Outstanding Student Has High Hopes for Herself—and for Others

On-campus student success services are helping Amaya Solar CCAS’27 to soar.

Rising junior Amaya Solar is going places. Majoring in political science and urban studies, with a minor in Spanish, she is already well on her way to a career in public service.

Solar has attended a noteworthy student conference at Harvard’s Kennedy School, been awarded a prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Key into Public Service scholarship, and is working as an intern in Washington, D.C. this summer.

And Solar is eager for other Rutgers University–Camden students to know that the student services she utilized to help her achieve her ambitions are something they can also use as stepping stones on their journeys toward success.

“I can’t say enough about the opportunities I have had my eyes opened to at Rutgers–Camden,” Solar said. “I found support for my interests and know that other students, whatever their interests are, can benefit from the mentors and programs right here on campus.”

Solar is referring to services provided by the Office of Scholar Development and Fellowship Advising, dedicated to assisting students and alumni with identifying funded opportunities that support their goals, and TRiO Student Success Services, aimed at helping first-generation students, low-income students, and students with disabilities to stay in school and graduate.

“Working with TRiO started it all for me,” Solar said. “I met Brandon Quiles, and he supported me in joining student organizations, something I had not done.

“I am happy to call Brandon my mentor. He inspired me to be confident.”

“Often what we feel makes us different is, in fact, what makes us special,” explained Quiles, assistant director for the Success Coach Office and TRiO Student Support Services. “Nurturing student self-esteem for success is a goal of mine as a mentor and academic coach. Despite trepidations Amaya might feel, I remind her that it is her differences in experiences, identities, and perspectives that make her worthy of engaging in leadership opportunities. Amaya is continuously willing to put herself out there by sharing her story and goals, and ends up inspiring her peers to do the same.”

Solar is a Latin American Student Organization (LASO) member and will be the organization’s president for the upcoming academic year. She writes for The Gleaner student newspaper, and began her own student organization, MujeRes, with fellow rising junior and best friend, Raizel Febles CCAS’27. MujeRes provides Latina students with academic and emotional support. Solar is also a member of the Honors College.

During last year’s Hispanic Heritage Month, she was chosen to visit the White House alongside a select group of students. Solar heard from high-ranking government leaders, including Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Immigration Policy Daniel Delgado, who discussed the impact of their Latino identity on their professional success.

Solar, who was selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants for the Kennedy School Public Policy Leadership Conference (PPLC), cites the three days she spent there as a game changer.

“I was with like-minded students who were there to expand their understanding of public policy and public service,” Solar said. She learned of this opportunity from OSDFA and was supported in her application by their staff.

“What I appreciate about Amaya is that she has a vision to achieve her goals with an openness to possibility,” said Laura Collins, director of OSDFA. “With each opportunity, she has clarified her aspirations and strengthened her ability to tell her story. I have no doubt she will continue to earn recognition for herself and inspire those around her.”

With plans to pursue a career focused on creating equitable policy that serves urban communities, Solar is working closely with OSDFA to continue immersing herself in opportunities that will help her achieve these goals.

Solar’s internship in Washington is part of the Rutgers Scarlet Service Internship Program, which provides civic engagement and career development for qualified students. Solar is working on the housing and development team at Smart Growth America, a nonprofit agency that helps create healthy, prosperous, and resilient places to live.

Follow the links to learn more about support services offered by TRiO and OSDFA.