Chazz Rolle (she/her): Creating a Home in a New Country

When she journeys on the CTA Blue Line from her home in Wicker Park to school and work at Roosevelt’s downtown Chicago campus, Chazz Rolle often contemplates how day-to-day life differs so greatly from her hometown of Freeport in the Bahamas. There are the superficial differences: baggy clothing for cold weather, bustling intersections instead of leisurely roads, flat Midwestern accents instead of her Caribbean lilt and deserted beaches in the winter months. But Chazz has also realized a distinctly American mindset she’s needed to adjust too.

“Especially in some everyday interactions, I’ve noticed that Americans tend to take positions that are very one-sided and aren’t open to new ideas,” she says. “They have their opinion and argue for it rather than try to meet in the middle or learn something new.”

Despite the occasional culture clashes, Chazz has thrived since transferring to Roosevelt in 2022 to pursue a bachelor’s in digital marketing. She has earned her student visa, embraced the walkable streets of Wicker Park and become a student ambassador in the admissions office, which she describes as her “second family.” She especially enjoys working with prospective students who live beyond Chicagoland and assuring them that having new experiences in a different city can make you a more adaptable individual.

“I really like working with students from different states or countries, because I can share my experience of moving from somewhere dramatically different and showing that you can succeed in a diverse city like Chicago and a supportive environment like Roosevelt,” she says. “Back home in the Bahamas, people sometimes seem like they’re in a bubble and don’t want to explore the broader world, but here at Roosevelt it’s encouraged.”