Amanda Coker

Amanda Ruby Danielle Alyne Coker of Wauchula, FL is a Social Work major. She has a 3.2 GPA.

At Ramapo, she has been active in the Social Work club and Ramapo Pride.

Amanda has also been involved in off–campus activities including volunteering in hospice and working as a Crisis Intervention Specialist serving families throughout Morris and Sussex counties in New Jersey.

Amanda is a first-generation college student who already secured her dream job in the Social Work field as a Medical Hospice Social Worker. She also aspires to become a certified American Sign Language Interpreter.

Miriam Soriano

Miriam Soriano of Clifton, N.J. is a student in the Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program. She has a 3.7 GPA.

At Ramapo, she is a full-time commuter student balancing a family, with a husband and three children, a full time job, and an internship. This left little time to fully participate with organizations, but she attended lectures, student involvement activities, and career fairs at Ramapo.

Miriam has also been involved in off-campus activities such as information sessions for Foster Parent recruitment, holding a 2 year Treasurer position for a Cultural Committee in her community, and volunteering at her local Parish.

Her plans for the future include applying to become a Licensed Social Worker and work towards becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Roselyn Martinez-Balbuena

Roselyn Martinez-Balbuena of Passaic, N.J. is an International Business Major on the 4+1 track. She has a 3.97 GPA and has earned a spot on the Dean’s List every semester. She is a proud EOF Scholar and a member of the Tri-Alpha First-Gen Chapter.

At Ramapo, she is a member of the United Asian Association, showing her support at events, and is also a recurring member of Japanese Happy Hour sessions which works to immerse students in Japanese cultural activities.

In her hometown, Roselyn has been a part of many volunteer events such as a member of Mayor Hector Lora’s Youth Council where she distributes supplies for the townspeople and participates in city cleanups. She is also co-founder of the Study and Save program, which launched in Passaic last year, that helps students improve their study environments as well as boost their grades.

Next semester, she will participate in a study-abroad opportunity in Japan and will continue to pursue other international experiences.

After graduation, Roselyn wants to attend graduate school to refine her business abilities. Then, she hopes to travel and work in the hospitality industry to maximize her skills in intercultural communication. This will be helpful toward achieving her career goal to work in an international organization like the United Nations.

Yashanique Grant

“I hope to give a voice to this community because I believe they are drastically unheard and misunderstood. This has always been a passion of mine, and I have the goal to help save one life each day.”

Yashanique Grant of Newark, N.J. is currently a student in the Master of Social Work Program, and she has a 3.81 GPA. She will be the first in her family to complete higher education.

At Ramapo, she is a member of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and she has served as the Vice 

President of the Kappa Upsilon chapter on campus during her undergraduate studies (2020-2022). Presently, she is the Graduate Residence Director of the Village. An accomplishment Yashanique is most proud of is her success as a Social Emotional Learning Intern, as it is a new initiative.

After graduation, Yashanique plans on becoming a licensed social worker and a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor.

Jovanna Eli

Jovanna Eli is a first-generation college student. 

She completed her entire Master’s degree in less than 4 years having started with her Associates degree. 

In the future, Jovanna would like to work in a private practice setting and become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Rojja Kharel

“I wish to better the lives of people and to break societal barriers that are keeping people around the world from getting an accessible and practical education,” says Rojja Kharel. 

An international student from Kathmandu, Nepal, Rojja is a sophomore majoring in International Studies and minoring in Entrepreneurship. She has a 3.8 GPA and has made the Dean’s List every semester. 

She works as a student aide at the George T. Potter library on campus and is also a Resident Assistant at Bischoff Hall. Rojja is a senator-at-large and the social media coordinator of the International Student Organization. 

Most of her life she has been working as a volunteer to help better the education system in her country, which can be seen from the internship and the community services that she has been a part of.