The Middlesex College sophomore pitcher from South Brunswick accepted an invitation from the Beyond Sports program and will embark on an 11-day tour of Italy playing softball while also touring Milan, Rome and Florence.

Ramirez, along with her mother and older sister, leaves for Italy Saturday, June 15 and comes back June 25. Colts legendary softball coach Jim Muldowney, who passed away last month, told her about the program that brings athletes of different skill levels together to compete against foreign teams across the globe.

“Coach Muldowney texted me saying an organization was interested in me playing in Italy, and I wrote back and said that sounded cool and I would think about it,” said Ramirez. “I talked to my mom and my sister, and they both said ‘you’re doing it.’ This is too good of an opportunity.”

Ramirez, a right-handed pitcher and infielder, went 7-2 for the Colts in the circle this season with a 1.78 ERA. She was second-team All-Region. The Colts finished the season 24-7.

“She is our secret weapon,” said Colts pitching coach Cheryl Kjersgaard.

Ramirez started playing softball when she was eight. She played for three years at South Brunswick High School.

At Middlesex College, she is studying for her psychology degree and expects to graduate in the spring. She doesn’t speak any Italian, but she can’t wait to get there and see the sites, sample the food, and meet her teammates.

“I am really excited,” said Ramirez.

Those efforts garnered national recognition by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, a nonpartisan competition that honors campuses for excellence in student voter engagement Middlesex College earned a 34 out of 36 score and the “Highly Established Action Plan” ribbon for online materials, making it one of 123 institutions across the country to receive this recognition.

“This award supports the fact that we have been successful in showing how civically engaged our Middlesex College community has become,” said Charlotte Quigley, the Director of Civic Engagement and Community Partnerships at the College. “It’s a measure of what everyone is doing to support the efforts here to sustain an overall connection to our broader community.”

ALL IN is also running a contest in the fall semester where a college or university demonstrates a commitment to civic engagement through Election Day. The institution that shows the deepest engagement will earn the right to have an MTV-sponsored concert on campus.

Reaching students from different economic and social backgrounds at Middlesex College poses different challenges. Through various departments on campus, the College has opportunities for students to register to vote, hold forums to hear about the candidates and process, and learn about how government is intended to work.

Quigley lists multiple ongoing endeavors happening at Middlesex College to promote these goals, including working with the League of Women Voters, the New Jersey Ballot Bowl, Jersey Civic Engage and GivePulse, which connects volunteers with local service projects.

“It was our goal to help our students understand their potential impact on their own community,” said Quigley. “Getting them to register to vote is one thing, but we also want them to understand what it is they are voting for and do so as informed as possible and follow through.”

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge was created in 2016 to prompt more college students to be involved in the voting process and issues in their community. Since it’s creation, more than 1,000 colleges and nearly 10 million college students have taken advantage of their resources.

For more information, visit ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.

The individuals who comprise the Class of 2024 are diverse in age, background, accomplishments and future plans. They range in age from 17 years old (with 10 graduating with an associate degree before receiving a high school diploma) to 75 years young. Ten are military veterans. Thirty are scholar-athletes who excelled in the classroom and on the field. For some, commencement is truly a family affair. Family groupings such as a parent-and-child and three sets of twins are among this year’s graduates.

With degrees in hand, many of this year’s graduates will start careers right away in a wide variety of fields, such as corrections, dental hygiene, engineering, gaming and animation, graphic design, hospitality, information technology, law enforcement, nursing, radiography, and social work, as well as many others.

Others are continuing their education at one of the many four-year institutions in the state, including Rutgers, Montclair State, Kean, NJIT, The College of New Jersey, Seton Hall and William Paterson.

“What I enjoyed the most about Middlesex is that even in the classes where it wasn’t my major, the professors were still interested and cared about my performance. I feel really glad that I am going to graduate and am excited for what happens next,” said Marlon Belton, a Computer Science major who will be attending NJIT in the fall.

Biology major Idaliz Herrera is also excited for what’s next. She is transferring to Rutgers University’s Environmental and Biological Sciences School.

“Once I transfer, I will pursue my bachelor’s in microbiology, with a possible minor in genetics. I want to work in a laboratory setting, but I am still deciding on what career will entail what I am looking for. So far, my interest lies in becoming a geneticist,” Herrera said.

First-generation student Yokasti Mateo is among those who are Ivy-League bound. The 39-year-old Perth Amboy resident will continue her studies at Columbia University with the goal of becoming a neuropsychologist. She credits Middlesex College for providing her with the tools to move forward on her educational journey.

“In addition to my effort and dedication, the faculty members have been an important part of my journey because of the way they have taught and inspired me on many occasions during lectures,” said Mateo.

Columbia University is also the destination for the Class of 2024 salutatorian Nima Sedghi, who had a particular shout-out for his mother whose “unwavering support” made graduation possible.

“My mom, especially, always pushed me to be the best version of myself, and her unconditional love and support are what pushed me to aim for the highest points,” said the aspiring doctor.

The recognition that graduation is rarely, if ever, an individual accomplishment was a constant refrain throughout the ceremony, beginning with College President Mark McCormick’s address to the Class of 2024.

“There were likely many times that you thought you might never make it, but you did. As we are all aware, nothing of any consequence comes solely from our own individual efforts. And that is especially true of something as monumental as earning a college degree. When any of us achieves something of greatness, it is almost always because others around us have supported us, encouraged us, and lifted us up. You have undoubtedly benefitted from the guidance, encouragement, and cheerleading of others,” said President Mark McCormick.

Shared success was a central theme of Class valedictorian Katherine Fallon-Reusch’s class welcome.

“My fellow graduates, you and I are the product of investments, of the belief that we have the potential to succeed,” she said to the graduating class.

Fallon-Reusch will pursue a bachelor’s in History at Rutgers this fall and eventually a master’s in Education and Library Science. She had these parting words for her fellow graduates:

“One of the beautiful things about investments is that you can take what you have been given, and in turn, invest it elsewhere. Each of us has the possibility of impacting another person for the greater good. Like all the people who have gotten us to this moment, we have the potential to change other people’s worlds for the better, whether it be through something as simple as a morning greeting, or as powerful as the introduction to the field that will change our life’s direction.”

The ceremony also featured remarks by 2024 Alumnus of Year Claudio Mir, who serves as senior program coordinator for the Collaborative Center for Community Engagement at Rutgers University.

A member of the Class of 1996 and a long-time resident of New Brunswick, Mir began his journey to the U.S. with a move from the Dominican Republic at the age of 22.

In his remarks to the Class of 2024, Mir reminded graduates of the rigor of a Middlesex College education.

“When somebody asks me about my experience at Middlesex, I usually say that it is the hardest thing I have started and finished. If you are here about to graduate, you know exactly what I mean. Once I got into the school, and started to take classes, I was hooked,” said Mir, whose educational goals grew after graduating from Middlesex College with an associate degree in Professional and Commercial Photography. He went on to earn a B.F.A. in visual arts from the Mason Gross School of the Arts and a M.F.A. in creative writing from Rutgers.

“Your two or more years at Middlesex have provided you with the tools you need to continue onto whatever path you dream of. It is up to you now. You are ready. Go out to your next school, to your job, to wherever your plans take you and do it well. Become the best advertising for others to see Middlesex as an option for them and their families. If you hear somebody speaking of the school as less than, tell them about your experience here, don’t try to convince them, but talk about how it was for you.”

The value of a Middlesex College degree as a measure of grit and perseverance was also highlighted in remarks delivered by Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios.

“While it may look like a mere piece of paper, do not be fooled. Your degree is tangible proof of the academic and real-world knowledge you have gained and will take with you on the next steps of your journey. It also represents your commitment to achieving your goals, as well as the support you’ve received from your family, friends, professors, and the entire Middlesex College community,” Rios said.

Middlesex College Trustee Christine Buteas, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, congratulated the graduates for reaching this milestone day. Acknowledging the unique backgrounds of the graduates, she told graduates to focus on “personal excellence” as they embark on their next chapter.

“Amidst the clamor of societal pressures and expectations, remember to prioritize what truly matters – your family and friends, health, and career. Seek out mentors who can offer guidance, and identify promoters who will advocate for your success. These relationships are not just valuable, they are the bedrock of your journey.”

A week earlier, the College honored Chambers Award winners. The award, named for the College’s founding president, Frank Chambers, recognizes those graduates who have achieved the highest-grade point average. The 2024 award recipients are: Nancy Arias Alvarez, Naman Bagga, Brandy Calvi, Patricia Cardoso, Kenneth Chan, Joel Collado, Katherine R. Fallon-Reusch, Shehre-Banu Furniturewalla, Janice Henriquez, Oliver Hyppolite, Chandni Karppiah, Iman Khan, Qiaoyu Li, Emily Liranian, Abigail Marzan, Kimberly McGraw, Kyle Morgan, Marlayna O’Brien, Melanie Perez, Zaynab Rasheed, Lina Rojas Arango, Mercedes Rosa, Nima Sedghi, Madhurima Sen, Tessa Mariya Sinsen, Travis Wesen, and Henghui Xiao.

On an environmental note, the graduates wore eco-friendly caps and gowns made entirely from recycled plastic bottles, a tradition that began in 2022. Named GreenWeaver and manufactured by Oak Hall, the fabric is made from spun molten plastic pellets, with each gown requiring an average of 25 bottles. So, approximately 20,000 bottles were saved from landfills and the oceans by this year’s ceremony.

For more information, visit Commencement.

This was the day after he learned that he was one of just 60 community college students nationwide to receive the coveted Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship this year.

The momentous scholarship provides recipients up to $55,000 a year to complete their bachelor’s degrees at four-year colleges or universities, as well as additional support in the form of ongoing advising and the opportunity to connect with the thriving community of fellow Cooke Scholars.

That’s not all. Just days before this “life-changing” news, Sedghi learned that he was selected as the salutatorian for the Middlesex College Class of 2024,

The past few days have been the culmination of three remarkable, but challenging, years, for the Iranian-born chemistry major. Sedghi moved to the U.S. in 2021, in the middle of the pandemic.

“My visa got delayed a lot because of the pandemic. I remember it took me four months just to get a date for getting my driver’s license.”

Luckily, he had his older sister to help him acclimate to his new American life. He credits his sister for helping pave the way for his success. Her educational accomplishments provided a roadmap for his own American dream, he says.

“She was a role model for me. When she came here 10 years ago, she was all alone with no one to support her. She got her master’s degree and started working. I saw from her accomplishments that in the U.S. if you really try, have persistence and perseverance, you will be successful.”

He also credits his parents for their unwavering support.

“My mom, especially, always pushed me to be the best version of myself, and her unconditional love and support are what pushed me to aim for the highest points,” he said.

With aspirations of becoming a doctor, Sedghi juggled full-time work at Amazon, where he worked 10-hour shifts, full-time study at Middlesex College, as well as non-classroom activities such as serving as president of the biology society on campus and volunteering at Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy.

As he thought back to his first day at Middlesex College in fall 2022, he recalled how difficult everything seemed to be and how overwhelmed he felt.

“First semester, I won’t lie, I did not know what I was doing. Everything was new to me. I was completely unaware of how the education system here worked.”

Sedghi first needed to complete ESL courses before he could even start taking classes toward his major. In the second semester, he developed relationships with faculty in the natural sciences department who served as critical mentors for him as he planned where to go for a bachelor’s degree.

“Professor Donna Gardner-Beadling and Professor Brian Lavey guided me through the entire process of what you need to do, what you need to have, where you can apply. I could not be more grateful to them.”

It was also thanks to Gardner-Beadling that Sedgui first learned of the Cooke scholarship opportunity. Sedghi also had help from an alumnus who had received the award.

Earlier this year, Sedghi and other applicants had the opportunity to meet with past Cooke Scholars, including 2022 winner Thomas Emens.

“He offered a lot of guidance throughout my application process for the Cooke scholarship. I asked his opinion about what kind of approach I should take, what he thought would stand out in terms of my background. With his feedback, I created the application and submitted it. He’s an amazing person.”

Sedghi says he hopes to provide the same support for future Middlesex College students who might be in a similar position as he was.

“I will always help anyone at Middlesex who needs my help because the entire community is built on connections and helping one another. It’s what makes Middlesex such an amazing school.”

Although he has yet to finalize his post-graduation plans, Sedghi has already been accepted to Columbia University.

What is certain is that Sedghi will collect his hard-earned degree at Middlesex College’s 57th Commencement on May 16 and get closer to realizing his dream.

“My life’s ambition is to become a doctor and serve those in need. To realize this dream, I plan to continue my undergraduate education to obtain my bachelor’s degree and then apply to medical school.”

“I think of myself two years ago to where I am now, and I just never would have expected it,” said Fallon-Reusch. “It’s just a huge shock and surprise.”

The lifelong Edison resident is the class valedictorian and will collect her associate degree in History at the College’s 57th commencement ceremony Thursday, May 16 at the Rutgers Athletic Center.

It’s been a long journey for the 20-year-old. Complicated by health problems that caused her to miss parts of her senior year at J.P. Stevens High School, Fallon-Reusch, who had been accepted to Rutgers, thought about delaying the start of her college life. But, at Middlesex College, she found a refuge, a place where she recovered, recharged, and thrived.

“My first semester I had four classes. I was just dipping my toes in the water,” said Fallon-Reusch. “Middlesex was instrumental in my recovery because I had a flexible schedule and a four-day week. If that type of environment had not been there for me, I don’t know if I would be in the place I am right now. My academic advisors were amazing and helpful.”

Fallon-Reusch endured another obstacle in her first year when her beloved grandmother, Barbara Reusch, was diagnosed with cancer.

“She made me promise that I wouldn’t stop or postpone anything school related,” said Fallon-Reusch. “One of her biggest dreams was for me to finish my associate degree and continue on. As an educator, she understood the power of an education and wanted me to have all the opportunities that come with it.”

As Fallon-Reusch’s health improved, she immersed herself in the Middlesex College community. She took dynamic history classes that intrigued her, and sparked a desire to want to know more. She was in Phi Theta Kappa and volunteered as a tutor. She was published in the Middlesex College literary journal and was a part of Blue Colt Radio on campus.

Fallon-Reusch also has an incredible story about when she found out she had been named valedictorian. She received the phone call while on a class tour of a penitentiary.

“I was in a prison block walking through, and I got a phone call,” laughed Fallon-Reusch. “I had no idea why the College was calling me, and when I answered Theresa Orosz, Acting Vice President, Academic Affairs, informed me that I had been chosen as valedictorian. I was in complete shock and was totally speechless.”

Working as a tutor confirmed her career path as a teacher. Fallon-Reusch received a prestigious Phi Theta Kappa scholarship for Rutgers where she will enroll in the fall and start on her degree in History and eventually a master’s in Education and Library Science.

“I feel so much better,” Fallon-Reusch said. “Middlesex gave me a chance. I was on unstable footing for a while and Middlesex became my rock. Instead of being pushed down, I was able to lift myself up. Middlesex gave me the hand I needed.”

Q: What does community college mean to you?

A: Community college to me means opportunity. Community college is a key foundation in starting your career, as there isn’t too much pressure placed on you to figure out who you are. It allows you to dabble in a little of all possible majors that may or may not interest you. It’s sort of a safety net, for being able to get a further education near you, while being able to balance your personal life at home alleviates much anxiety than going straight to a four-year college without a sure mind.

Q: Why is it important to pursue a degree?

A: A degree to me is a form of validation. It’s a “Yes, I do know what I am doing” and you can really have physical proof to believe it. Because I am continuing in the workforce in the career I further want to flourish in, having a degree provides a little more appeal to resumes.

Q: What has your experience been like at Middlesex College?

A: As all colleges go, there are the stressful times, the easygoing times, the slow times, and the super fast times. However, my overall experience has been better than I would have imagined. I have built some great friendships with other students, some who have graduated already and are in the same timeline as me, and positive relationships with some professors. I have enjoyed the walks around campus on beautiful days, some dedicated work sessions in the library, and have enjoyed the knowledge I have received in many of my classes.

Q: How has being involved with the Hospitality, Culinary, and Dietetics (HCD) program affected your journey thus far?

A: I own a business called “Food Coma Kitchen” doing catering and have been operating it ever since the pandemic. Even though I have worked in the culinary industry before going to college, gaining the technical and business knowledge from this program has made business ownership even better. I move to improve myself every semester by seeing what I can apply from the classes taken to myself, my skills, and my business. It even allowed me to garner more confidence to move forward with bigger business decisions, like opening up a ghost kitchen.

Q: Is there a professor or staff member who has helped you navigate college life/academics?

A: Majority of the HCD Department, even down to the lab assistants, are fantastic and have helped me so much in my college life, guiding me to improve my skills and business knowledge. However, one that sticks out to me is Professor Andrew Rubin. Never have I met a professor so caring, so knowledgeable, and so considerate while being so humble at the same time. Rubin’s business knowledge has been an integral part to my business improving every semester. If I had any questions or wanted advice on how I should price out something, advertise, or even move my business forward, he has taken the time to ask the key questions and provide guidance. Not only that, his classes were so well-explained and he was always eager to ensure clarity and understanding amongst his students. I always look forward to his classes, as I know I will learn something new or solidify a point that I may have been misunderstanding or confused about. Rubin, alongside the HCD Department, is a fantastic support system!

Q: Who inspires you?

A: My family to the one-millionth degree. I come from a family of hardworking, driven, and caring people, especially the women in my family. The history of my family has always been consistent with endurance, courage, faith, hope, strength, toughness, and love. There are so many more qualities that are abundant in my family, but what encapsulates it all is love. Despite the stress and challenges generations of my family have gone through, love and togetherness has always been present. That is why I have such a love of food and the culinary industry because when our family, immediate and extended, would come together, it was always paired with homemade food because we cooked not just to eat and survive, but to express love and come together. I always look back on my great grandparents, abuelo, abuela, aunts, uncles, and parents on what sacrifices they have made for the next generation and I am eager to follow suit.

Q: Do you have any advice for current students?

A: Balance! Coming from a person who is operating a business, working at a regular job, going to school, and having other important responsibilities, it can get to be a lot at times, and if you do not keep up, it can lead to a lot of stress. Be sure to take your time in selecting classes, do not overload yourself, even if you think you can handle it, and be sure to have a schedule for everything that is in your life! It has helped me so much to have set schedules, and even though it deviated at times, being able to restructure and balance life while in college made the day-to-day more clear and focused.

The ReClam the Bay organization helps promote environmental involvement and education in an effort to replenish the population of clams and oysters in the Barnegat Bay Watershed, which includes Barnegat Bay, Manahawkin Bay and Little Egg Harbor Bay.

Condie has been an active member of the organization and during her recent teaching sabbatical helped foster this idea of a new program open to Middlesex College students. It’s a rolling application, so there is no deadline. Proposals will be analyzed and the funding will hinge on the depth of the project and time needed.

“This is one of the outshoots of my sabbatical,” said Condie. “Our students in oceanography and climate science are the first ones to hear about it. We want to show the students that there are opportunities in the field and employment. This is another way to give our students real-world experience outside of the classroom.”

Condie is happy to serve as a point of contact for students to ReClam the Bay and guide them through the process. She said there is a current study underway on the findings of heavy metal inside clams close to marinas and a possible link to the paint used on nearby boats.

Students interested in applying can send an email to ReClam the Bay (info@reclamthebay.org) for an application.

Mir serves as senior program coordinator for the Collaborative Center for Community Engagement, Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Rutgers University, where he oversees the Advancing Community Development Program, which was co-developed with Johnson & Johnson.

Mir moved to the U.S. at the age of 22, trained as a professional actor at the National School of Theater in the Fine Arts Palace of Santo Domingo in his native Dominican Republic.

“Spanish was my mother language, and I knew that if I came [to the U.S.], I would not be able to work as an actor. Even though I spoke a little bit of English I could not act in English,” Mir said.

He would parlay his theatrical talents in other ways. For the first eight years of his life in the U.S., Mir worked for a social service agency in Trenton putting together plays about social issues like AIDS.

“It was in the middle of the AIDS epidemic and I was working with people infected with HIV, doing theater, teaching people how to prevent infection.”

He later accepted a research job at what was then the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), where he collected data from members of the Latino population for a state HIV prevention project. But that grant-funded project lasted for only one year.

“I applied for unemployment benefits and someone said I could go back to school [tuition free] for approved study. I chose photography, and that’s how I ended up at Middlesex College,” he explained.

Mir needed to complete a year of remedial classes in his first year at Middlesex College.

“It took me three years to graduate because I had that year of remedial in English and math since I had not gone to school in the U.S. Once I did that, I was unstoppable.”

He credits the “rigor” of Middlesex College for helping him reach the next milestone in his educational journey – acceptance into and thriving at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.

“I actually put my portfolio together at Middlesex before I applied to Mason Gross School of the Arts,” he recalled, adding that a lot of people discouraged him from applying. “Even my friends were saying I was crazy for applying to Mason Gross.”

Proving the naysayers wrong, Mir was at the top of the list of students accepted to that competitive school. Once there, Mir says he was well-prepared.

“There was nothing they could throw at me that I didn’t have the discipline for or know how to tackle – from math to English to whatever, Middlesex got me ready.”

After graduating from Mason Gross, he worked at the Institute for Arts and Humanities Education as an artist-in-residence responsible for designing and implementing arts integrated curricula in various New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania schools.

While at that institute, Mir started a project with a dean at Rutgers – Community Artists in Residence and Training (CART) – which had him supervising 5-7 artists who were being trained to work in communities all around New Jersey.

When his position with the institute required him to move to Princeton, Mir accepted Rutgers’ offer to operate CART from the Rutgers’ side, allowing him to remain in New Brunswick.

“And that’s how I found myself working at Rutgers. After a year of being there, the CART program ended and I was offered another position working in a civic engagement/service learning program, placing students in community organizations. In 2007, we became the [current] Collaborative Center for Community Engagement, Office of Diversity and Inclusion.”

In addition to his associate degree in Professional and Commercial Photography, a B.F.A. in visual arts from the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Mir holds a M.F.A. in creative writing from Rutgers.

“After getting my master’s, I was able to teach. And I taught those community-based learning seminars for almost 10 years, from 2013-2022.”

As Mir prepares to join the College community in celebrating the accomplishments of the Class of 2024 at Commencement, he is looking back on his time on campus with gratitude.

“I was thinking about how Middlesex made me feel like I was part of a community and gave me all the tools I needed. Whether your objective is to go to a four-year school, to take a break, or go straight into the workforce, those tools I got at Middlesex.”

Mir will deliver his remarks to the Class of 2024 at Commencement on May 16, 2024 at Jersey Mike’s Arena at the Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway, New Jersey. For more information about the 2024 Commencement Ceremony, visit middlesexcollege.edu/commencement.

Q: How has being involved with EOF made an impact on your journey thus far?

A: My time at Middlesex College has been truly transformative, and my involvement with the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) has played a pivotal role in my journey. As a first-generation college student and a single mother, I faced numerous challenges in pursuing my academic dreams. Through EOF, I received academic support, financial assistance, and mentorship, which helped me navigate the college experience with confidence.

Q: How do you balance motherhood with being a full-time student? What strategies have you found most effective in juggling these responsibilities?

A: Being a full-time student and balancing motherhood, especially with a child with special needs, can be extremely challenging and requires effective time management. I prioritize tasks, create a schedule, and communicate it openly with family, friends, and professors. I utilize campus resources, like academic support programs, and adapt to changing circumstances. Self-care is crucial, so I make time for activities that recharge me. I remind myself that it’s okay to ask for help and seek support from fellow students, mentors, or professionals. By prioritizing, communicating, and seeking help when needed, I successfully juggle my responsibilities and achieve my goals.

Q: Is there a professor or staff member who has helped you navigate college life and academics?

A: The EOF and Middlesex College communities have been instrumental in my success. The EOF program has provided a supportive network of peers, mentors, and counselors who understand the unique challenges I face as a first-generation college student. Meanwhile, the broader Middlesex College community, including students, professors, advisors, and administrative personnel, have been consistently supportive, approachable, and dedicated to my academic and personal growth.

Q: Who inspires you?

A: As a single mom, I’ve learned to draw inspiration from my own resilience and determination. Despite the challenges, I’ve found strength in my ability to juggle multiple roles, advocate for my family and pursue my education. I’m inspired by the example I’m setting for my children, showing them that hard work, perseverance, and self-care can overcome any obstacle. By pushing myself to grow and succeed, I’m creating a brighter future for us all. In essence, I inspire myself to keep striving, to keep pushing, and to keep shining, not just for myself, but for my family and the life we’re building together.

Q: Do you have any advice for current students?

A: I would say: embrace your journey, imperfections and all. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re doing your best, and that’s something to celebrate. Seek out resources, support, and mentorship. You don’t have to do it alone. Prioritize self-care and make time for joy, even in the midst of challenges. Remember that every accomplishment, no matter how small, is a step closer to your goals. And most importantly, believe in yourself: your resilience, creativity, and determination will carry you.

Mateo was one of only 200 Phi Theta Kappa members to have been awarded the coveted Leaders of Promise Scholarship from the Coca-Cola Foundation in August. Winners are selected based on academic achievement and leadership potential and receive $1,000.

“I received an email from my advisor, Professor [Charlotte] Quigley, and she congratulated me and told me that my news had turned a gray morning much brighter!” Mateo said. “It meant a lot to me.”

Mateo is a first-generation college student born in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and graduated from high school there in 2004. When she came to New Jersey to live with her family, she wanted to continue her education.

“Middlesex College has provided the tools that I can use to get the best out of myself,” Mateo said. “In addition to my effort and dedication, the faculty members have been an important part of my journey because of the way they have taught and inspired me on many occasions during lectures.”

Mateo was extremely active during her time at Middlesex College. She was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, serving as Vice President of Membership. She volunteered with the Mobile Family Success Center in Middlesex County, Toys for Tots and the Letters to Foster Children program.

She said time spent working as a volunteer was extremely rewarding.

“I felt great volunteering and have given my time to pack and deliver food straight to people’s apartments [through MFSC]. In addition, there are other tasks, like gift-wrapping presents for children in other events the organization had,” said Mateo. “I loved when I started volunteering with the organization Letters to Foster Children in 2023. Letters are made for children in foster care to send positive messages in a creative way, using drawings, varied colors, and personalized designs.”

Mateo will graduate from Middlesex College in May with an Associate of Arts in Psychology. She was a member of the Dean’s List in 2022 and 2023 and on the Honor Roll.