(left to right) Dr. Roberta Fiske-Rusciano, Musu Perkins and President Rozanski

Rider freshman Musu Perkins of Trenton is thankful to spend her third holiday season in America with family members.

Perkins, a native of Kakata, Mar-Gibi County, Liberia, vividly recalls the day in 1996 when she and her family left their war-torn homeland to live in Ghana in Buduburam Refugee Camp. With limited food and water, she sold food and other items such as fish, cassava and kola nuts to feed her family. At that time, the thought of a better way of life was a dream.

"I am happy with my new life in America," said Perkins, who was a speaker at Rider's Thanksgiving celebration last month. "I am working and supporting my family in Africa. I am also trying to have the rest of my children join me."

Since one of her daughters, Musu Manneh, was already in the United States, she sought the assistance of the Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey, to help her mother immigrate to Trenton. Musu arrived in May of 2003. Soon after, she earned a certificate as a certified nursing assistant and landed a job at Tandem Health Care in Lawrenceville.

Last spring, an unexpected phone call from Dr. Roberta Fiske-Rusciano, adjunct assistant professor of political science, changed Perkins' life. As a result of a Women's Studies Refugee Scholarship which she and students in two of her gender studies classes established in 2001, Fiske-Rusciano offered Perkins financial support to attend Rider University through the College of Continuing Studies. Previous scholarships had been given to two young women refugees - one from Afghanistan, the other from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Accepting the opportunity, Perkins embarked on a dream she has harbored for the past 17 years. "As long as I live, I will never forget this golden opportunity," said Perkins. "I thank Dr. Rusciano and her students for what they have done."

Now having completed her first semester at Rider through the College of Continuing Studies, Perkins, a general liberal studies major, seeks a career and a bachelor's degree in nursing. Her ambition heightens when she thinks about her past. She is especially excited about the course of events in her homeland with its new president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a Harvard trained banker. She hopes for positive change in Liberia as she herself seeks to reach greater success on all levels. She hopes to be able to secure additional financial support to be able to return to Rider next semester.

Perkins urges her fellow students to never give up despite trying circumstances. "Take full advantage of this opportunity of being able to be a college student," said Perkins. I never had this opportunity after I graduated from high school. Study hard to achieve your goals. Be thankful for this important experience because you will then be prepared for your future."

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If anyone is interested in donating to the Women's Studies Refugee Scholarship Fund, please make out a check to Rider University, with the designation of Women's Refugee Scholarship on the memo line. Send the check to the Rider University Division of University Advancement or to Dr. Fiske-Rusciano in the political science department.

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