Dear Alumni and Friends,
As you sit down to read this issue of Rider magazine, thousands of Rider students are already settled in on campus for the fall semester.
They’re attending classes, joining clubs, landing internships, volunteering in our community and planning to study abroad. They’re competing on the athletic field, demonstrating their artistic talents on the stage, developing leadership skills, making new friends and just enjoying life at college.
For hundreds of Rider students, they are also the first members of their families to experience any of these rights of passage. As you will read in this issue’s cover story, first-generation students face additional challenges as they acclimate to life away from home to pursue their dream of a college education.
As you sit down to read this issue of Rider magazine, thousands of Rider students are already settled in on campus for the fall semester.
I am particularly proud of the Student Support Services Program offered by Rider to assist first-generation students. The program, which is part of the national TRIO programs that help students overcome barriers to higher education, is celebrating its 25th anniversary at Rider and 50th anniversary nationally. Another important program, the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), which helps low-income residents attend college and has provided meaningful opportunities to countless Rider students, is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
EOP has empowered students since its inception to become well-rounded leaders and responsible citizens. Rider’s EOP students have made a profound impact on our University and our greater community.
We are excited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of EOP this year and hope you will join us at our Homecoming celebration on Oct. 27, when we will commemorate this special program and honor its commitment to helping the thousands of students who have benefitted from this initiative over the years.
I encourage all of you to come back to Rider for Homecoming. There is much to see transforming on campus, and countless friendly faces waiting to welcome you back to your alma mater, not to mention lots of fun to be had. I hope to see you and your families on Oct. 27.
Sincerely,
Gregory G. Dell’Omo, Ph.D.
President, Rider University