Summertime Gladness: Welcoming Noley and Noel

By Jasmine White

As the summer winds down and campus becomes more lively yearly, Rider welcomes its new Broncs to the cranberry community. This year, Westminster Choir College is embracing two new freshmen into its legacy. 

Noley Schenck, music education major and Noel Marootian, vocal performance major, found their homes at Rider and are excited for all that the next four years have to offer.

Schenck, originally from Ocean City, New Jersey, was very active at her high school with a graduating class of over 300 students, so transitioning to Rider’s smaller environment was comforting for Schenck.

Westminster hosts auditions for students interested in attending the college, and this is where Schenck and Marootian met. Schenck, though very shy during the audition process, was encouraged by parents in attendance to mingle with her peers.

“I was scared to literally talk to anyone,” Schenck said. “Someone’s mom was like ‘talk to this girl,’ so we made friends. Then other people from higher up in the theater came down and we started this huge   friend group.”

Schenck recalled her audition experience, remembering how nervous she was, but was comforted by her mother, Melissa “Missy” Schenck ’01, and the personalized Westminster ring Missy acquired during her time at the Westminster Choir College.

Along with her mother, her aunt also attended Rider, so she considers attending Rider to be a ‘family tradition’ that she plans to continue.

Schenck’s goals after college include potentially working with children teaching elementary music, but wants to student teach while she is working toward  her degree. 

“I love working with children and I want to do elementary school music,” Schenck said. “I’m really excited for that part.”

Marootian was recommended to Rider by her mom, and had an indescribable ‘feeling’ upon stepping foot on campus for the first time.

“As soon as I stepped onto the campus, I kind of had that feeling,” Marootian said, “I wound up actually cancelling my other auditions to go to the Rider experience Westminster day.”

Marootian is from Essex County, New Jersey and attended West Essex Highschool, graduating with a class of roughly 500 students. 

“I’m excited [to be at Rider.] I didn’t like the bigger high school setting which is one of the reasons I chose Rider,” Marootian said.

She attended admitted students day and an overnight orientation session that helped seal the deal, noting how her orientation leader, Liz Karns, junior business data analytics major, helped her feel at home. 

The admitted students day is where Marootian and Schenck reconnected. 

“We originally had an audition,” Marootian said, “[We reconnected] at admitted students day at Rider, and then we became friends.”

She considers herself to be family oriented and lets her strong ties to her Christian faith guide her. One of her goals is to teach while she takes over her mom’s nonprofit organization, Company Kidz, and go to children’s hospitals dressed as princesses with other volunteers to perform and donate toys to children in need.

Marootian picked Rider because of how kind everyone had been to her, and knows that she will be able to grow and create memories that will last a lifetime. 

“I love the small community and I love how everyone’s so nice and friendly,” Marootian said. “Everyone wants to see each other succeed.”

This story is an installment of the Summertime Gladness series by The Rider News to showcase new students in the Rider community.