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Why Rachael chose Rider

Rachael transferred to Rider after a semester at another college. “As soon as I stepped into the Rider Admissions office, I was treated like family. I looked at my mom and said, ‘This is where I want to go to college.’ It felt like home.” When she met with psychology professors, Rachael was even more impressed. “They talked about career services, research opportunities and internships and how involved they are in helping you get a job. It turned out to be true. Transferring to Rider was the best decision I could have made.”

Rider's impact on Rachael's success

When Rachael came to Rider, she immediately began doing hands-on research in psychology. In 2009, she traveled to Toronto to present a paper she co-authored with her adviser, Dr. Chrystina Dolyniuk, at the American Psychological Association convention on their research examining college students’ attitudes towards peers with disabilities. She also did counseling research with Dr. John Suler and landed a key internship at Carrier Clinic — one of New Jersey’s largest, not-for-profit behavioral health care facilities. “Having counseling and applied research experience as an undergraduate student was incredible. I took what I learned in class and applied it immediately. I gained experience most students don’t get until they go to graduate school.”

Continued success

Rachael’s experience — including an internship normally held by graduate students — has already paid off. Following her internship, she was offered a full-time job at Carrier Clinic as a mental health technician on the nursing staff. She’s also pursuing a master’s degree in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling at Rider. “My foot in the door was С����Ƶ. I didn’t even have to go through the formal process of applying. It was handed to me because I was already working at the Carrier Clinic.”