August 26, 2025

By Lauren Ferguson

About 650 new Roadrunners officially moved onto Ramapo College of New Jersey’s welcoming Mahwah campus Sunday – with the help of family, friends and more than 300 student leaders and staff.

The hundreds of student leaders and staff covered the campus to ease the stress of move-in. They handed out and pushed large bins for new Roadrunners to transport their necessities from home, gave directions, answered questions, and provided a collective, warm “Home Sweet Po” welcome to the college’s newest community members.

“I was blown away by every interaction, every person with a Ramapo shirt,” said Heather Halverson, who traveled from Virginia to help her niece and goddaughter Skyler Bouchedid ‘29 move into Mackin Hall.

Ramapo’s Vice President of Strategic Enrollment, Outreach and Engagement Dr. Christopher Romano said student leaders who step up to help others during times like move-in are a hallmark of the Ramapo community.

“That’s what makes this college different: That’s who we are; a community that cares, one that looks out for one another and understands the importance of paying it forward because someone did it for them so, now they understand the importance of doing it for others,” Romano said.

More than 300 volunteers pitched in to help new Roadrunners and their families with the move-in process.

Skyler Bouchedid’s mother Avianka Bouchedid said move-in was a breeze with so much support from friendly, smiling student leaders. “If today is any indication … I really think she is going to be very happy here,” Avianka said of her daughter.

Skyler, a psychology major from Randolph, NJ, is living in Mackin Hall with a roommate she’s been texting almost every day for months. The two met in person over the summer for the first time, and hit it off.

Sklyler said she is most excited for “making new friends and living on my own and having freedom.”

Both first-year and transfer students moved onto Ramapo’s picturesque campus on Sunday.

Curtis Battle ‘27, a transfer student majoring in social work, was busy setting up his room alongside his roommate Marcell McDonald ‘28, a transfer computer science major.

“I am looking forward to baseball and meeting new people,” said Battle, of West Orange, NJ, who plans to join the Roadrunners on the diamond.

McDonald, of Englewood, NJ, also said he was eager to meet new people and have different scenery.

The new Roadrunners made sure to pack special items to make their transitions easier, and their dorm rooms feel like home.

Harold Rodriguez ‘29, a law and society major from Kearny, NJ, said he had to pack his coffee maker.

Bouchedid packed a vase of dried roses from her boyfriend and a flag from when she was named queen of the Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament on her 8th birthday.

Skyler Bouchedid ’29 and her mother Avianka pose in Mackin Hall, where Skyler will live during her first year at Ramapo.

And Brooke Figlyar ‘29, a nursing major from West Caldwell, NJ, who plans to join the hiking club, said the one item she made sure to bring from home was “my stuffed animal, so I could sleep.”

2025 marks the seventh consecutive year that Ramapo’s residence halls have been ranked #1 among all public and private colleges and universities in New Jersey by Niche in its Best College Dorms in America announcement. The rankings, derived from student reviews, are based on having safe, clean and modern amenities at reasonable prices.