Galloway, N.J. – A typical Tuesday morning bustled with hundreds of prospective Ospreys descending upon the Sports Center for Nov. 19’s Latino Visitation Day.

All of them were ready to learn more about the various student organizations and departmental resources that create Stockton’s diverse campus community.

“We want you to know that, here at Stockton, you are not just a student – you are a member of a community that celebrates who you are and encourages you to reach your fullest potential,” Michelle Puerta, an Admissions counselor who specializes in recruiting Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) students, said to the crowd. 

Latino Visitation Day is a beloved annual tradition that invites Hispanic/Latino high schoolers from all across New Jersey to tour the Galloway campus, meet with current Stockton students, explore student organizations, such as Los Latinos Unidos, and receive guidance on what kinds of resources are available, including the offices of Career Education & Development and Financial Aid.

Among those tabling were representatives from Hispanic/Latino fraternities and sororities, like Omega Phi Beta, which caught the eye of Oakcrest junior Isabella Rosario. Rosario, who plans to pursue nursing once she graduates, said that seeing the Greek life Stockton provides was her favorite part of the day.

“Seeing the sororities that are just for Latinas is really inspirational, and I might join one just to be surrounded by my culture and to learn about others as well,” Rosario said. “Seeing a room full of Hispanics makes me think about where I came from, my family, culture, history and all of that.”

The high schoolers also had the opportunity to hear from Jessica Ramirez ’98, a proud Stockton alumna and assemblywoman for New Jersey’s 32nd legislative district in Jersey City and Hoboken.

To the audience of students, Ramirez shared her story of growing from an 8-year-old girl experiencing culture shock after moving to the United States from Puerto Rico to a Political Science student who, from support from her peers in the EOF program and her mentors, went on to earn a law degree and pass the bar exam in one attempt.

“I found something really beautiful at Stockton – I found a community that welcomed me, believed in me and pushed me to be the best version of myself,” Ramirez said. “The (EOF) program was a blessing and lifeline for me. It not only gave students like me the financial support that I needed, but it also provided a community of peers and mentors who understood my struggles and my dreams.

“For many of us, programs like EOF aren’t just about getting through college; they’re about breaking cycles, building legacies and proving that we belong in these spaces,” Ramirez continued. “The EOF program empowered me to believe in my potential, and I know that it can do the same for you.”

Puerta echoed Ramirez during her remarks, emphasizing the lifelong connection between EOF students that forms during the program’s five-week Summer Academy program in which students take college-level courses and live on campus to help in their transition to higher education. 

“I know a lot of you are saying, ‘Michelle, I have to work,’ or ‘I’m going on vacation,’ but the small sacrifice of those five weeks is nothing, but the tremendous help you receive through it is incredible,” Puerta said. “You build a community here at Stockton. The friends that I made through EOF are still my friends today.  I just got back from Thailand with one, and I’m planning the wedding of another. When I say that EOF means ‘extension of family,’ I mean it, and it was through that five-week summer program.”

Puerta’s speech was both memorable and relatable for Moises Lopez, a senior at the Atlantic County Institute of Technology who is interested in aviation and engineering. He recently talked with his mother about college and was glad to hear about all of the ways that students can afford to attend.

“Today was great; I liked meeting and seeing other Latinos, and I related to (Puerta) and what she was saying,” Lopez said. “Understanding and learning what EOF is, like, I had never heard about it until today, is going to really help me out.”

– Story by Loukaia Taylor

– Photos by Susan Allen

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