Mariah Rivera

“I was evicted from my home, but Monroe's professors were constantly giving me words of wisdom and encouragement to push forward.” 

Mariah, a Bronx native, was always interested in law and forensics, and the criminal justice program at Monroe provided her with a solid background in the subject. “Although I had just an online high school diploma, Monroe gave me the chance to go to college and to stay close to home.”

Mariah embraced her college experience, joining the Pre-Law Club and the Mock Trial Clubs, and doing an internship at Pasternack and Tilker, a law firm in the Bronx. But for Mariah, Monroe was so much more than academics; she will always be grateful for the human element she found there. At one point, she remembers, she was evicted from her home, but Monroe’s professors were there to help her get through the difficult period. “They were constantly giving me words of wisdom and encouragement to push forward,” she said. “If I needed more time to finish an assignment, I had it.”

Now, Mariah is the deposition and calendar clerk at the same firm where she held an internship. “My experience at Monroe was amazing,” she said. “Monroe has helped me grow as a person and has helped me better prepare for the real world.”

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