For someone who paused her education to raise her family, Christine Ortega has quickly filled up her academic bona fides: college graduate, Rowan College at Burlington County Dean’s List and a 3 +1 communications student on the verge of earning her bachelor’s degree. 

Lately, her journey has taken her on a tour of the Burlington County region’s hidden history through The Town Tourist, a YouTube project she created for a class assignment. 

Christine came to RCBC after having experienced the college atmosphere and understanding how it felt to be an overwhelmed and stressed-out student who had stopped her education for many years to raise her family. Coincidentally, the timing of her return to the classroom aligned with her daughter Faith’s college education. Faith currently attends RCBC, pursuing the same degree as her mom!

“RCBC is a fun, welcoming, equal opportunity campus. You can get your degree here while immersed in a collegiate environment that offers something for everyone,”Christine said.

After graduating with an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts from another college, Ortega realized she wanted to continue her passion for communicating and helping others.
She had her credits evaluated and learned that completing her bachelor’s degree was closer than she anticipated. Her next step was sitting down with RCBC’s Rowan Relations Specialist Diana Davenport and learning more about the 3+1 program and how it could benefit her.

She’s now on track to graduate with her bachelor's degree in Applied Communications this May, and she has already made an impact as a communicator because of a new passion she discovered from a project in the Participatory Media class she took at Rowan University. The digital project involves creating a hub and then supplementing it with social media. 

Ortega decided to explore hidden gems in the community around her in short videos to educate and inform. Debuting in October, @TheTownTourist has visited a giant troll sculpture in Hainesport, the Flexible Flyer museum in Moorestown and has recently given viewers a glimpse of Mount Holly, including RCBC’s Art Campus. Ortega plans to continue producing the series of community tourism videos after realizing it’s an excellent way to develop her passion for storytelling. 

Handling time management and multitasking with ease; when asked how she said,

“I quit in my mind every day, then the support from my husband, my mom and kids put me back into reality.” 

Pushing herself to be her best, her “Type A” personality never allows her to settle for anything; in school or life, Ortega always strives for her best.

As they continue their education, Ortega recognizes that her daughter, Faith, advocates for the same mindset. They are excelling in the communications field; Christine, as a junior and her daughter, as a freshman, achieved RCBC Dean’s List for spring 2023. They share the same high-achiever ethos, striving for their best daily.