is about “ College finding the person you’ll be for the rest of your life, so explore everything to see if you like it.”
Monica Cuello ’16 and the Secretary of Higher Education for the State of New Jersey, Rochelle Hendricks, at the 15th Annual Statewide Diversity in Higher Education Conference held at Ramapo
In addition to offering students oncein-a-lifetime experiences, studying abroad provides global awareness and broader communication skills while contributing to personal growth and independence. Studying abroad also is a great resume builder. More than 65 percent of human resource executives say that study abroad experience distinguishes job candidates, while 75 percent cite it as an important consideration when hiring for junior level positions.
- Monica Cuello ’16 students who need help navigating careers. “RAMP is built on the strong sense of community of which Ramapo is proud to nurture, and bubbled up from alumni reaching out to help current students,” said Stark. The mentoring relationship can take many forms, from limited email or telephone conversations to personal interactions on a short or long-term basis. Most important, a mentoring relationship is built on trust and the willingness to help and
the ability to listen and learn. Finaldi, who manages joint replacement patient education materials at Stryker, connected with current student Na’shimah Allen ’17. “At first I panicked,” said Finaldi, who thought she would have little to offer Na’shimah, who is a biology major and student athlete on the track team. After meeting for coffee in a nook in the Anisfield School of Business on campus, Finaldi felt an immediate connection to Na’shimah,
Alumni Give Back in Mentoring Program Student engagement continues long after students graduate from Ramapo. About a year and a half ago, alumna Jessica Finaldi ’11, ’14, who received her B.S. in Business Administration in 2011 followed by her MBA in 2012, responded to a call to mentor current Ramapo students. Piloted by Debra Stark ’94, ’02, Alumni Career Advisor and Assistant Director of the Cahill Career Development Center, the Ramapo Alumni Mentoring Program (RAMP) formally connects alumni with
Jessica Finaldi ’11, ’14, left, mentors Na’shimah Allen ’17 at Stryker
www.ramapo.edu
9