“Through the William Paterson University Honors College, I had the wonderful opportunity today to be a volunteer reader at Elementary School #12 in Paterson as a member of their “Cool Men Read” Program! This program is in honor of Dr.Seuss’ Birthday and engages classrooms as part of Read Across America Week.” Shared by Craig Jackowski Jr. ‘21 on LinkedIn.

“This is my best birthday gift that I made for myself 👩🏻‍🎓💜 it was not easy but I did it 🥰 I’m so thankful for everything that I’ve done and for the new goals that I have in my mind. I know that my family in Perú is so proud of me and happy to see me where I am now. Being in a different country and still achieving what you want or desire is priceless. It never is too late to start over and pursue your goals 🙏🏻 Finally I got my bachelor’s degree 📜 Bs. in Spanish, minor in psychology!!!!!!! 🥳🥳🥳🥳” Shared by @aliaanna on Instagram

According to public health professor and former department chair William Kernan, nearly every county health department in NJ employs one or more William Paterson graduates. Learn how the program is preparing students for careers in the growing industry: http://wpunj.us/26CwRc

Shaydaih Williams ‘20 “Growing up, I was raised by a single mother, and seeing her work so hard has always motivated me to want to do more. I transferred to William Paterson University in the second semester of my freshman year and looking back, I never could have imagined how involved I would become. When I arrived on campus, I was welcomed into a community of people who were transfer students like me. My friend introduced me to the student organization S.A.B.L.E. (Sisters for Awareness Black Leadership and Equality) and from there I bloomed! I met so many different people and learned about different cultures all while creating a sisterhood. I soon joined other clubs and organizations found activities that I would have never thought to participate in before, including the Black Student Union and E.B.O.N.E.E (Encouraging the Black Open Minded to Notice Exceptional Experiences.) I also held the e-board position of vice president for students of service. I have always had a passion for giving back to my community. While I have always been civically engaged, William Paterson helped me to fully understand my purpose in life: to be a blessing to others and give back to those around me. I never could have imagined that a shy girl like me from Newark would be able to have the opportunities that I’ve had to help so many people. Not everyone has access to education, healthcare, food, employment, or a healthy living environment, so I try my best to give as much as I can. When I received the Campus Compact award, I knew that I had made an impact. This award motivated me to plan and do even more civic engagement activities for my city. As a public health major, I hope to inspire the people around me to also make the necessary changes to help the community. As a pioneer, I feel confident that I have inspired my peers to leave their footprints, just as I will when I graduate in May.”

Yousef Chaudhary ‘20 “My experience as a student veteran at William Paterson University has been great thanks to the resources and offices that have helped me throughout my time on campus. The Office of Veteran and Military Affairs helped me connect with other veterans, allowing me to find the same camaraderie I experienced in the military. They have also helped me understand how to claim and get the most out of my military benefits. Organizations like the Student Veterans Organization, Greek Senate and my fraternity, Omega Delta Sigma, have helped me become a leader on the civilian side and have reenforced the same principles and core values I gained in the marine corps. Upon graduation, I am hoping to go into law enforcement or work in a municipality as a service clerk. The criminal justice professors I’ve have been very insightful and knowledgeable about guiding me into the industry. William Paterson has shown me the glory and pride of being a Pioneer and I am so glad I chose WP.”

Lisbeth Ortega ‘20 “It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly’s wings can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world – chaos theory. The butterfly effect is the idea that a single flap of a butterfly’s wings at any given location can start a hurricane on the other side of the globe. Although this theory may sound impossible to others, my curiosity led me to wonder if the butterfly effect can apply to an act of success. I grew up in a Latino home where I was reared to believe a woman had fewer expectations, meaning a more traditional family role. My tasks were to cook, clean and earn good grades, but it was never expected that I would pursue a degree in college. At age 5, I walked into a classroom with no knowledge of the challenge that would be learning the English language. It was difficult, but I pushed myself and began to reevaluate my thoughts about my purpose in life. In 2016 I was homeless and forced to transition into adult responsibilities to support my family. Although this impacted me greatly, I still managed to graduate as valedictorian of my high school. As a result, I made the choice of furthering my education at William Paterson University. When I first walked into campus I fell in love with the environment, students, and supportive faculty. It soon became a place for me to call home when I didn’t have one. When I hear people say that the heart of William Paterson is “Will. Power.” I couldn’t agree more. I strongly believe that William Paterson gave me the power to keep dreaming, loving, and inspiring. Although my life has never been easy, I’ve never stopped working towards my education. I’ve experienced many negative people who disagree with my choices of attending college during an economic crisis. However, I strongly believe that education doesn’t have a time – education should happen every day. Education is power and it takes Will. Power. to always keep striving for success. While attending William Paterson University, I plan to earn a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Elementary Education. As a first-generation student, I never imagined myself in a college environment. I’m truly thankful for William Paterson for giving me the Will. Power. and knowledge to overcome my obstacles. Just like a butterfly, I wish to flutter my wings and inspire others through my story. I believe anything is possible if you just keep flying.”

A perfect score! William Paterson’s January 2019 nursing graduates earned a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX exam, exceeding the national average of 89.5%! http://wpunj.us/TstOqR

Moe Hamdeh ‘19 “Believing in yourself is the first step to success and William Paterson University instilled in me a tremendous confidence. I’ve learned that although some people will doubt or overlook over you, what’s crucial is that you continue to persevere. I am a finance and professional sales major who recently won the William Paterson University Pitch Tank competition and went on to represent the University at the state-wide U-Pitch NJ. I was honored to compete on behalf of William Paterson University as I had the confidence to go out and show the state that WP is a force to be reckoned with and success is our destiny! If you don’t believe in yourself, then who will? Go out and make your dreams a reality!”

“I got accepted into the only university I applied for and I couldn’t be happier! 🧡🖤 I am now starting my journey as a future educator! 👨🏽‍🏫 Even though I’m sad to leave the kiddos in the fall that have impacted me and that I have impacted in the span of a couple weeks of just working with them at Mercer Elementary, I know that I’m doing this for THEM! I can’t wait to meet some new people, grow as a new person and future educator. So, cheers to new beginnings!” #WPAccepted Shared by @kris.givs on Instagram

“I couldn’t be happier to say I’m able to begin the next chapter of my life at my first choice of a school. I’ve already met a few great people beforehand and I can’t wait to get to know some more and grow as a person and a future nursing major. Being a future Pioneer (and as a bonus being accepted into the Honors College) has been a goal of mine since the first day of freshman year and I’m very happy to say I’m #WPAccepted ♥️🏥💉” Shared by @cxxsie on Instagram

Meagan Trozzo ‘19 “William Paterson University has given me the foundation to grow in ways I never thought possible. This year I competed as part of a team of two students representing William Paterson at the Russ Berrie Institute’s 12th Annual National Sales Competition. I was so proud when our team won first place in the competition, as WP has only won this competition two times in the past 12 years. Individually, I also earned first place for the sales role play event, and came in second place for the individual overall competition out of 130 students from 40 schools from all over the world. Based off of this, you might think I was some kind of veteran at these competitions, right? Wrong. This past fall, I competed for the very first time in William Paterson’s Professional Sales Challenge Triathlon. At first I was terrified and actually had to force myself to participate. But I knew I had to summon my Will. Power. and take the leap, and I was determined to be as prepared as possible. In advance of the competition, I joined the Professional Sales Club and enrolled in a Professional Sales class. My hard work paid off as WP gave me the opportunity to not only compete in the Triathlon, but to qualify to compete in the National Sales Challenge. The faculty and staff of William Paterson took me further. After qualifying, the faculty dedicated nine hours each week to train us for the competition. They didn’t have to do this – they were adding this to their regular schedules. But, because of their dedication, I gained the confidence to compete. And we won. All thanks to Will. Power.”

Hershell Williams ‘20 “William Paterson is a great environment; everyone is super helpful. When I first started here, I took a leap of faith: I had never taken an art class, ever. The professors really took the time to explain things to me and help me develop myself. More experienced students in class would check on me every day, see how my work was coming, and make suggestions. My skills have come a long way, and I’m looking forward to an internship in animation.”

The WP Bowling team captured their first major victory of the season when they took home first place at the 2018 Lehigh Valley Collegiate Classic Championship this past weekend. Well done! #WeAreWillPower

Johan Von Ende ‘19 “The first time I came to William Paterson was in the fall of 2010. I was attending my Eagle Scout dinner where I was recognized for being a leader. I didn’t know it at the time, but William Paterson would continue to play an important role in molding me into the leader I am today. I transferred to WP from Bergen Community College in the fall of 2016. At first I was nervous about adjusting to a new school, but thanks to the Will. Power. I found as a student in the communication department, I was quickly able to adapt to my new environment and rise to meet the challenge of my academics. I overcame my struggles when I joined our tv station, WPTV-6, and became a parent orientation leader. My Will. Power., combined with the support of the University, helped me to succeed. To me, my Will. is my ability to succeed, fight and persevere against anything that comes at me in life. My Power. is my ability to never give up on my dreams. I believe that if you can empower someone to believe in themselves, they can do anything. I will soon be graduating with my bachelor’s in media production, and I cannot thank WP enough for pushing me past my limitations and believing in me. William Paterson will always be my heart.”

“Last week I had the opportunity to compete in my final sales Triathlon at the Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales. Extremely excited to announce that I took first place in every event in the advanced category! Thankful for all of the people who helped along the way, truly excited to graduate in December and make some real sales!” Shared by Michaela Campo on LinkedIn.

Yazan Jubran ‘21 “Graduating high school and transitioning to William Paterson was one of the scariest and most exciting experiences of my life. My graduating high school GPA wasn’t where I wanted it to be and I knew that college was going to be much more challenging. With this in mind, I walked into my first day of classes with a new determination to achieve higher academic success and take advantage of as many opportunities as possible. I am pursuing a double major in finance and professional sales and the classes I am taking in the College of Business are interesting, challenging and fun. The feedback I receive from my professors, partnered with innovative technology like the sales lab, is preparing me to excel in my career. One of my greatest accomplishments came when I achieved fourth place in the advanced role play category of the RBI Sales Triathlon. I was the youngest student to place in the top four this year. Now, after an inspirational freshman year, I have earned a 3.4 GPA and landed a number of leadership positions across campus. In addition to my work as a Student Government Association senator, orientation leader, treasurer of the professional sales club, peer leader, tutor and student ambassador, I was also one of 60 first-generation college students selected for a fellowship with America Needs You, a two-year career development and leadership training program. I am confident that with the help of William Paterson’s academic services, friends, and my strong Will. Power., I will make my university community proud.”