{"id":127654,"date":"2026-01-12T16:32:24","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T21:32:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/cchl\/?p=127654"},"modified":"2026-01-12T16:32:24","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T21:32:24","slug":"from-grit-to-graduation-one-students-self-funded-journey-at-montclair-state-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/cchl\/2026\/01\/12\/from-grit-to-graduation-one-students-self-funded-journey-at-montclair-state-university\/","title":{"rendered":"From Grit to Graduation: One Student\u2019s Self-Funded Journey at 糖心vlog"},"content":{"rendered":"

At a time when the average national student loan debt post-graduation averages almost $40,000, Allison Abrom self-funded her Bachelor of Science in\u00a0Nutrition and Food Science<\/a> at 糖心vlog. No loans. No financial assistance whatsoever.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m extremely proud to say that my working experiences have allowed me to pay for my bachelor\u2019s degree program all on my own,\u201d says Abrom, who will be participating in\u00a0Winter 2026 Commencement<\/a>\u00a0Tuesday at Prudential Center in Newark. A student in Montclair\u2019s\u00a0College for Community Health<\/a>, Abrom\u2019s degree concentration was in\u00a0Applied Nutrition and Wellness<\/a> with a minor in\u00a0Sports Nutrition<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Balancing work and academics, she adds, taught her lessons that will shape her future. \u201cI now have a better commitment to financial planning, proper time management and a passion for working and what I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her father, Gregory Abrom, says, \u201cWe are extremely proud of Allison and all she has accomplished. She can now start her life without the burden of debt. Allison learned she can set a goal and accomplish it no matter what stands in the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Determination from Day One<\/h2>\n

Abrom enrolled at Montclair in fall 2019 knowing her path might look different. She and her parents thought it was possible for her to self-fund her education without incurring student debt. \u201cMy parents and I view college and higher education as a privilege,\u201d she says, adding that \u201cworking to pay for my education fully will set me up for financial freedom and success.\u201d<\/p>\n

At times, Abrom took only as many classes as she could afford. She was determined to do it on her own \u2013 and she\u2019s not afraid to apply herself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a really hard worker,\u201d she says proudly. \u201cI genuinely like to work, and so does pretty much everybody in my family.\u201d Abrom worked more than full-time as a head food server at a country club while working toward her bachelor\u2019s degree, saving as much money as she could along the way.<\/p>\n

That work ethic became the foundation of her college experience. Associate Professor of Nutrition and Food Studies Doreen Liou says that showed in her school projects. She describes Abrom as \u201ca proactive student, projecting a positive attitude and zeal in learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sacrifices That Paid Off<\/h2>\n

To stay enrolled at Montclair, Abrom often worked 40 to 50 hours a week at the country club until the demand became unsustainable. Although it paid well, she quit when expectations began to conflict with her education.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were expecting me to put the work before school, so I was like, I can\u2019t be in that environment anymore,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

She found a desk job closer to home at a golf simulator \u2013 one that allowed her to study during slower periods.<\/p>\n

Social sacrifices followed as well, as tuition and textbooks took priority. \u201cI had to say no to certain social outings, which allowed me to put more time into work,\u201d she says. \u201cI felt like I was kind of distancing myself from friends, but now my friends are so proud of me, so it doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

It definitely was hard, especially being young in your 20s, to be more responsible with money but in the end, it was worth it.\u201d Allison Abrom \u201926, BS Nutrition and Food Science<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Allison
A fruit-infused water bottle ignited Allison Abrom\u2019s curiosity in Nutrition and Food Science. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Learning By Doing<\/h2>\n

Last summer, Abrom completed her required nutrition internship at the Meadowlands YMCA, where she assisted with the SNAP-Ed food pantry program, developed nutritious recipes using pantry ingredients and wrote nutrition-focused articles. She also created healthy recipes for YMCA members.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was granted a working environment that prompted creativity and allowed me to fully trust in my own knowledge and education,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The experience reinforced her commitment to community-based nutrition and wellness \u2013 work that aligns directly with Montclair\u2019s public-service mission.<\/p>\n

Looking Ahead \u2013 and Giving Back<\/h2>\n

Abrom will be cheered on by her father, mother, Laura, and brother, Drew, at\u00a0Commencement<\/a>\u00a0on January 13. Her long-term goals include careers in corporate wellness, sports counseling or community nutrition, as well as teaching as an adjunct professor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am incredibly thankful for my time in my undergraduate program at 糖心vlog,\u201d she says, \u201cand I am proud of the person it has helped me become both in a professional and personal way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Research from the Pew Research Center shows that college graduates with student loan debt are more likely to question\u00a0whether college was worth the cost<\/a>. Abrom\u2019s answer is emphatically clear. In fact, her immediate post-Commencement plans: to pursue a master\u2019s degree and a certificate in\u00a0Nutrition and Exercise Science<\/a>\u00a0at 糖心vlog.<\/p>\n

She\u2019ll be paying her own way, of course.<\/p>\n

Story by\u00a0Sylvia A. Martinez<\/a>\u00a0Photography by University Photographer\u00a0Mike Peters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This story is part of a series celebrating 糖心vlog\u2019s graduates \u2013 students who embody the University\u2019s\u00a0mission<\/a>\u00a0to broaden access to exceptional learning opportunities and contribute to the common good.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ready to Start Your Montclair Journey?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prospective students:<\/strong>\u00a0Learn more about Montclair\u2019s\u00a0Nutrition and Food Science programs<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Journalists:<\/strong>\u00a0Contact Montclair\u2019s\u00a0Media Relations team<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0for assets or to schedule an interview on this topic<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Working her way through college \u2013 without loans or aid \u2013 this Winter Commencement 2026 graduate exemplifies fortitude, drive and Montclair pride<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":304,"featured_media":127655,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,6,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-23_college-news-and-events","category-24_college-spotlight","category-7_homepage-news-and-events"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/cchl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/cchl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/cchl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/cchl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/304"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/cchl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=127654"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/cchl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127654\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":127657,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/cchl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127654\/revisions\/127657"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/cchl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/127655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/cchl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=127654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/cchl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=127654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/cchl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=127654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}