When Marisa Rotolo arrived at NC State to pursue a graduate degree in higher education administration, one of her top goals was to get as much hands-on experience in relevant academic administration and student affairs work as possible. 

As she prepares to complete her program and receive her master’s degree from the College of Education later this month, it is safe to say that Rotolo, who completed her undergraduate degree at UNC-Chapel Hill, has achieved that goal. 

“What’s been really cool as a grad student is you have more doors open for you.”

Throughout her two years with the Wolfpack community, Rotolo’s experience includes graduate work with both the Women’s Center and Student Conduct, participating in the Chancellor’s Aides program and more. 

“It gives me a lot of options,” Rotolo said. “I really took the chance as a grad student to learn as much as I could and to gain as many new experiences as I could. When I applied to this program, I knew I needed to do anything I could. What’s been really cool as a grad student is you have more doors open for you. I feel like I stand out as a grad student, and it allows me to get into these spaces that other people wouldn’t think to be in.” 

Building Community with the Women’s Center

During her first year of graduate school, Rotolo worked as a graduate programming coordinator, working alongside Assistant Director Rosa Kowalczewski, planning and working events such as Women’s HERstory Month programming, Care Retreats focused on helping students learn about themselves and build community, and various educational events. 

“Marisa is just so active on campus,” Kowalczewski said. “She was just constantly on top of things for us. She revitalized our volunteer program, brought in 20 more volunteers and had them set on a schedule to come in and volunteer with the Women’s Center.”

“Marisa is just so active on campus.”

In addition to planning events for the Women’s Center, Rotolo also enjoyed spending time in the center’s physical space in Talley Student Union, meeting and connecting with other students and helping to foster a sense of community. 

“I really loved it,” Rotolo said. “It definitely is rewarding. I really got to know a lot of the students that come in regularly. A lot of them would say how safe and welcoming the space is, and how they really appreciated being there. I feel the same way. When I was starting and I was new to NC State, it was nice to have that, even though it was my job. Even though I’m not working there anymore, it’s nice to have a place to go on campus. I wanted to work for the Women’s Center, because at UNC, they have one, but it wasn’t a physical space. I was really excited about the opportunity to work for a space like this that allows students to use it for whatever reason they want to. I didn’t really have that in undergraduate.” 

Though she has moved on to a new graduate assistantship in her second year, Rotolo still enjoys spending time in the Women’s Center, attending programming such as Wellness Wednesdays with Campus Health Educator Dan Passonno, and participating in community-building events such as book clubs or games of Dungeons and Dragons. 

“Being able to visit the space and be involved in different ways is really nice,” Rotolo said. “It’s always fun. There’s always something going on there.”

Gaining a Wealth of Experience

As she continued her preparation for a career in academic administration, Rotolo’s focus shifted to a key element of that field: Student Conduct. 

After shadowing and observing with the unit in the second semester of her first year, Rotolo joined the Student Conduct Board, a group of students that meets monthly to discuss various matters, participates in Student Conduct hearings and conducts outreach programming. 

“We did a lot of training at the beginning of the semester so that we can speak with students during hearings,” Rotolo said. “We’re asking the questions based on what we know and what we think is fair.”

Throughout her time with the Student Conduct Board, Rotolo has enjoyed learning more about the unit’s mission of promoting a culture of accountability through shared ownership of NC State’s community standards, and efforts to educate students on the impact of their conduct. 

“I think they do such a good job here of not making it a scary process.”

“I think they do such a good job here of not making it a scary process,” Rotolo said. “It can be. I would be scared if I ever got that email. I got to work with almost everyone in that office and see how they do their meetings. They all do a really good job of focusing on education and not making it a case of ‘Oh, you’re in trouble.’ It’s not adversarial. It was really interesting to see how different people approached it, too. I feel like there were different ways that different staff members handled it. I learned a lot from that.”

In addition to her work with the Student Conduct Board, Rotolo also joined the Chancellor’s Aides program this school year. This group of students works at events that involve the chancellor, such as pre-game receptions at sporting events or scholar events such as Golden Leaf at the chancellor’s residence. 

At these events, Rotolo and her fellow Chancellor’s Aides, clad in Wolfpack red blazers, meet and greet alumni, donors and other guests, distribute name tags and ensure the operations go smoothly. 

“There are some really cool opportunities with that,” Rotolo said. “As someone who’s going into higher ed, it’s just really cool to see such high-level people at these high-level events.”

Being a Chancellor’s Aide during the 2025-26 school year has given Rotolo a unique opportunity of seeing Chancellor Kevin Howell’s inaugural school year, including assisting with his installation. 

“It’s so cool to see how he’s established himself so quickly,” Rotolo said. “He’s just such a personable guy. He really just wants to talk to and meet everyone he can, and that’s what happens. Every event he’s at, he’s constantly talking to people and getting stopped. He’s done a great job of making himself seen and present. It’s been cool to see how Chancellor Howell is coming into this role. It’s inspirational.” 

Rotolo also represented her graduate program with Preview the Pack, and assisted with the College of Education’s recruitment weekend, which sees prospective students come to NC State to learn about the school through both in-person and virtual information sessions. 

For Rotolo, assisting with this endeavor is a full circle moment, as she remembers attending her own recruitment weekend at NC State. 

“With NC State, it’s student led,” Rotolo said. “We set the tone and figure out what we’re going to do. It’s cool to know that students are behind what is being shown to you. I don’t think I fully understood when I was going through the process. They said ‘NC State is special because we really get to do this. I just thought they were on the Zoom calls, but now that I’m on the committees, I see all of the work that goes into it, and it’s really student-led. We gain experience from it. You really get to get your hands dirty and do these things.” 

“You really get to get your hands dirty and do these things.” 

Rotolo also interns for the College of Design’s career services program, assisting students with their resumes and job applications. 

“I’m super proud of her,” Kowalczewski said. “Coming in, she was more quiet, but then I got to know her and see how well she interacts with people and students, and how she’s always willing to help people. I’m proud to see that she’s gotten a good experience out of her two years here, and she’s left an impact that people will remember her.” 

“She’s left an impact that people will remember her.” 

In addition to all of her on-campus work at NC State, Rotolo works in a residential role at Saint Mary’s, a private boarding school for 9th through 12th grade students on Hillsborough Street. 

Rotolo works in the building on Monday and weekend nights to help ensure all students get in before curfew and are accounted for, and also works with the school’s event programming on weekends. 

“It’s been really fun to get to know them,” Rotolo said. “A lot of the time, I’m in the lounges that they have in their dorms, their residence halls. They’ll hang out there too, and I’ll join in on the conversation, make sure they’re OK. I work with the seniors the most. They’re committing to schools, and it’s cool to see what they’re going through, figuring out where they’re going to go to college. I like hearing about their days, their games with the sports they have running every year. It’s nice to see how much work they put into everything they do. It keeps me motivated too.” 

Movies and Connections

In her free time, Rotolo enjoys going to local movie theaters to see new movies, and is looking forward to an upcoming summer and fall blockbuster slate that includes movies such as The Odyssey, Spiderman: Brand New Day, Dune: Part Three, Avengers Doomsday and more. 

She also enjoys spending time with her parents and brother, and calling and visiting her family in Florida. 

“I like hanging out with my friends and family,” Rotolo said. “My family lives about 30 minutes away. I’m really close with my cousin, so I call and FaceTime her. She lives in Florida, whenever I can visit there I do.”

A Career in Academic Administration

After completing her graduate program, Rotolo hopes to find a career in academic administration, possibly in a more specialized student affairs position at a local college such as NC State, UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke or Meredith College. 

“That’s what this degree and all of my experiences have prepared me the most for.”

It’s safe to say that Rotolo made the most of her two years at NC State, gaining a wealth of experience in various areas that will serve her well as she explores possible paths in her field. 

“With colleges, there are very specific jobs, which is cool,” Rotolo said. “If I want to do conduct, I can go into conduct if there are jobs. I would love to work in a women’s center, or student services, student centers, student affairs jobs in general. That’s what this degree and all of my experiences have prepared me the most for.”

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