The Gorostiza Family

Three members of the Gorostiza family of Delran, NJ, will join this year’s incoming class of Rider undergraduate students. Michael, 17, earned an associate degree summa cum laude at Burlington County College (BCC) this past spring. Jillian, 22, has nearly completed her associate’s degree at BCC with a 3.79 cumulative grade point average (GPA) and Gabriel (Gabe,) 20, who also attended BCC, has also transferred his credits over to Rider with a 3.5 GPA.

The close-knit siblings were home-schooled by their mother, Silvia, who nurtured and taught them the classics and inquiry-based learning via the methodologies she studied under the guidance of Marva Collins, a nationally-known Chicago-based elementary and secondary school educator.

Jillian, Gabe and Michael have always viewed the world as their classroom. Along with their mother, they spent many days at museums, libraries, University campuses, and other places in their insatiable quest for knowledge. “We were encouraged to think for ourselves, to learn at our own pace and to explore our own interests,” said Jillian.

Jillian plans a career in art therapy and hopes to open her own practice directed to the needs of the mentally ill. She will pursue a dual major in psychology and fine arts at Rider. Gabe will double major in philosophy and entrepreneurship. His goal: to own and operate a company which focuses on developing and marketing new technologies. Michael, who started BCC at age 14 and earned an associates degree in liberal arts and biology, will major in biology and musical composition at Westminster Choir College at Rider University. An accomplished pianist and piano teacher, he is contemplating going to medical school, opening a music school for youngsters or composing music for film.

“While visiting Rider, we felt a high degree of positive energy when we met with staff and faculty, especially Linda Rosner in Admission, Judy Wood in Student Financial Services, and biology professor Dr. Jonathan Yavelow,”said Silvia Gorostiza, who along with her husband, Rolando, hails from Las Villas and Havana, Cuba, respectively. Inspired by Marva Collins, Silvia plans to one day open a school in her community. “Dr. Yavleow told us ‘at Rider there is a passion for learning. If you can’t make a mistake in the name of progress, learning stops.’ That’s what caught our attention.”

In talking with Admission Office staff members, the family quickly found out that all their diverse academic needs could be met at Rider. The University’s relatively intimate student body and the attentiveness of staff members impressed Jillian, a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and the USA Today Academic Team. “They quickly handled my transfer here,” said Jillian, who works as an administrative assistant for Princeton Human Services. “One of my previous professors at BCC had informed me of Rider’s great psychology program. The University’s commitment to excellence is evident.”

BCC psychology faculty member Alison Tallone, a Rider alumna, recommended Rider highly to Gabe. He is also pleased with the collective efforts of Rider staff members who are helping him through the maze of transferring credits. “I want to especially thank Terri Marriott, who was very nice and informative, and Dr. Richard Burgh, chairperson of the philosophy department, who went over my classes with me. The personal attention they gave me was quite refreshing.”

Michael was intrigued most by Rider’s broad variety of degree programs which complements his career goals. “I was happy to find out that Rider not only provides a pre-medical program for biology majors but a musical composition degree through its Westminster Choir College,” said Michael, who was nominated valedictorian at BCC. “The fact that it is one of the few schools in the country to offer such a degree made me want to come here.”

Along with academics, the Gorostizas are very committed to serving the local community. Jillian has mentored 12 to 16 year olds from broken homes and taught children at the Parsons School of the Arts in Merchantville. Michael, who gives piano lessons to local children, is presently teaching piano to a blind student. Michael has served as a reading volunteer at several children’s centers, including the Franklin Charter School, the Right Path Charter School in Irvington and St. James Academy in Newark.

“It's all about keeping an open mind to things,” said Gabe. Adds Michael: “My philosophy has always been to be patient, have perseverance and to heed to the counsel of experience.”

Jillian concurs. “I feel that Rider will continue to give us the tools for self-discovery as well as a new network of people from which we can spread our wings, explore new options and test our limits.”

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