Ashley Loria

Walking out the doors of my high school on graduation day, you couldn’t find a ’09 graduate who was more certain of the career path they were about to devote themselves to than me. Many things change when you’re seventeen-years-old, and the mind is no exception to those changes. After completing two years at community college with a major I was growing uncertain of, I transferred to Ramapo and was given advice that, little did I know at the time, would help me redesign my entire career motive. Instead of sticking solely with my Journalism aspirations, I added literature on as a second major. The double-major workload was rigorous when paired with an off-campus job and a hefty commute, but the content of both subject matters were enthralling for me. I looked forward to class each day, loved to make connections between my two majors, and made friends who I can say with confidence will be mine for the long haul. I found the gap between Journalism and Literature to be quite narrow, and with help from Dr. Shannon, we were able to bridge that gap and create a gateway between the two majors: thus the Ramapodcast was created. After graduating Ramapo in 2013, I was accepted to Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English where I spent a summer studying Chaucer, Boethius, Hemingway, Frost and Stephen King, to name a few. Once reality set back in after that summer, I started my job search in hopes to find something that would blend my two majors to reap the most benefit from my work at Ramapo. My search was brief and fruitful, and I have been employed happily at the Ridgewood Public Library ever since. I work primarily with young adults, but I have my hand in all departments with jobs varying between teaching tech courses to planning holiday book programs. I am currently applying to schools to earn my Master’s Degree in Library and Information Sciences, while balancing life with my new husband and our furry pride and joy, Lucy, our Corgi puppy. I have such fond memories of Ramapo and I am grateful for the talented faculty and staff who helped me to discover a life I feel fortunate to live.