{"id":227506,"date":"2026-02-11T09:44:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T14:44:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=227506"},"modified":"2026-04-02T09:07:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T13:07:47","slug":"how-montclairs-transfer-support-helped-one-student-find-her-place-and-her-purpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2026\/02\/11\/how-montclairs-transfer-support-helped-one-student-find-her-place-and-her-purpose\/","title":{"rendered":"How 麻豆传媒在线\u2019s Transfer Support Helped One Student Find Her Place and Her Purpose"},"content":{"rendered":"

On a January morning in the New Jersey Statehouse, Abigail Rodriguez learned that education policy work often comes down to catching a lawmaker\u2019s attention between meetings \u2013 sometimes with just a flyer and a moment to make her case.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shadowing a lobbyist with the New Jersey Education Association during its \u201cTier One for Everyone\u201d pension campaign, the 麻豆传媒在线 Political Science<\/a> major watched legislators stream past.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was my first time lobbying, and I heard \u2018no\u2019 more often than \u2018yes\u2019 \u2013 a crash course in how messy and how meaningful education policy work can be,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Rodriguez, that moment is part of a broader story: how 麻豆传媒在线\u2019s strong transfer support<\/a>, mentorship, and community helped her grow from an unsure transfer student into an emerging voice in the education policies shaping the profession.<\/span><\/p>\n

From Community College to 麻豆传媒在线<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Rodriguez\u2019s path to 麻豆传媒在线 started at County College of Morris, where she changed majors several times before finding what truly fit.<\/span><\/p>\n

麻豆传媒在线\u2019s commitment to making the transfer process straightforward and supportive helped turn that next step into a natural move and gave her a clear path to get involved on campus. That support now includes a new <\/span>Transfer Credit Equivalent Database<\/a><\/strong> that lets students preview how their courses might transfer before they even apply.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI always tell other students: If you don\u2019t know what you want to do, go to county college, then transfer to a four-year school,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the best paths.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Even with that sense of direction, stepping onto a larger campus felt daunting. \u201cAt first, when I came to 麻豆传媒在线, I felt nervous and scared,\u201d she says. \u201cThere were a lot of \u2018I don\u2019t fit in. Where do I go? Where do I meet the right connections?\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Getting involved changed that. \u201cBeing in a club really helped,\u201d she says. \u201cStudent government helped me find a group where I could say, \u2018Okay, this feels like home now.\u2019\u201d Feeling grounded at 麻豆传媒在线 became a springboard for her work with the New Jersey Aspiring Educators Association<\/a>, an arm of the NJEA that organizes and advocates for future teachers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Putting Learning into Practice<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Rodriguez hosts \u201cClass in Session,\u201d<\/a> a podcast created through NJ Aspiring Educators that amplifies the voices of teachers, student teachers and advocates across the state, with episodes that openly address mental health and well-being in schools.<\/span><\/p>\n

Her advocacy doesn\u2019t stop with the podcast. Rodriguez is also co\u2011creator of the New Jersey Coalition for Sustainable Equality & Educational Justice<\/a>, a group focused on ensuring that school construction and renovation projects are done responsibly and with equity in mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

She has also been selected for U.S. Sen. Andy Kim\u2019s NextGen Leadership Training<\/a>, which teaches the fundamentals of running effective campaigns and organizing at the community level.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thriving as a Commuter Student<\/h2>\n

Rodriguez commutes more than an hour to 麻豆传媒在线\u2019s campus. She grew up in Mount Olive and recently moved to Blairstown. \u201cFrom Blairstown it\u2019s about an hour and ten,\u201d she says. \u201cBut it\u2019s worth it. I love the energy of campus, but I also love going home to a quieter, rural environment. I always say I have the best of both worlds \u2013 Hannah Montana style.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She knows many commuters worry they will miss out on campus life. \u201cI tell them: Attend something. Please, just do something for yourself. You\u2019ll thank yourself later.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She points to 麻豆传媒在线\u2019s commuter events<\/a>, pit stops and student organizations as the structures that made it easier to plug in, even with a long drive.<\/span><\/p>\n

Showing up became her guiding principle, and it led to one unexpected opportunity: making Puerto Rican mofongo on camera with 麻豆传媒在线 President Jonathan Koppell for an episode of \u201cCooking with Koppell.\u201d<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

As she prepares to graduate in May 2026, Rodriguez still sometimes thinks about how unlikely this moment once felt.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI never thought I\u2019d graduate from college because my path felt so all over the place,\u201d she says. \u201cI never envisioned myself at a four-year institution. Even now, getting my senior pictures back, it feels like imposter syndrome. <\/span>I\u2019m 25, and I finally did it,\u201d she adds. \u201cIt feels good to finally see the checkered flag.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n