By: Kevin Modeszto I Published: November 18, 2025
The downpour was torrential across New Jersey. Most people would be inside with weather like this, but not Megan Costello. Costello was spending her rainy afternoon running around Kean’s campus doing a scavenger hunt with her soon-to-be new friends.
Costello is entering her freshman year and came from her home in Woodbridge Township to spend one of her final days of summer at the music major’s orientation. In the email sent by an advisor, Costello was made aware of the rain or shine scavenger hunt.
“My jeans were just drenched,” Costello said, “it looked like I was walking in a five-inch flood, but it was a nice team building exercise.”
In a way, going to Kean was like returning home for Costello. Some of her earliest memories are of dance recitals in Wilkins Theatre.
“I was looking at all the colleges I could go to, and I saw Kean and I was immediately like ooh,” Costello said, “Kean is near enough to me to where I feel like I’m not thrusting myself into a new place, a bunch of reasons coalesced into this [being a Kean student].”
She also recalls her memories of the Kean choir performing at her high school. While Megan Costello was drawn to Kean University for its proximity and familiarity, fellow freshman Nya Felix, a Forensic Science major, hails all the way from Delaware.
“I just found [Kean] on my Common App on the list of places that wanted me to apply,” Felix said. “I always wanted to go out of state, so I always knew I wanted to dorm.”
Unlike Felix, who dorms, Costello chose to commute to campus.
“I like my house,” Costello said. “I also like the adventurous aspect of commuting and taking the train, it gives you a sense of independence.”
Both Costello and Felix have made friends in their short time at Kean, including during their respective orientations.
As freshmen tend to be, they are both a mix between nervous and excited.
When asked what she was most nervous about, Felix said simply, “my classes.”
Costello went into more depth.
“What if it’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” she said, “am I going to come here and a professor’s going to crush all my dreams? Is everything going to topple in on itself?”
Associate Director of the Center for Advising, Persistence, and Success (CAPS) Melissa Henry provided further advice.
“Give yourself time to adjust–college is a big change and it’s normal to feel lost or overwhelmed,” she said. “Go to class (even if attendance is not required, it is required). Being present helps you stay on track and motivated. Use campus resources–talk to your professors, CAPS Advisor, classmates and the staff at the Learning Commons. Take care of your mental and physical health. Eat, sleep, and take breaks when possible. If you are struggling, reach out for help. Have fun, college goes by quickly and your freshman year is the best time to lay a strong foundation in your academic journey here at Kean.”
Both Costello and Felix look forward to meeting new people and to the new experiences college will bring. For Freshmen with their whole college years ahead of them, everything at Kean is worth getting excited about.
“I can’t pinpoint it down to just one thing [I’m excited for],” Costello said.
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