​​That early decision changed everything. Brzezinski hadn’t expected an answer so quickly. “Then I got the email and I was like, ‘Oh, I got into college.’” In that moment, she says, the whole process suddenly felt real and changed the tone of her final year at Howell High School.

“It was a little more relaxing,” she says. While she did go ahead and apply to other colleges, “It definitely made the application process more manageable and a lot less stressful.” Because the program is non‑binding, Brzezinski could keep exploring options while holding a secure offer at Montclair.

Dana Brzezinski talks with friends on the ����vlog quad on a spring afternoon. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

What Sealed the Deal?

By the time she applied, Brzezinski had already fallen for the campus. “I liked the community, and all of the buildings are beautiful,” she says. “You could tell that the staff, the professors, when you saw them walking around, you could tell that they like their jobs.” She also noticed something different about the students: “You see all the students outside together, talking instead of everyone just looking down at their phones. I feel like it’s just different here.”

Now an aspiring elementary school teacher and first‑year Educational Foundations major, Brzezinski is already getting involved in campus life. She has joined the Future Educators Club and is eyeing the gardening club and other activities. “Overall, my freshman year is pretty good,” she says. “I can already tell that the elementary education program is a great fit for me.”

Ready to Start Your Montclair Journey?

High school juniors who want the same head start can learn more at Early Bird Admissions Program. Submit the online by June 15 to be considered. Look out for admission decisions and preliminary scholarship offers in July. Use early offers to talk with your family about finances and plan your next steps.

The Montclair programs that participate in the annual survey include Education, Public Health, Audiology, Speech-Language Pathology, Clinical Psychology, Business specializations including Accounting, Business Analytics, Finance, Marketing and Supply Chain Management; Fine Arts and the University’s Part-Time MBA program.

Highlights from the 2026 Best Graduate Programs Rankings:

• The University’s Master of Public Health ranked No. 142 overall, up 26 spots from No. 168 in 2025
• �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s Doctor of Audiology ranked No. 49, up 12 spots from No. 61
• The University’s Doctor of Clinical Psychology ranked No. 168, up 8 spots from No. 176
• The institution’s overall ranked No. 104 overall and tied for second in N.J.

�ѴDzԳٳ���������’s Graduate Offerings

Montclair offers 116 graduate and eight doctoral programs across a range of disciplines in its 13 colleges and schools.

“We are very proud of this recognition of the exceptional quality of ����vlog’s graduate programs,” says Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Fatma Mili. “It affirms our mission to provide excellent education and make it accessible to students in our communities and beyond. These programs have been specifically designed to meet the needs of the region’s workforce and to allow professionals to upgrade their skills in ways that fit their lives and careers. These rankings show why Montclair continues to be a top-choice institution for students at all stages of their lives.”

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“We are proud to announce this milestone, which reflects many months of meaningful collaboration between our Native American and Indigenous Studies team and University leadership,” says Shannon Bellum, University Senate President. “We believe the new statement is a truer reflection of our values and commitments.”

Members of the Montclair community are invited, though not required, to use the new statement as a meaningful addition to their work, events, and communications as they see fit.

“This work did not happen quickly, nor should it have,” Bellum adds. “Authentic acknowledgement and commitment to action take time, relationship, and care. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to this process and to the tribal communities who have engaged with us in good faith along the way.”

I look back at the person I was before I attended Montclair – I’m completely different: more confident, more understanding of the world.” 

Building Identity and Story

For Mazariegos, who grew up in Marlboro, staying close to home also meant staying connected – to both community and identity. She chose Montclair for its recognition as a Hispanic‑Serving Institution and soon found that staying in New Jersey could offer far‑reaching opportunities.

I never imagined that at my state college I’d study abroad in Costa Rica, report on immigration at the Arizona‑Mexican border and work with Telemundo 47,” she says.

Those experiences inspired her documentary Raíces (Roots), Connected by Culture, about her grandfather’s journey from El Salvador and her own evolving sense of identity.

“I was in a place where I was redefining my identity, connecting more with my Latin roots and what it means to be the granddaughter or daughter of an immigrant,” she says. “I didn’t realize at the time how therapeutic it was, or how much I wanted to redefine what that meant for me.”

Dani Mazariegos sets up a shoot on the Arizona‑Mexico border during production of the award‑winning series Arizona Stories: Border, Water and Politics.

Scholarships That Opened Doors

Mazariegos’s decision to attend a public university close to home was also made possible – and amplified – by scholarships that recognized her talent and potential.

While at Montclair, she:

• Received the Presidential Scholarship every semester.
• Won a scholarship.
• Earned the Linda & George Hiltzik Scholarship in Communication & Media.
• Received an NBCU Academy scholarship, part of �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s partnership with NBCU that provides students with scholarships, training and direct access to industry professionals.

These resources helped her say “yes” to demanding reporting trips, intensive on‑the‑road productions and networking opportunities that would later matter with employers like NBC.

Dani Mazariegos accepts the Seymour Bricker Humanitarian Award on behalf of �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s Arizona Stories team for their coverage of asylum seekers, aid workers and law enforcement at the U.S.–Mexico border at the 2025 College Television Awards in Los Angeles.

Why Close to Home Might Work for You

Dani’s story is just one example of how a college close to home can open big doors. For many students, staying local can:

• Reduce overall college costs through in‑state tuition, lower living expenses and less travel.
• Keep you connected to family and friends while you adjust to college life.
• Help you build a career where you want to live through local internships and employer connections.
• Give you flexibility – live at home or near campus, depending on your goals.
• Offer the best of both worlds: new experiences in an area you already know.

“I went in thinking, I want to make something of this degree. I don’t want to just get a degree and leave. I want to leave a mark, meet people, experience something,” Mazariegos says.

All that is to say, for a state university, Montclair students are making waves in some of the top industries, and part of that comes from our strong connections to New York City. I got to experience all of these benefits and opportunities firsthand, and I got to do it just 58 minutes from home.”

Finding Opportunity Close to Home

Within �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s College of Communication and Media, Mazariegos found professors with industry connections that helped her build a powerful portfolio. She worked on three major On the Road news projects with Professor Steve McCarthy that earned national acclaim – covering the Fentanyl/drug crisis in San Francisco, the migrant crisis and voter engagement during a national election.

“That’s one of the incredible things about Montclair – little but mighty,” Mazariegos says. “The level of journalism we produce is astonishing. Our school really creates some of the best work in the media and helps put people into big jobs.”

Dani Mazariegos on site with NBC Sports in Stamford, Connecticut, during coverage of the Milan‑Cortina 2026 Winter Games.

Those industry connections are part of what helped Mazariegos and other Montclair alumni land roles on Olympic coverage. Thanks to Professors Kelly Whiteside and Stacy Gitlin, she secured a production assistant position with . From NBC’s Stamford, Connecticut, studios, she joined the Gold Zone sports desk team, producing feature stories for The Olympic Zone, a 30‑minute segment leading into primetime coverage.

“I worked alongside producers and associate producers to source, transcribe and organize footage. From stories about figure skating costumes to exploring Italian aperitivo culture, every day brought something new,” she says. “Being part of such a fast‑paced environment gave me an inside look at storytelling and production.”

Her long shifts, often running from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m., were intense but exhilarating. “The crazier the hours, the more fun it is,” she laughs.

On set, Mazariegos watched her Montclair training come to life – and ran into other Red Hawks working on the Games. “I was like, guys, what are we doing? We’re taking over! We’re covering the Olympics.”

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As an international student from Mexico, she was drawn to �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s computing program and the chance to build a tech career. After she excelled in a German language course, that success became the first step toward multiple degrees, as faculty encouraged her to add German, explore linguistics and step into teaching and research roles she had never considered. She even turned her work with children in German into a research project on how programs like the SPARK Lab influence college students’ interest in teaching.

“One of the most important things I’ve learned at Montclair is that you don’t have to limit yourself to just one thing,” Zarate Gonzalez says.

At �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s SPARK Lab, Isabella Zarate Gonzalez collaborates with fellow students to plan German lessons for local schoolchildren as part of a national ‘SPARK for German’ teaching network. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Community‑engaged learning that opens doors

The SPARK Lab is a partnership between Montclair and nearby schools, giving children early access to world languages while mentoring college students into community‑focused leadership roles. It is part of a national network supported by the . Zarate Gonzalez is among the students who teach German to elementary school children one hour a week for six weeks each semester, including a Meistergruppe for kids who speak German as a heritage language.

Children in �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s SPARK Lab listen to German fairy tales. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

As part of a multi‑university research project with the University of Tennessee Knoxville, the University of St. Thomas and the University of Chicago, she led data collection and analysis on how SPARK affects college students. She focused on whether experiences like the SPARK Lab encourage students to consider teaching German and what broadly applicable professional skills they gain, surveying �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s student instructors about their motivations and how teaching had changed their career plans.

The research findings, co‑authored with faculty and collaborators at the four campuses, were and presented at the 2023 American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages conference in Chicago.

At Montclair, Isabella Zarate Gonzalez found support to grow a single major into three degrees – Data Science, Language, Business and Culture, and German – plus a minor in Linguistics. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Studying abroad with scholarship support

Scholarship support opened the world for Zarate Gonzalez.

Through the  Montclair–Graz Sister City Scholarship, she spent the 2024–25 academic year studying in Graz, Austria. The full scholarship, funded by ����vlog, �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s Overseas Neighbors and the City of Graz, provides free tuition, room and a small stipend and sends two Montclair undergraduates each year to study in �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s sister city.

�ѴDzԳٳ���������’s status as a Hispanic‑Serving Institution also helped her win a full scholarship to Middlebury’s prestigious German Language School, a summer immersion program.

“There aren’t a lot of people who can say, ‘This university allowed me to do three bachelor’s degrees, win full scholarships and study abroad in Europe,’” she says.

Isabella Zarate Gonzalez talks with Associate Professor Pascale LaFountain in �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s SPARK Lab. In addition to their work there, Zarate Gonzalez joined LaFountain on a translation project for an archive of Austrian Jewish history. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Hands-on research and a peek into history

Advanced language study also led Zarate Gonzalez into meaningful work and helped her discover the academic field that ties her interests together. With Associate Professor Pascale LaFountain and local resident Diane Forman, she worked on a translation project for an extraordinary archive of Austrian Jewish history centered on Forman’s grandfather, composer Wilhelm Grosz.

The team organized and translated Grosz’s letters – including correspondence with figures such as Leonard Bernstein and Langston Hughes – along with his musical manuscripts, Nazi‑era property documents and personal library, preparing the materials for the Exil.arte Jewish music archive in Austria.

For Zarate Gonzalez, working so closely with those documents made the Holocaust feel personal and showed her how language skills and data‑driven thinking could come together in fields like Computational Linguistics.

Looking ahead

When Zarate Gonzalez graduates in May 2026, she will have earned degrees in Data Science; Language, Business and Culture; and German, plus a minor in Linguistics – all completed in four years.

Now, as she looks ahead, she is exploring teaching opportunities in both German and STEM fields and planning for a future master’s program in Computational Linguistics.��

“I think about what would have happened if I had chosen not to come to Montclair,” she says. “My life would be completely different. I genuinely believe I got the most out of it.”

Ready to start your Montclair journey? Learn more about the College of Science and Mathematics and the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Montclair.

Accepted students: Make it official by submitting your new student deposit and registering to attend Accepted Students Day.

“These shorebirds are important, but it’s just as important to know which areas need to be monitored and protected to support the horseshoe crabs,” Witters says. “If we lose the habitat and areas they use to breed and lay eggs, it will be hard to get that habitat back and keep the populations sustained.”

As a nationally recognized high-research university, ����vlog gives students early access to faculty-led projects, which allowed Witters to join a lab in her first year and keep building her research skills in one continuous five-year path.

That early start is built into �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s academic model: Montclair offers more combined programs than any other institution in New Jersey, giving students a head start on graduate study and careers. For Witters, that has meant not just upper-level science courses, but real ownership of a research question and presenting her findings at scientific conferences.

“I always thought it would be a fantasy to actually work with horseshoe crabs,” Witters says. “They were just my favorite animals. They’re so weird and unique – they have blue blood, they’re called crabs but are more closely related to spiders – and being able to build my own research around them really changed my life and showed me what I want to do.”

Kelly Witters holds a horseshoe crab molt the team collected while gathering samples. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Turning a favorite animal into publishable research

Witters and her twin sister, Caitlin – who also majored in Marine Biology and Coastal Sciences, graduated in January 2026 and plans to join the U.S. Coast Guard – first joined Biology Professor Paul Bologna’s lab as freshmen, finding not just mentors but a close‑knit community of students working side by side in the field and lab.��

When Bologna invited students to propose independent projects, Witters seized the chance to study her favorite animal more deeply, and together she and Bologna focused on a question that hadn’t been fully explored in New Jersey: whether quiet lagoonal back‑bay beaches are important spawning habitat for horseshoe crabs, not just the better‑known oceanfront beaches along Delaware Bay and the open Jersey Shore.

She times fieldwork with lunar cycles and high tides when spawning peaks. Back in the lab, she counts eggs and analyzes sediment types to see where egg densities are highest. The results are striking, and the work led to a peer-reviewed article co‑authored with Bologna in . Seeing her name on a scientific paper is powerful confirmation that her research matters, she says.

Because Witters is in a 4+1 program, the project didn’t end when she finished her bachelor’s degree – it became the foundation of her master’s thesis. She had already begun taking graduate-level classes while completing her undergraduate requirements, so the transition to full-time graduate study felt natural. “We’re out in the field, on the water and in the lab, and the five-year program lets me start graduate-level work early and build my research over several summers,” she says.

Kelly Witters examines horseshoe crab eggs under a microscope after collecting 20-centimeter sediment cores in Barnegat Bay. In the lab, she runs each core through a sieve series to separate eggs by size, then counts them and records their developmental stage. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Building toward a PhD and beyond

By the time she graduates with her master’s in 2027, Witters expects to have three summers of data on horseshoe crab spawning, experience presenting at national conferences and at least one publication – with more analyses underway. Along the way, she has also discovered a passion for teaching as a graduate assistant for introductory biology labs, working closely with undergraduates who, like she once did, are testing out a future in science. She continues to balance research with life on campus, from long days in the back bays of the Jersey Shore to training with �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s varsity cross country team.

“Being able to build my own research around the animal I loved in third grade really showed me what I want my life to look like,” she says.

Ready to start your Montclair journey?

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Sheridan Van Biert works as a registered dietitian for Gourmet Dining Services at Sam’s Place, the same dining hall where she grabbed meals between classes as a ����vlog student.

Van Biert did her dietetic internship with Gourmet Dining Services, �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s award-winning dining service provider, while studying Food and Nutrition Science in the College for Community Health, resulting in her campus career. Her preceptors during her internship are now her colleagues.

“�ѴDzԳٳ���������’s undergraduate and graduate nutrition program helped me prepare for my current role by applying what I learned in the classroom into real-life practice,” says Van Biert ’22, ’24 MA. “From situational group lesson plans and cooking classes as a student to everything in between, it came naturally when I started using these skills for teaching kitchens that we, as dietitians, host for students, as well as presentations we tailor for our athletes.”

The Path to Success:

• Degrees: BS (’22) & MA (’24) in Nutrition and Food Science.
• Program Perk: Combined BS/MS track for faster career entry.
• Real-World Experience: 1,000+ hours of dietetic internship.
• Current Role: Campus RD for Gourmet Dining.

Student Connection

“Being a part of Montclair for so many years I feel is a big advantage when it comes to relating and connecting with the campus community,” Van Biert says. “It’s a valuable aspect to have when providing outpatient counseling to students or chatting with them in the dining halls and around campus.”

Gourmet’s Director of Dining and Wellness Jennifer Bostedo, RDN, Van Biert’s supervisor, echoes those benefits, noting that �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s Food and Nutrition Science program well prepared her for the position. “Hiring a Montclair grad gives us the benefit of a rigorously, well-trained professional who has an intimate knowledge of the campus culture. It allows us to tailor food and beverage offerings to meet the needs of today’s students better.”

�ѴDzԳٳ���������’s Nutrition Program continues to contribute to Van Biert’s career success. “Having built a strong sense of adaptability has been invaluable in my current role, as each workday varies significantly and involves juggling multiple diverse responsibilities.”

I understand the students’ perspective, as well as the food service perspective. I always like to think back to what I was excited about coming into the dining hall. It’s kind of a full circle moment.” ~ Sheridan Van Biert

Paying It Forward

Today, Van Biert helps guide Montclair student dietetic interns, collaborates with her former professors on nutrition research and student wellness initiatives and ensures nutritious, delicious meals for the Montclair community. “Now she and the other dietitians on campus continue the cycle as we precept future dietitians who started just like Sheridan did, right here at Montclair,” says Bostedo.

I love the connections I’ve made at Montclair, the people I’ve met, the campus, the community.”

for a complete look at Sheridan Van Biert’s day and her attention to details as a food service professional and nutrition counselor.

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Want to turn your passion for wellness into a career? Explore our Nutrition & Food Science Programs. See yourself at Montclair, Schedule a Campus Tour.

Shadowing a lobbyist with the New Jersey Education Association during its “Tier One for Everyone” pension campaign, the ����vlog Political Science major watched legislators stream past.

“It was my first time lobbying, and I heard ‘no’ more often than ‘yes’ – a crash course in how messy and how meaningful education policy work can be,” she says.

For Rodriguez, that moment is part of a broader story: how �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s strong transfer support, mentorship, and community helped her grow from an unsure transfer student into an emerging voice in the education policies shaping the profession.

From Community College to Montclair

Rodriguez’s path to Montclair started at County College of Morris, where she changed majors several times before finding what truly fit.

�ѴDzԳٳ���������’s 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 Transfer Credit Equivalent Database that lets students preview how their courses might transfer before they even apply.

“I always tell other students: If you don’t know what you want to do, go to county college, then transfer to a four-year school,” she says. “It’s one of the best paths.”

Even with that sense of direction, stepping onto a larger campus felt daunting. “At first, when I came to Montclair, I felt nervous and scared,” she says. “There were a lot of ‘I don’t fit in. Where do I go? Where do I meet the right connections?’”

Getting involved changed that. “Being in a club really helped,” she says. “Student government helped me find a group where I could say, ‘Okay, this feels like home now.’” Feeling grounded at Montclair became a springboard for her work with the , an arm of the NJEA that organizes and advocates for future teachers.

Putting Learning into Practice

Rodriguez hosts 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.

Her advocacy doesn’t stop with the podcast. Rodriguez is also co‑creator of the , a group focused on ensuring that school construction and renovation projects are done responsibly and with equity in mind.

She has also been selected for U.S. Sen. Andy Kim’s , which teaches the fundamentals of running effective campaigns and organizing at the community level.

Thriving as a Commuter Student

Rodriguez commutes more than an hour to �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s campus. She grew up in Mount Olive and recently moved to Blairstown. “From Blairstown it’s about an hour and ten,” she says. “But it’s 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 – Hannah Montana style.”

She knows many commuters worry they will miss out on campus life. “I tell them: Attend something. Please, just do something for yourself. You’ll thank yourself later.”

She points to �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s commuter events, pit stops and student organizations as the structures that made it easier to plug in, even with a long drive.

Showing up became her guiding principle, and it led to one unexpected opportunity: making Puerto Rican mofongo on camera with Montclair President Jonathan Koppell for an episode of

As she prepares to graduate in May 2026, Rodriguez still sometimes thinks about how unlikely this moment once felt.

“I never thought I’d graduate from college because my path felt so all over the place,” she says. “I never envisioned myself at a four-year institution. Even now, getting my senior pictures back, it feels like imposter syndrome. I’m 25, and I finally did it,” she adds. “It feels good to finally see the checkered flag.”

Ready to Start Your Montclair Journey?

Transfer to Montclair with Confidence

• Use our new Transfer Credit Equivalent Database to preview how your courses might transfer before you apply.
  • Enter your coursework from other institutions to see how they translate to Montclair courses and fulfill degree requirements.
• Take advantage of �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s partnership with community colleges through a 2+2 Program for a supportive pathway:
  • Work with advisors from Montclair and your community college to complete your AA or AS in two years.
  • Upon graduation and meeting program criteria, transfer to Montclair with junior standing and all general education requirements waived.
  • Begin upper-level courses right away.
• Explore accredited online programs for transfer students with 45+ college credits, including Business Administration, Economics, Family Science and Human Development, Liberal Studies, Psychology and RN to BSN.

Horatio Wauchope’s story moves the way he does – fluidly, between the arts, fashion and social science. Growing up between Jamaica and New Jersey, he learned to express himself through music, photography and conversation, blending creativity with curiosity about how people connect.

A decade ago, after two semesters at ����vlog, he left school to launch a career in photography and fashion as an agent and director. “I went deep into my career, but after a while I stopped seeing progress and felt my ideas weren’t being taken seriously,” Horatio, 34, explains.��

“Eventually I got fed up and started seeing signs pointing me back to school.”

�ѴDzԳٳ���������’s readmit program helps students like Horatio return to finish their degrees, offering flexible options to take courses online, in person or in a hybrid format so they can balance school with work, commuting and family commitments.​

When Horatio reapplied, financing his education was a major concern. Montclair provided the Red Hawk Advantage Award, which helps eligible New Jersey students with tuition if they’re working on their first bachelor’s degree, have under 60 credits and meet income and GPA requirements.��

“I had no idea schools had their own funding like that. I thought I’d tried everything.”

Morning Hustle

Horatio begins his mornings making deliveries to help meet his college costs. “I’m a full‑time student, so in between classes, before and after, whenever I have a break, I drive for Uber or Uber Eats to help make everything work.”

Picking up medication on an Uber run.

“Coming back after 10 years, I’ve been surprised by how many people stepped up for me once I was honest about what I needed,” he says.

On a recent winter day, , inviting Photographer Mike Peters to ride with him while he made deliveries and sit in on his classes. “We met before my first class in Bloomfield so I could grab coffee and then squeeze in an hour of work. I did a couple of trips, picking up someone’s breakfast at Wawa and a pharmacy run for someone’s medication.”

In Class and In Motion

Horatio took a class on advanced Excel skills at Bloomfield College of ����vlog. Here, he charts and organizes data for a class project analyzing companies and their inventories.

A Sociology major, Horatio took Spreadsheet Essentials at the Bloomfield campus to build data analyst skills because that location better fit his schedule. Students from both locations are able to take courses across campuses. “It was my first time on the Bloomfield campus since the merger, and it was interesting to experience a different environment while still being a Montclair student.”

After his class in Bloomfield, Horatio heads to Montclair, where he meets up with his friend and fellow Sociology major, Gustavo Quintero.

The friends grab lunch in the Student Center and walk across campus to a favorite study spot.

Horatio and Gustavo eat together, study and help keep each other motivated. “We push each other to stay focused and get through the semester.”

A decade ago, when Horatio first attended Montclair, he published a photography book for a class project called The Commuter, which mirrored his experiences as a college commuter. “I always had my camera with me, and I’d take photos of people going down the escalator at New York Penn Station or head to Hoboken to shoot birds. I got a really good grade for the class, which inspired me to keep pursuing photography.”

This time around, Horatio is focused on new interests. Last semester, he completed an internship at �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s Project AROS (Applied Research On Social Issues) Lab, mentored by Arnaud Kurze, associate professor of Justice Studies and the lab’s director. “It’s an interdisciplinary research program,” Horatio explains. “No matter what field you want to go into – history, technology or medicine – it gives us room to learn how to do real-life research and shadow professionals on their projects.”​

Horatio’s research examined climate change in Liberia. “I learned how to map vulnerabilities and create graphs to visualize where floods hit hardest. It focused on erosion, flooding and how those changes affect communities, especially women who fish and provide for their families.”

Finding Mentors, Building Momentum

In the late afternoon, Horatio attends Statistics of Social Research with Sociology Chairperson Sangeeta Parashar, who has become a guiding voice in his journey.​

In addition to his internship, Horatio is finding mentorship in his classes. “Professor Parashar has been like a mom to me this semester,” he says. “Her class is tough, very old‑school – pencils, paper, lots of problem sets – but it gave me a strong foundation.”

Horatio, who expects to graduate in either May or December 2027, doesn’t yet know what shape his next chapter will take – but the direction feels right.

I don’t know exactly where I’ll end up – data science, research or something else – but I know I’m on the right track. I’m taking every opportunity as it comes and trusting that the work, the mentors and the connections will lead me to the next step.”

Photography by University Photographer Mike Peters

As told to Marilyn Joyce Lehren, University Communications and Marketing

Through this photo essay, part of an ongoing series, we highlight how Montclair students, faculty and staff embody the University’s mission in the classroom, on campus and beyond – empowering a diverse community by providing broad access to rigorous learning, advancing research and creativity, and forming partnerships for the common good.

Ready to start your Montclair journey?

• Accepted Students: Secure your spot and register to attend Accepted Student Day.
• Prospective Students: Visit campus and apply to ����vlog.
• Journalists: Contact �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s Media Relations for photographs or to schedule an interview.

�ѴDzԳٳ���������’s online Master’s in Educational Leadership improved to No. 5 (tie), up nine spots from No. 14 in the 2025 rankings.

For the first time, Montclair also earned a ranking in the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs category at No. 56 (tie), reflecting the University’s growing portfolio of online undergraduate degree completion options which now includes Business Administration, Economics, Family Science and Human Development, Liberal Studies, Nursing RN to BSN and Psychology.

�ѴDzԳٳ���������’s online graduate business offerings were also recognized, with the University’s Best Online Master’s in Business Programs (non-MBA) ranked No. 53 (tie) nationally, an eight-spot increase from No. 61 in 2025. The ranking highlights the strength of �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s online Master of Science programs in Business Analytics, Digital Marketing Analytics, and Human Resource Analytics.

Additional 2026 ranked programs include:

• Best Online MBA Programs: No. 107 (tie)
• Best Online Master’s in Nursing Programs: No. 62 (tie)

“����vlog makes everything around learning as simple as possible, from applying, to navigating coursework, to getting student support when questions come up,” says Marc Austin, vice provost and managing director, Montclair Unbound. “These U.S. News rankings reflect the work behind the scenes to deliver a high-quality online experience that’s engaging, well-supported and designed for student success. Students should be able to focus on the hard work of study; we streamline the rest.”

U.S. News & World Report program rankings are based on scores from five categories – student engagement, services and technologies, student excellence, faculty credentials and training, and opinions of academic experts across 1,800 online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs offered primarily online by regionally accredited institutions.

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Prospective Student: Explore ����vlog’s full range of programs, from fully online undergraduate degrees to online and low-residency master’s and doctoral offerings as well as career-advancing certificates and certifications.

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