Deja Peterson grew up in Camden, New Jersey and attended a high school with roughly 1,200 seniors. She was one of the few students to go on to college.
Education Opportunity Fund graduate wears her EOF stole with pride
With advisors by her side, Peterson was never alone in her college journey at Montclair State University. Counselors tracked her progress through her courses, helped her create an academic plan and access resources that could help her in hard times. But most importantly, they got to know her.
“When it comes to EOF counselors, they know me like the back of their hands,” said Peterson. “They can spot when something’s off. My counselors always talk me through it.”
Peterson’s counselors sensed her displeasure in her former field of study and helped her change her major and minor. Now, she’s studying what she’s been passionate about since childhood, majoring in jurisprudence, law and society, and minoring in child advocacy in policy.
Peterson is on track to graduate in May 2022, with a plan of one day going to law school. She credits her current success to the supports she received as a part of EOF.
“It makes college a lot more manageable,” she said. “I don’t know if I could have dealt without EOF support.”
