by Karly Munoz '17
When I left my home in San Diego, Calif., in August 2013, I felt a mixture of emotions. On the one hand, I was leaving my family and 70 degree winters and replacing them with a school in New Jersey and a heck of a lot of snow. On the other hand, I was starting a new chapter in my life, as we all do when we decide to leave home and go to college, and I couldn’t have been more excited.
As a freshman, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I didn’t know if the English major I had chosen was right for me. I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I graduated. I didn’t know how I was going to make it through a semester, let alone an entire year, without my friends and family back home. In short, I was homesick and unsure of whether or not I could stay. But then something changed. I found a close group of friends who became my second family while I was at school, a group of friends I am still close with now, in my junior year.
Not only did I find a group of friends, but I also found a job in the Office of Admissions as a telecounselor my freshman year. That position turned into a tour guide position during my sophomore year, and it is a job I could not be more excited about. I have the opportunity to share with students why I love Rider and all of the great things the school has to offer. Rider is not just a place where you get a degree. It’s a place where students can grow and learn and find a wealth of opportunities.
Since coming to Rider, I’ve taken trips to see Broadway shows in New York, met with staff members who have recommended my papers for colloquiums, become a part of the Baccalaureate Honors program, held a part-time job in admissions, become a part of the international English society Sigma Tau Delta, held an internship in University Communications, had my articles published on the Rider News website, and written a 15-page paper on the story of Cinderella. That’s right, Cinderella, the girl who finds her Prince Charming because of a glass slipper.
While I was writing the paper for a children’s literature course, I thought about all the connections people have to fairy tales, even as they enter adulthood, and I realized that I am, in some ways, a lot like Cinderella. No, I was never treated like a servant, and I am lucky enough to have two parents with whom I am very close. But I did have to overcome some obstacles in order to find my perfect fit. Rider is certainly not my Prince Charming, but it is my perfect fit as far as college goes. I’ve found my niche and have been able to become successful because of it. I have advisors who help me along the way, friends who keep me sane during the craziness of finals, and classes in which I’m learning more than I could have hoped for.
One of the biggest questions I get asked while I’m on tour with prospective students and their families is “Why did you leave California? Why did you come here?” I could give them the standard answer of how I was drawn to the small class sizes and the personal attention from my professors. I could tell them I loved the small campus and that I can wake up 10 minutes before class and still get there on time. I could even tell them that I chose Rider because it was closer to jobs and internships in publishing in New York City than any school in California. And all of these reasons are true. But the real reason I chose Rider was because I visited campus and participated in the Student for a Day program. I sat in on a course called Advanced Creative Writing with a professor who was working on writing her own novel. I sat in that class for an hour and a half and realized that this school was my perfect fit. I knew that I wanted to be here and listen to other people talk about English and books and writing. When I left Rider that day, I knew this school was where I was going to be spending my next four years, because I had a moment where everything just fit perfectly together for me. So why did I come here? I came here because I knew that Rider had everything I wanted in a school and would let me explore my major in any context I desired.
Fast-forward to now, the second semester of my junior year, I still believe Rider is the right choice for me. To use a corny English-major analogy, Rider is as perfect a fit for me as the glass slipper was for Cinderella. Rider has helped me discover who I am: I am an English major with a concentration in literature, pursuing a double minor in film and media studies and American studies. I am an intern in University Communications. I am a mentor for the film department and the GLASS program. I am a tour guide for the Admissions Office. But most important, I am a student who was lucky enough to find my second home at Rider.