Selected from a competitive pool of applicants across MCEAS Consortium institutions, Walker joined the workshop led by Heather Wolfe, Curator of Manuscripts at the Folger Shakespeare Library and leading English paleographer. Through virtual sessions and an in-person day in Philadelphia, Walker developed literacy in reading historic handwriting styles, examined manuscript collections, and practiced writing with ink and quills.

It’s harder than it sounds. To the untrained eye, historic English handwriting, particularly “secretary hand,” the dominant script from the late 15th through the mid-17th century, can look like little more than chicken scratch. But even once you learn to recognize the letterforms, the challenge isn’t over: the alphabet was slightly different, spelling was inconsistent, and words were abbreviated in ways that can turn even a short sentence into a puzzle.

Walker’s completion of the workshop means she can now read what others can’t and bring those voices from the past back to let them speak to us.

Montclair students interested in future MCEAS opportunities are encouraged to contact Montclair State MCEAS mentor Steffi Dippold at dippolds@montclair.edu

The trip included visits to the historical sites of the National Socialist Party Rallies in Nuremberg, the courtroom of the Nuremberg Processes, the atrium in the University of Munich’s main building where the student members of the White Rose resistance movement were arrested while distributing anti-Nazi pamphlets, the Beer Hall where Hitler first tried to overthrow the German government in 1923, the Dachau Concentration Camp, and a number of historically significant places in Berlin, including the Reichstag, as well as the site of the atrocious 1933 book burning event.

Students got to visit, study, and compare numerous memorial sites and places of remembrance, including the national Holocaust Memorial right next to the Brandenburg Gate, the Jewish Museum with its multiple experiential memorial features, and many “Stolpersteine” in various cities – bronze “tripping stones” in the sidewalks that remind of the Jews who used to live in nearby buildings.

In addition to a rather full program, students had free time to explore Munich and Berlin, get acquainted with German cuisine and public transportation, experience Karaoke and other aspects of German night life, and visit an opera show and other cultural performances. Among the highlights were the ‘free’ days. Splitting into two groups, some went to Salzburg, Austria, while others climbed the “Hirschberg,” a 5,500-foot peak in the foothills of the Alps. On the free day in Berlin, students took advantage of the warm weather and went to the Wannsee beach, while others explored Berlin flea markets.

Despite the trip’s heavy and dark historical theme, many students regretted having to return after only 12 days. “This has been the highlight of my college education,” one student wrote in the trip evaluations. Others praised the “unforgettable memories that will stay in my heart forever” and noted that they had gained “lifelong friendships” on the trip. German and double major Matthew Hohmann noted: “I spent 20 years having never left the country and after this trip I want to always be out of it.” Here’s hoping that many other Montclair students will have the opportunity to study abroad, be it on a faculty-led trip like this one, in a summer program, or for a semester or year abroad. The students from this trip certainly caught the travel bug and many of them sure will return abroad one day.

Selected from a competitive pool of applicants across MCEAS Consortium institutions, McDevitt’s project examines a handwritten Shaker songbook composed by Marcia E. Hastings, a spiritual leader and Eldress of the Canterbury, New Hampshire community, between 1839 and 1842, now housed at the Shaker Museum in Chatham, New York. Placing Hastings’s manuscript alongside other hymnal traditions, McDevitt explores competing ideas of authorship and authenticity in Shaker sacred song, and what they reveal about the community’s radical vision of a dual-gendered God.

Montclair students interested in future MCEAS opportunities are encouraged to contact Steffi Dippold at dippolds@montclair.edu.

Montclair student instructors pick themes and create lesson plans for each week, and it is perhaps not surprising that some students choose to focus on fairy tales, as Professor LaFountain teaches a course on “Fairy Tales from Grimm to Disney” that focuses on cultural relevance of fairy tales in contemporary culture. Professor LaFountain emphasizes creating a welcoming and creative teaching environment: “We meet on Friday so our goal is for this to feel more like a party than a language lesson,” says Pascale Lafountain. “Ideally it is both, and the children leave hungry to learn more about other languages, cultures, and the world around them.”

For the “Wichtelmänner” performance, the 12 elementary-school-aged local children learning and practicing German through the SPARK for German program made elf hats, donned costumes, drew sets, learned vocabulary, and rehearsed in German before the arrival of their families. Michael Thompson, Project Manager at the Goethe-Institut, and Alina Frieser, an intern from Germany, joined the audience and shared gift bags with the children, noting that this was their first chance to visit one of the 150 North American SPARK for German labs in person. The Montclair SPARK lab, which has support from the Goethe-Institut and the , has now taught hundreds of children and produced multiple post-graduate winners of Fulbright Germany and Fulbright Austria grants, hopes to host Goethe-Institut representatives again in the future.

As part of this partnership, each year two ����vlog student receive full-year full-ride scholarships including a living stipend to study at the and live in Graz.

This year, Jose Padilla and Atticus Heuges have not only explored academics and new social connections in German – they were even featured in a local Graz newspaper. In their German interview with a reporter, published in (Bürger:inneninformation der Stadt Graz), a large public monthly news outlet for the city of Graz, the students discussed their admiration for the Austrian quality of life, their sense of security living in a country without weapons, and their appreciation for low tuition costs at Austrian universities (non-European Union citizens pay 750 Euros, or about 900 dollars, per semester).

Ranging from the challenge of being in lectures where they only understand about 80 percent of the professor’s presentation because of the language barrier to praise for Austrian investment in fundamentals such as public health care and public transportation, the interview demonstrates how these students are indeed living up to the ’s purpose of boosting intercultural communication between the United States and Austria.

Jose Padilla plans to return in the fall to continue his degree in Political Science, while Atticus Heuges plans to pursue a career teaching in Europe after graduation.

Every guest was a winner, receiving a German-themed temporary tattoo, stickers, gummy bears, an inspirational German-language message, or a flag from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, or Liechtenstein as a souvenir. The club not only handed out hundreds of prizes to interested visitors, but also enjoyed special connections with the many guests who had visited a German-speaking country before, who plan to visit, and/or who are taking German classes at Montclair.

The club members themselves represent some of the diversity typical at Montclair, with members of the executive board also sharing connections to Dominican, Mexican, Peruvian, Polish, Italian, Ukrainian, Kazak and other cultures, and to majors such as Language, Business & Culture; Math; Data Science; Chemistry; Linguistics and more.

As can be seen in this and in the recent feature of staff member Casey Coleman, who organizes the day, World’s Fair Day brings together many kinds of campus organizations and connects with hundreds of attendees from the campus and local communities, including everyone from the University President Jonathan Koppell to the University mascots to children visiting campus for Take Your Child to Work Day. Held on the final day of campus events before finals, the day also served as a culmination of an action-packed year in which German Club enjoyed outings to the NJ Devil’s and the Jewish History Center in New York City, karaoke auf Deutsch, and much more. The executive board has already begun shaping plans for next fall’s events, no doubt informed by the study abroad many club members will undertake in Germany this summer.

As a 24-year-old graduate student, Cruz is earning her Master of Social Work while balancing a full-time career focused on youth empowerment and equity initiatives.

Cruz says her family’s sacrifices and perseverance continue to motivate her every step forward.

“I carry their resilience and work ethic with me in every space I enter,” she says.

Her own experiences navigating education as a first-generation student helped inspire her career path.

“I was always aware of the differences between myself and my peers, especially when it came to navigating the college application process and preparing for the SATs without guidance,” Cruz says. “Those challenges inspired me to pursue social work so I can become the kind of supportive adult I once needed.”

Building Connections and Confidence

Throughout her time in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Cruz says one of the most important lessons she learned was the value of building meaningful relationships and putting herself out there.

“I’ve come to value the strength of a support system and the role it plays in personal and academic growth,” she says. “Most importantly, I’ve realized that you never truly know what you’re capable of until you take the chance to try.”

That support system included faculty mentors who helped shape both her academic and personal growth. Cruz credits Adjunct Professor Helen Archontou with playing a particularly important role in her journey after meeting her in an Intro to Child Advocacy course in 2023.

“Her guidance and support have played a significant role in my academic success,” Cruz says. “She has not only influenced my educational journey but also my personal growth.”

Cruz is also quick to acknowledge the encouragement she received from the College, especially Jennifer Dudeck-Lenis, the Career and Recruitment Specialist in Social Work and Child Advocacy.

“I’m incredibly grateful to Jennifer and the CHSS team for believing in me, especially during moments when I struggled to believe in myself,” Cruz says. “Their support and encouragement made a lasting difference in my journey.”

Empowering Young Women Through Advocacy

Outside the classroom, Cruz has dedicated much of her professional and community work to supporting and empowering young people.

She currently works full-time as an Equity Initiatives Specialist and Girls Programming Coordinator at YWCA Northern New Jersey, where she designs and leads programs for girls ages 8 to 18 focused on empowerment, STEM education and career exploration.

“Through this role, I aim to create meaningful opportunities that help young women build confidence, develop skills and envision their future paths,” she says.

Cruz has also remained active in the Montclair State community by participating in Master of Social Work student panels, where she shares her experiences with prospective and incoming students navigating graduate education.

In addition, she has coached the Nutley High School Color Guard and Winter Guard since 2021, helping guide her teams to two USBands National Championships while mentoring young students along the way.

“My greatest passion lies in developing meaningful programming that creates lasting, transformative change,” she says.

Defining Success

During her time at Montclair, Cruz received both the Robert D. McCormick Scholarship and the CHSS Dean’s Student Recognition Award, achievements she says felt especially meaningful as a first-generation student.

As she prepares for graduation and the next chapter of her career, Cruz says success now means building a fulfilling life while staying grounded in the moments that matter most.

“For me, success now means passing my state licensure exam and building a meaningful, fulfilling career,” she says. “I also hope to make the most of life’s small moments and truly appreciate each step along the way.”

Looking back on her experience, Cruz hopes other students remember not to doubt themselves when challenges arise.

“When the path feels difficult, remember that time will pass regardless,” she says. “Reaching your goal will make the struggle worth it.”

A first-generation college student from Barnegat, Holler graduates from Montclair with a degree in Political Science and a minor in English. Throughout her four years, she balanced the demands of academics with a rigorous schedule as a student-athlete, competing on both the university Dance Team and while also participating in community-focused work and preparing for her future in law.

“My favorite part of being at ����vlog, aside from the connections I made and what I learned, was being on the Track and Field team,” Holler says. “I learned to manage being a student-athlete during stressful times while also creating amazing friendships and bonds.”

Excelling in Competition and in the Classroom

Athletics became one of the defining parts of Holler’s college experience. During her freshman and sophomore years, she competed on the Dance Team, helping the team earn both state and national titles, while also competing in track and field.

Although she had participated in track for more than a decade, Holler challenged herself to try a new event during her junior year: the heptathlon, one of the sport’s most demanding multi-event competitions. In her first season competing, she earned All-Conference honors, placed third in the conference championship, recorded the second-highest score in school history and qualified for regional competition.

This past indoor season, Holler continued to make her mark, ranking among the top performers in program history in both the 60-meter hurdles and pentathlon.

Holler says one of her proudest accomplishments has been recognizing her own growth throughout college and learning to appreciate the work she has put into her goals.

“It’s so easy to criticize yourself and demand more,” she says. “But if you gave it everything you had, then whatever result you get is a success.”

Finding Purpose Through Political Science

Holler chose Political Science because of her long-term goal of attending law school. Pairing the major with a minor in English allowed her to strengthen both her understanding of political systems and her writing skills.

A particularly meaningful experience came in Advanced Public Policy Analysis with Fanny Lauby, where students worked on developing policy solutions for real-world issues affecting communities in New Jersey.

“We experienced for ourselves what policymakers actually do,” Holler says. “This was meaningful to me because it exposed me to a possible career path early on.”

She also credits faculty mentors including , , and with helping shape her academic journey through their mentorship, enthusiasm and support.

“One thing I learned from my time in CHSS and at Montclair State that will stick with me is that I have so many people in my corner supporting me,” she says.

Learning Through Service

Outside of athletics and academics, Holler also dedicated time to tutoring fifth-grade students through the Ignite teaching fellowship program. Four mornings a week before class, she worked with students on math lessons and helped build their confidence in the classroom.

“That was an amazing experience,” she says. “I loved being able to help the kids I worked with.”

The experience taught her adaptability, communication and time management, skills she says will continue to benefit her long after graduation.

Looking Ahead

This summer, Holler plans to take the LSAT and begin applying to law schools as she prepares for the next chapter of her academic and professional journey.

Looking back, she says college taught her that success is not about perfection, but about persistence, growth and continuing forward even through challenges.

Quoting Vincent van Gogh, Holler reflects on a lesson she will carry with her beyond graduation: “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”

For Holler, those small things — practices, assignments, friendships, setbacks and accomplishments — ultimately came together to shape a college experience defined by determination and growth.

“Be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” she says, a lesson that became the foundation of her college experience and helped shape the person she is today.

A first-generation college student from New York, Zackery graduates with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Child Advocacy and Policy. Along the way, she balanced the demands of being a full-time student while working three campus jobs, completing an internship and serving as president of a student organization — all while building the confidence to step into leadership and advocacy roles she once found intimidating.

“When I first started, I was more reserved,” Zackery says. “Over time I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone. I became more open to networking, connecting with others and putting myself in spaces that helped me grow both personally and professionally.”

Discovering a Passion for Advocacy

That growth helped solidify her future path. Initially interested in becoming a school psychologist, Zackery realized she wanted to work more directly with children who have experienced trauma. Her experiences in courses like Intro to Child Advocacy and Child Abuse and Neglect deepened her understanding of the challenges many children and families face and reinforced her commitment to advocacy and trauma-informed care.

“I want to be in a position where I can support, advocate for and help children navigate and heal from difficult experiences in a meaningful way,” she says.

Through her coursework and experiences in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zackery says she learned the importance of understanding people’s lived experiences and approaching others with empathy and compassion.

“This has shaped how I see my future role as a clinical social worker and the kind of impact I want to have,” she says.

Leadership Through Service and Mentorship

Outside the classroom, Zackery immersed herself in opportunities to serve others. She worked as a Desk Assistant for Residence Life, a Team Lead at Saxbys and a Peer Mentor for Educational Opportunity Fund scholars, while also interning with Make-A-Wish New Jersey and leading Circle K International at Montclair as president.

Among those experiences, serving as an EOF peer mentor stands out as especially meaningful. In the role, Zackery helped first-year students navigate the transition to college by offering encouragement, resources and support.

“This experience was meaningful to me because I saw firsthand the impact of mentorship and support on students’ confidence and success,” she says.

Zackery credits much of her own success to the guidance she received from mentors including her academic success coach, Stefanie Medina, and EOF counselor, Jazmene Mosley.

“Their guidance, encouragement and belief in my potential helped me stay motivated and confident in my path,” she says.

Looking Ahead

Now preparing to enter Montclair’s Master of Social Work program in Fall 2026, Zackery says her definition of success has evolved during her college years. What once centered on grades and academic performance has become something much broader.

“Success is about becoming the best version of myself while also being able to support those around me,” she says.

As she looks toward a future in clinical social work, and eventually pursuing a Ph.D. in School Psychology, Zackery hopes to continue advocating for children and families while helping strengthen mental health support systems in educational settings. It’s work rooted not only in academic preparation, but in empathy, resilience and a willingness to grow through every challenge along the way.