Senior Spotlight: Nelson Rivera ‘creates a community’
By Jasmine White
FROM his freshman year to senior year, Nelson Rivera, a marketing major and president of the e-sports club, found himself at Rider. He entered campus introverted and blossomed into the person he is today.
Rivera, originally from Mount Laurel, found his place at Rider after high school seniors’ vigorous searches for colleges. After going through multiple application processes, he received a letter from the college that would soon become his alma mater.
“I do have the power to … become myself and realize the talents and skills that I have … and just be able to create a community,” Rivera said.
Jaylen Sampson, a senior cybersecurity major, established an ongoing friendship with Rivera beginning his 7th grade year at Thomas E. Harrington Middle School. They stayed in touch, later becoming roommates in 2021.
“I got to carry on a friendship,” Sampson said. “Wherever I go, he goes.”
Rivera made it a point to stay in contact with him upon Sampson’s move to Maryland after graduating middle school. They would connect online to game together and catch up.
Sampson said, “We’re two completely different people, but that’s what makes [our friendship] amazing … [the differences] balances [our friendship] out well. At the end of the day it’s all love.”
Rivera joined esports his freshman year as a general member and gradually became more involved, making his way to secretary, now serving as president. Joining esports was the catalyst for him making connections with those with similar interests.
“You meet people from all the different colleges,” Rivera said. “Within the last year of me doing esports, I’ve also just soared away with it.”
The club through Rider works alongside surrounding institutions such as The College of New Jersey, broadening Rivera’s outreach. He created an impactful friendship with the president of esports at TCNJ, Jennea “JJ” Jeter. While traveling to the club’s Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in previous years for their gaming championship, Rivera shared his passions with the masses.
Rivera hosted numerous tournaments around campus with the members of the club, along with working on a charitable gaming tournament partnered with TCNJ called the The Royal Stampede, an event to raise money for the National Alliance of Mental Illness. It is a series of Super Smash Bros tournaments that will be held on April 12 in the Cavalla Room at 1 p.m.
Rivera said, “It’s a goal I’ve been working on for the last year. I’ve kind of put it out there since I got elected to be president of the club.”
Outside of the esports community, Rivera is aspiring to pursue a career in marketing, on the hunt for different jobs and internships upon his graduation in May 2025. He works retail currently, but is planning on expanding his horizons once completing his degree.
Rivera shared his time at Rider flew by, learned lessons and achieved growth throughout the years. Rivera said he came this far because he stepped out of his comfort zone and welcomed different opportunities and experiences, which he encourages students to do the same.
“I had all the support in the world for this to happen, like I realized that everything that I thought was impossible was possible,” Rivera said with a smile. “Honestly, it’s just jumping in like there’s nothing wrong with it, and if you fail, I mean, that’s okay, that’s the point.”
