Abigail Rojas, a political science student at Ramapo College of New Jersey, has entered the race for the Lodi Board of Education. Rojas, who is from Lodi and graduated from Lodi High School in 2022, is running alongside three others who also attended schools in the district. Their platform focuses on improving teacher salaries, updating school facilities, investing in arts education, increasing community involvement, and ensuring government transparency.
Rojas credits her education at Ramapo College with preparing her for public service. “Political science majors are uniquely equipped to do a whole lot of different kinds of jobs and professions, but also to be leaders in their communities,” said Dr. Jeremy Teigen, a political science professor at Ramapo who previously served on the board of education in Emerson, New Jersey.
At 21 years old, Rojas feels prepared to take on public office responsibilities. “I feel prepared. I feel that Ramapo really taught me a lot not only about campaigns, but also interacting with students,” she said. She highlighted her work as a Resident Assistant and participation in Teigen’s Campaigns and Elections course as key experiences that have readied her for this role. The course requires students to analyze real election campaigns and reflect on their outcomes using data-driven approaches.
Teigen described his approach: “The class size is small enough that I can give every kid a U.S. Senate race, a gubernatorial election, or if it’s a Presidential election year, a battleground state.” He added about the class experience: “It is data-driven, but it is also, I hate to say it, fun. It seems like the students get a lot out of it.”
He praised Rojas’s engagement at Ramapo: “She is a joiner. She is a belonger… She shows up at the meetings … She is a citizen of Ramapo College, and an upstanding citizen.”
Rojas began her community service work while still living in Lodi by volunteering with the local ambulance corps and organizing letter-writing campaigns for nursing home residents during the pandemic. At college she continued this involvement through programs such as Leaders in Service and by mentoring incoming students.
Her leadership roles include serving as president of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars; vice president positions with both the Law School Prep Club and College Democrats Club; membership on various advisory councils; participating in emergency medical services; and joining Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity.
With guidance from Dr. Rebecca Root at Ramapo College, Rojas received a Gilman Scholarship to study politics abroad in Italy and participated in Rutgers University’s NEW Leadership New Jersey program focused on public leadership training for women.
She has completed internships with several elected officials’ offices including those of Congressman Bill Pascrell (deceased), State Senator Joseph Lagana (New Jersey’s 38th Legislative District), Assemblywoman Lisa Swain, Assemblyman Chris Tully, as well as former Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way’s congressional campaign.
While balancing academic commitments and law school applications with campaigning activities—such as organizing volunteers for canvassing efforts—Rojas remains committed to listening to local stakeholders at school events.
“I would like to encourage more young people to run, more people of color to run, more women to run because our government needs to represent us,” she said. “Being young also is an advantage because you can relate more to the students… Government should be close to you. Government shouldn’t be far away.”
Dr. Teigen expressed pride in graduates like Rojas who have gone on to serve their communities: “It is extremely satisfying to see the civic mindedness and community building sentiments that we hope to instill in our students…it’s very gratifying to see when…students end up actually engaging those institutions and stepping up to serve their communities.”
For additional information about Abigail Rojas’s journey as a first-generation scholar seizing opportunities at Ramapo College visit First-Gen Scholar Seizes Opportunities to Succeed.
