​When Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) Business Studies major, Candice Giunta, launched her campaign to become Phi Theta Kappa’s New Jersey State President around a theme of overcoming challenges, she had no way of anticipating the unprecedented obstacles that she was about to face. Knowing would not have stopped her; nothing ever does.

Giunta had first enrolled at RCSJ in 2013. Soon thereafter, as she describes it, “life happened.” She met her husband and paused her educational journey to get married, give birth their children and begin working a full-time job to help support her young family. Though she had moved from Williamstown to Runnemede and was no longer located in Gloucester County, when she was ready to resume her education in 2017, she knew exactly where she wanted to be.

“RCSJ was like home to me,” she stated with a smile. “I honestly couldn’t see myself going anywhere else.”

Giunta immersed herself in college life and quickly became interested in RCSJ’s Alpha Psi Pi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), a premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges. She felt welcomed by the club’s advisors, chapter president and members, and drawn in by their dedication to community service. Already an active volunteer with her church and a mentor to individuals recovering from drug addiction, once Giunta participated in her first PTK service event – an American Red Cross blood drive – she was hooked.

“I was coming back as a nontraditional student, so I didn’t have too many friends on campus,” she explains. “It was amazing to feel that warmth from PTK’s members and advisors, and to connect with a group that was passionate about helping others. It made me feel comfortable coming back to school.”

Her fellow PTK members began to feel like family to Giunta, and she threw herself wholeheartedly into the club – first as a member, then as corresponding secretary before finally becoming the RCSJ chapter president. When the opportunity arose to run for New Jersey State President, the busy student, wife and mother of three did not hesitate to throw herself into the race.

“I was excited to see Candice run for NJ State President,” said one member of that family, Director of Advising and PTK Club Advisor Shawn Rutter. “She is an inspiring young lady who has the passion and determination necessary to succeed.  After seeing what Candice brought to the Alpha Psi Pi Chapter, I knew her skillset would be of benefit to all other chapters within the state.”

Giunta began developing a campaign centered around overcoming life’s challenges. She attended orientations, created campaign materials and signage, and began working on her speech in preparation for the election to be held at the 2020 Middle States Regional Convention, scheduled for March 13-15 at the Seaview Hotel in Galloway Twp. As part of the process she spoke openly about some of the darker moments in her past, engaging with members throughout the region with an honesty and vulnerability that drew them to her. It was not your traditional campaign strategy, but it was working.

“It was important to me to be genuine the whole time and that seemed to sit with people better than just trying to campaign,” said Giunta. “I didn’t want to be boring or dull; I just wanted to be myself.”

Just as Giunta was nearing the final weeks of her campaign, everything changed and the entire world ground to a halt. What had begun as rumors solidified into undeniable truth: the world was in the grips of a pandemic and life would have to change drastically in order to combat the threat of COVID-19. There would be no convention for PTK or large gatherings of any kind; and on March 12, RCSJ followed CDC and state recommendations, announcing the closure of their campuses and a transition to online course delivery in order to protect the health and safety of its students.

Having life turned on its head would have stopped most people, but Giunta’s commitment to her goals did not waiver for a moment. The process of campaigning switched to a virtual environment; instead of campaigning in person at the convention, PTK required candidates to run a social media campaign leading up to a virtual election to be held via Zoom on March 28.

“It was an abrupt switch and it was hard,” Giunta admits. “Every day for two weeks I had to ask myself if there was something about my personality – something about my motivation – that people need to know and that I haven’t told them yet. These are people relying on you if you get elected. You don’t want to just say whatever people want to hear. I knew I had to remain genuine.”

Giunta stayed the course and March 28, the day of the election, finally arrived. More than 200 individuals participated in what she describes as “the biggest Zoom meeting of all time.” It began with an awards ceremony; Giunta received the Hall of Honor Chapter Officer award in recognition of the leadership and high level of involvement she displayed in her role as RCSJ chapter president. Results of the election for state presidents were saved until the very end. When they announced PTK’s 2020 New Jersey State President, it was Giunta’s name that they spoke.

“I cried! It was so embarrassing,” she exclaims with an honesty that has become her trademark. “I had to turn my camera off! I kept saying ‘I’m so sorry, you guys.’”

Despite the hard work and dedication Giunta put into her campaign, and the resilience she demonstrated by quickly readjusting to an entirely new process, she was insistent that she could have never accomplished this on her own. Her RCSJ PTK club family had her back the entire way.

“My campaign manager, Nina Barone, was amazing and I was able to rely on her whenever I needed help,” said Giunta. “My PTK advisors, Shawn Rutter and Jackie Thomasson, were there every step of the way. School was out. I expected to have trouble getting a hold of people. No! Shawn answered every phone call. He was so excited, and I know how much he wanted this for me. Jackie helped me rehearse over the phone. I’m so grateful for them. I don’t think I would have made it this far without my advisors by my side.”

Giunta has now assumed the role of PTK’s New Jersey State President – the first ever RCSJ student to be elected to the role. She is already hard at work, dividing her goals for this leadership position into what can be accomplished now in a virtual environment and long-term goals to put into action once the storm of this pandemic passes.

“One of my biggest goals is to bring all of the different chapters together,” Giunta explains. “I would love to organize service events that involve the entire region, not just one chapter. Not being able to physically gather together makes that difficult, but we can still host Zoom meetings to brainstorm.”

Those who know her best have little doubt that Giunta will meet and exceed her goals – despite the challenging circumstances she is starting under and whatever roadblocks pop up along the way.

“We are living through some trying times right now as the country battles this pandemic; being able to adapt to a situation quickly is crucial,” said Rutter. “Candice needed to adapt based upon these same changes and deliver a campaign on a new platform with very little time to prepare.  That’s what a leader does: adapt to the environment and utilize the resources that are currently available to them in order to meet their goal.  This is what Candice did, and that is why I am confident she will meet any goal she sets for herself and for the PTK chapters in New Jersey.”

For more information about Rowan College of South Jersey’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, visit RCSJ.edu/PTK.