{"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":"2026-05-05T15:19:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T19:19:17","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 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ\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 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ 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 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ\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 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Rodriguez\u2019s path to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ started at County College of Morris, where she changed majors several times before finding what truly fit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ\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 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, 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 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ 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 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ\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 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ\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 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ 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