Shining Light on Black Excellence: Reggie Walker

By Jasmine White

Two-time Rider alum Reggie Walker returned to the university after receiving his doctorate in educational leadership with a concentration in higher education to serve as the director of the Equal Opportunity Program, a state-sponsored program that helps low-income New Jersey residents attend college. A former EOP student himself, Walker now is giving back to the university that started it all.  

Walker began at Rider in the summer 2001 and finished with his bachelor’s degree in radio and television communications in spring 2005. He returned to Rider for its graduate program for counseling, but pivoted over to being a part of Rider’s first cohort of its Organizational Leadership Program.

“I came into a program particularly at the time at Rider where there were less students of color than we have now,” Walker said. “It was very, very important for us to have resources and connections and individuals who not only understood us, but also understood our unique situations, with our socioeconomic backgrounds.”

Walker emphasized that being able to come back to an institution that showed him “so much love and support” drove him to want to give that same experience to other students in Rider’s upcoming years. During Walker’s undergraduate junior year, he knew that he wanted to go into education, and returned for a master’s degree while working as the graduate assistant for EOP.

“[Being the graduate assistant for EOP] really allowed me to dig and do some amazing work,” Walker said. “I was a peer counselor while I was in undergrad, but being a grad assistant allowed me to take on some amazing responsibilities, paving the way for me to do what I’m doing now.”

While being a peer counselor, Walker was also president of Black Student Union. He realized that he had many other gifts and talents when it came to mentoring others, and he remembered faculty and staff at the time making comments like “are you sure you’re in the right major?” 

Now as the director of EOP, Walker is proud to be a part of EOP’s Male Leadership Academy, Women in Action, and the Turning Point Academic Empowerment Program. Walker worked with another graduate assistant to create the Multicultural Student Leadership Institute, now called the All Broncs Belong Program, directed by the Center of Community and Belonging. Its aim was to bring about a similar welcoming experience for students that do not qualify to be in EOP.

Though Walker credits these positions as being pivotal in his career, the most important moment in his educational journey at Rider was when he met his now wife, Zuri Walker. 

“We already have a son named Guy, that’s our oldest, and then our daughter, we named her Rider because that’s where we met,” Walker said. “So she thinks she has a school named after her.”

Freshman communication major Johnnie Edwards expressed how being a part of EOP has been nothing short of a “second family.” Edwards compared Walker to “the old uncle at the cookout who is super wise and always comes around with jokes.”

“Every time I go into the office, it’s either me and him playing around arguing or him getting on me about work,” Edwards said. “I love seeing that work-fun balancing people, because it shows that even though they are technically in a position of power, it still shows that they care.”

Sophomore sports management major Donte King expressed how Walker has been an important mentor to everyone in EOP, while honing in on his kindness.

“Whenever he sees a student having trouble or in need to talk to someone, he is always free to talk to the students, giving advice that they may need to combat the situation,” King said. “I always see students come back to his office just to chat with him.”

Walker said his love for Jesus Christ takes precedence over everything else, allowing him to use his positions at Rider to help bring about college ministry initiatives, working alongside his church. Walker exercises his faith in daily practices, whether it be praying for students or “walking in his God-given purpose” by serving his community and succeeding despite being in a system that does not fully accept him due to his appearance. Walker leaves the following words of encouragement to everyone:

“Struggle is beautiful,” Walker said. “Sometimes you have to look at your struggles and go … they’ve made me creative, they’ve made me resourceful, they’ve made me struggle, they’ve made me vulnerable … all the things that serve you well.”

This article is part of the Shining Light on Black Excellence series by The Rider News to showcase impactful Black figures on campus in honor of Black History Month.