Senior Spotlight: Rashel Robles-Arevalo

By Sofia Santiago

Rashel Robles-Arevalo’s life at Rider has been full of firsts: from freshman year and being a first-generation college student, to winning a first place award for her writing during junior year and finally starting her first day of student teaching on Jan. 27, a mark of her senior year. 

Robles-Arevalo, a senior English literature and elementary education double major, with a certification in English as a second language and bilingual education, discovered her passion for teaching through a class named “Tomorrow’s Teachers” offered at her high school.

As part of the course, students were assigned classrooms around the district to observe the basics of how a lesson is taught. Robles-Arevalo was placed in a fifth grade classroom and sat in to observe once a week during this time.

“I really liked the age group, because the kids were independent, but you still needed to guide them a little more, which I really enjoyed. It was really rewarding,” she said.

When it came time to choose a major, her experience in the class moved her to choose education. Robles-Arevalo had heard about Rider from that same class, as students enrolled in the elective had the option of earning college credits from Rider. Although she did not take the class for college credits, the course put Rider on her radar when applying to schools.

“I’ve always loved reading, and I’ve enjoyed writing too, but I mostly liked reading about literally anything, that’s why I chose to be an English [literature] major as well,” Robles-Arevalo explained, “With education, you can be literally any major you want. That’s the cool thing about it. I got to choose two majors I enjoyed.”

Even though she has always commuted, her involvement on campus has not been impacted. 

Robles-Arevalo currently serves as the event coordinator of Rider’s chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, the International Honor Society for Education, as the treasurer for the Student Education Association and is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society. She was also previously a part of Rider’s Pulse K-Pop Dance Crew and the Council for Exceptional Children, a club for those with an interest in special education.

“I’m not a special [education] minor, but I wanted to be part of the community a little more,” Robles-Arevalo said. 

She expressed how clubs like these gave her opportunities to explore different career paths in teaching and to branch out socially. 

“If you’re unsure of a major, go to a club meeting, talk to people there. I met some really great people through all my clubs. And since I’m a commuter, it was kind of difficult to find friends. Because I didn’t have a dorm, I couldn’t become friends with my roommate, or just people next door,” she explained. “So the clubs helped, and I really had to push myself to be involved. No one else was going to do that for me.”

She shared what drives her mentality, “Since I was a child, my mom always said I wanted to do things on my own. I refused to let her help me put my socks on, even when I was like two. That’s just kind of who I am.” Robles-Arevalo said. 

As the oldest child in her immediate family, the oldest of her cousins and extended family, and the first born from her family in the United States, she explained, “Just so many firsts, it can get a little overwhelming.”

She is no stranger to being a role model, and although this carries added pressure, it also brings her fulfillment.

“My family is very close. I grew up around a whole bunch of cousins, and I was the oldest cousin, so they all kind of looked up to me in a way,” Robles-Arevalo said. 

She has been able to guide her younger relatives through the college process, “It’s been nice to help them feel more confident in their own abilities and their academic performance.” 

Heather Casey, professor of literacy education and coordinator of the reading specialist program, has been Robles-Arevalo’s academic advisor throughout her journey at Rider.

“[Robles-Arevalo] is thoughtful in everything that she does. She is very committed to all students. She is particularly committed to the multilingual language students with whom she is preparing to work, and she has a lot of insight into how she approaches her own academic work, as well as her preparation for teaching students,” Casey said.

This also now translates into how she approaches her student teaching, especially in a fourth grade ESL classroom. She teaches math, literacy and grammar, reading and also leads a small group with level two ESL students, which are students who can speak and write, but need more support.

“I can empathize with students in that part, which is something I like,” she shared. “Representation in education is a huge thing. It’s been really nice to find a community where I look like the students and the students look like me, because I never really had that growing up.”

Robles-Arevalo hopes to continue working in an ESL classroom or as a bilingual instructor after she graduates to use her Spanish-speaking skills to support English learners.

When approaching students who are learning a second language, Robles-Arevalo explained, “You have to use their language as a skill, as a tool, rather than like an obstacle.”

Casey said, “[Robles-Arevalo] lights up when she talks about her students. As I have gotten the opportunity to know her and know the many layers to her story and who she is, I’ve seen her grow in confidence in her teaching. I think that really shines in the way that she speaks about her students.”