Gabrielle Alli SEBS’28. Photo: OPOC.
Freshman year in college is a time of growth marked by both hardship and joy. For Gabrielle Alli, a freshman from a small magnet school in Freehold whose major is microbiology and food science, growth has meant building confidence through the friendship and mentorship that comes with finding community in the ocean of New Jersey’s largest school.
Like many students, Alli pushes herself hard – sometimes too hard. She says that she’s learned to manage expectations of herself by leaning on others for support while coping with homesickness and the discomfort of being somewhere new.
“I love learning, but the drawback is that I put a lot of pressure on myself. I performed well in high school and had the confidence that I would adjust quickly and that it would be smooth sailing,” said Alli. “I think I was nervous to fail, to not do well. My first semester, I had a lot going on outside the classroom. I was getting a little anxious and sad, being away from family.”
It often starts with the tough classes – in Alli’s case that was chemistry. She was an honors student in high school and now is in the honors program at the Rutgers School for Environmental and Biological Sciences. The intellectual adjustment to college-level courses is a big one. She learned to accept help and ask for it.
“I’ve improved in chemistry. I talked to my professors as much as I can. I email and stick around after class. I also utilize the learning centers. They’re a great free resource,” said Alli. “It all comes back to people. There’s a lot of people around me who want to help and let those people support me.”
That includes faculty, like professor Yeong-gyo Shin, who was a major support, and Marc Muñiz, assistant professor of professional practice, both with the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.
“They see me as a person rather than a grade in their class,” said Alli. After one instance of stage fright during a quiz, Professor Yeong-gyo Shin, instead of chastisement, came to help. “You feel like you’re supposed to be an adult as a college student, but I cried, and she stayed with me after class and asked how she could support me. Ever since, she checks on me.”
Alli is fortunate to have classmates from high school attending Rutgers with her. They support one another, along with new classmates. Alli is still figuring things out, but she has some advice for incoming freshman: forgive yourself for your mistakes and cultivate a growth mindset.
“It’s hard when you want to do the best you can. You’re at your best when you learn how to respond to those mistakes. Instead of shaming yourself, turn to others for support,” said Alli. “Take care of yourself outside of your academics. Yes, you’re a student and academics are a big part of who you are. You can’t be successful if you’re not taking care of yourself. That means using those meal swipes to get those meals at the dining hall. Or if you’re sick, stay home.”
Right now, Gabrielle Alli is leaning towards a career in food safety or maybe becoming a nutritionist. She’s starting classes in food science next semester after declaring her major this spring and interning in community nutrition.
“In my sophomore year, I’m going to be starting some of those core food science classes and I’m really looking forward to meeting more of the staff in that department,” said Alli. “This year has been really crazy. Next year I want to get more involved in extracurricular activities.”
