter Tashjian.  Both Jim and Pete are undergraduate jazz studies majors in the Chicago College of Performing Arts.

What Jim and Pete’s Dad, Walter Tashjian, Says About Roosevelt

You mentioned that you regret you gave up being a musician yourself when you see all the opportunities available to Jim and Pete. How is the music program at Roosevelt helping to prepare them for their careers?

The instruction at Chicago College of Performing Arts (CCPA) is done by professional musicians who have committed to transferring their musical and performance experience to aspiring CCPA students. The conservatory offers a unique combination of theoretical and practical instruction in an academic setting. The instructors give students knowledge of what it will take to actually practice their craft in the music industry. Both of my students have gotten referrals from instructors for performance opportunities that allow them to experience the things required of professional musicians. Additionally, all of the students in the CCPA Jazz Studies Program constantly form groups for performance opportunities which have enabled my sons to be in multiple performance groups doing a variety of performance types in public.

What would you say to parents who might have reservations about their children choosing to major in performing or liberal arts rather than business, engineering or pre-med?

I believe that the foundation of success in life is passion for what you are doing. The quality of the education and experiences available at CCPA allows students with a passion for music to further their goals. An unmotivated business student may be less successful than a motivated music student. Music has marketing, business and technical aspects which musicians must master to be successful. It also requires commitment, attention to detail, mathematical skills and a competitive attitude for success. Those traits are universally valuable.

What advice do you have for parents helping their children decide on a college?

Look for an environment where the culture feels comfortable to the child. Consider the child’s personality when choosing the location, size of the school and course of study.

Realistic expectations lead to a greater potential for success. If the child has a passion for something, support it totally. If not, don’t be against “undeclared” for the first year or two.

How have you been able to connect with your children during their college education?

Though it is a 43-mile commute, the exit to Congress Parkway, ease of getting to the school and availability of parking affords me the opportunity to attend most of the recitals as well as gigs arranged by faculty for my sons. I believe I see them more now, with better quality interaction, than I did when they lived at home. Additionally, I’ve been able to meet and get to know many of their CCPA classmates. Interacting with them has added to my connection with my sons’ experience at CCPA.

What aspects of Roosevelt University have been the most positive factors in their education?

Without question, it is the composition and experience of the faculty at CCPA.

Student and Parent Profile:

Tito, Noelany and Roberto Clemente

Pictured, from left: Tito, Noelany and Roberto Clemente.  Tito is an undergraduate student and Noelany is a graduate student, both in the College of Arts and Sciences. Roberto is chairperson and associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Services, College of Education

What Parent/Professor Roberto Clemente Says About Roosevelt

What attracted you to Roosevelt University, as a faculty member?

A few things attracted me to Roosevelt: 1) the size – it’s a medium-size private institution; 2) the University’s principles of social justice and diversity; 3) the city and suburban locations, which allow the opportunity for faculty and students to be on both campuses.

What attracted your children to Roosevelt University?

The size of the university is important because it gives us all the opportunity to be actively involved. The opportunities for leadership are there. For example, Tito created an organization from scratch. Because of him, now they have a dancing club at the Schaumburg Campus. And, he teaches a class in Salsa.

What advice do you have for parents helping their children with their college search?

I never waited until the senior year of high school, or even the junior year. We had conversations about college all the time. They came with me to conferences and to visit colleges, so they got an idea of the type of environments that they could experience. Eventually, it was more about personality and what type of environment fit their lifestyles. Of course, the quality of the institution was important, that it was accredited and had some academic areas that appealed to them. It was about fusing their personalities and academic interests with the institution. Both of them concurred that they did not want to go to a large place, take a lecture with 450 students and feel lost and have no connection with the faculty. So early on, we had decided that a private institution was the best fit to build their confidence of being actively involved in the classroom and having one-on-one conversations with the faculty.

Have you had opportunities to work with either of your children at the University?

Noelany and I are in very similar fields; she’s in psych, and I’m in counseling. They overlap in many ways. We submitted a proposal to the Illinois Counseling Association for their convention. It’s about bilingual interventions for counselors and psychologists. We’re working with Latino Spanish speakers, and we’re hoping to have a two-hour presentation on our basic techniques of using Spanish in the sessions in order to conduct assessments and evaluations of clients.

What Noelany Clemente Says About Roosevelt

What role did your family play in helping you to make your college decision?

My family was very involved in the decision-making process. They emphasized finding a “fit” in the atmosphere and pursuing an institution with a mission statement I could be passionate about. Roosevelt University strongly campaigns for social justice in all facets of its curriculum.

How have you adjusted to the campus environment and the academic challenges? What made this process easier?

I like to believe that the transition from high-school life to college life has gone smoothly for me. The Schaumburg Campus, because it is small and personal, allowed me to make friends with students, faculty and staff alike.

What Tito Clemente Says About Roosevelt

What attracted you to Roosevelt University?

One reason was that it was close to home. Being able to commute is a huge plus when it comes to choosing a college for me because I can save a lot of money staying at home. Another aspect of Roosevelt that attracted me was the fact that they had a broad spectrum of choices for me to go into the field that I want to pursue.

How has your position working in the Office of Admission made you feel more involved at Roosevelt?

My position has allowed me to become immersed in the daily activities of the University and to become a well-rounded student. It also allows me to establish many different connections on campus because knowing more people is always a great advantage since you never know when you’re going to need letters of recommendation or things of that nature!

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