Business Administration A.A.
A first-generation college student, Elieza Bague '18 credits Bucks with laying solid groundwork for her academic journey and career. She believes Bucks is the perfect size for students who appreciate connection.
“What made Bucks unique to me was being able to connect with my professors and create lasting relationships. My time at Bucks instilled creating connections as a value of mine. Without the relationships I created here, I wouldn’t have understood the value of that in the workplace.”
Elieza’s journey to Bucks began in high school when, not mentally ready for a four-year college, she attended a dual enrollment math course thanks to a grant. The experience proved that Bucks was the place for her.
“I enjoyed how small the class was and how the professor cared about his students’ understanding and success in the subject. He was the first teacher who helped me understand math, a topic I always struggled with. As a result, I was able to pass Calculus, Statistics, and other math courses years later.”
Once at Bucks full time, Elieza made the most of those intimate class settings and approachable professors and often sought guidance on college and career matters. During her first semester, a business class with Professor Kelly Sell reconfirmed her choice of Bucks.
“Her teaching style, respect for students, and enthusiasm to help us succeed were the reasons why, from that class forward, I tried my best to take as many classes with Professor Sell as I could. She inspired me and continues to do so today. I know that, years later, I can reach out to professors like Kelly Sell and they will be happy to help.”
Another of Elieza’s favorite Bucks memories is sitting in Epstein Campus Director Rose Cooper’s office getting advice on her next steps to transfer from Bucks to Rider.
“It was bittersweet...the excitement of continuing my studies and closing my chapter at Bucks...meaning that would be one of the last times I would be chatting and venting about my college struggles with Rose Cooper.”
Attending the Bucks Transfer Fair helped Elieza learn more about Rider College and the transfer agreement allowing all Bucks classes to transfer to Rider. After earning her Associate of Arts in Business Administration in 2018, Elieza received her bachelor’s degree and MBA from Rider in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Today, Elieza is Corporate Media Specialist at the global firm Xplor Technologies, where she manages corporate social media pages and is responsible for content creation, copywriting, graphic design and video editing, community management, scheduling, organic targeting, analytics/KPIs, helping product teams with social accounts, and strategy.
Elieza believes that Bucks was that crucial first step leading to her current success. She encourages students who may be struggling or questioning their path to reach out for help.
“You have a community of faculty and staff at Bucks who want to see you succeed. They’re not there only for lectures but to offer advice, different perspectives, and mentorship. If a professor didn’t know the answer to my question, they always pointed me to someone who could help.”