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Access to Civic Leaders Jumpstarts Roadrunner Careers

A group of four people sit at a table for a panel discussion. They are in front of a crowd.

September 24, 2026

by Lauren Ferguson

“Never doubt the impact you can have on someone else’s life. Always keep that in mind and let that help guide your actions.”

That was the advice that Lisa Cieplechowicz, regional program manager for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Coastal and Northern New Jersey, shared with an eager group of incoming Ramapo College of New Jersey students.

Cieplechowicz was one of the civic leaders who participated in a panel to share their career journeys and advice with nearly 50 first-year and transfer students in the College’s Leaders in Service (LIS) program.

The engaging Civic Leaders Panel was part of the six-day LIS summer session that provided new Roadrunners with opportunities to get involved with service projects, political engagement, and leadership opportunities before ever taking a class at Ramapo.

During the panel, students also listened to and interacted with:

  • Keith Dawkins ‘94, President of the Harlem Globetrotters and Herschend Entertainment Studios and Chair of the Ramapo College Foundation Board of Governors;
  • Jennifer Keyes-Maloney, Executive Director of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities and Councilwoman for Ewing, NJ;
  • Diya Patel, Council Vice President for Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ; and
  • William “Pat” Schuber, former New Jersey Assemblyman, Bergen County Executive and Mayor of Bogota, NJ.
A group of college students sit in chairs and listen. They are in a crowd in a room.

First-year and transfer students in Ramapo’s Leaders in Service program listened intently to a panel of civic leaders.

Before breaking into smaller group discussions with students, the successful panelists shared nuggets of advice with the entire group, such as to be curious and open to learning about things outside of their comfort zones, to stretch themselves and learn along the way, to be bold and seize the day, to network and leverage the opportunities they are given, and to be kind.

“Be kind to yourself, be kind to others, because kindness gets you far in life. It makes you a person people want to be around,” Patel said.

Law and Society Major Stanley Rodriguez ’30 of Hackensack, NJ said he joined LIS to work on his leadership skills and learn about new ways to give back to his community. The panelists’ career journeys highlighted that paths can change and to never be afraid to explore, he said.

“Many of the panelists started doing one thing and took a complete 180 in their career paths. That taught me to think with an open mind and never settle for one thing, but chase what makes you happy,” Rodriguez said.

During the LIS summer session, students were visited by additional leaders such as:

A woman holds out a phone and takes a selfie with three college students.

Assemblywoman Linda Carter posed with Roadrunners while visiting Ramapo College.

Eddie Seavers, associate director of Ramapo’s Center for Student Involvement, which organizes the LIS program, said connecting students with leaders early on in their college journeys can only be beneficial for them.

“The idea is that they have connections at the school and outside of the school that will set them up for success,” Seavers said.

Visit the Leaders in Service webpage to learn more about the program.