Natalie Civadelic did not initially want to attend Rutgers. As a high school senior at Indian Hills High School in Oakland, New Jersey, she was determined to go to Fordham University, where she had been accepted into the journalism program. She planned to avoid Rutgers, she said, because "Everyone goes to Rutgers. And I guess I didn't want to be everyone.”

Her plans took an abrupt and surprising 180-degree turn after she visited SC&I and heard a lecture by Professor of Professional Practice and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Journalism and Media Studies Steve Miller.

“Erin O’Dell, my older cousin, transferred into the School of Communication and Information in the fall of 2022, and she invited me to spend the day with her,” Civadelic said. “She ended up sneaking me into an Introduction to Media lecture by Steve Miller. I brought my laptop and everything and took notes to blend in. The way he taught was so inspiring to me that I could see myself at Rutgers ­– even in a lecture with a million other people. When I got home, I thought about my college decision long and hard. After some time, I decided I loved Rutgers, I just had no idea how ready Rutgers was to love me.”

Civadelic said while she knew she wanted to major in JMS before she arrived on campus, her passion for journalism only grew at SC&I, and she credits her peers and professors for inspiring her.

Today, Civadelic, a Journalism and Media Studies major and Creative Writing minor at the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences, is preparing to represent the Class of 2025 as class speaker at SC&I graduation on May 15.

"Being elected class speaker is an honor. I've worked hard to get to this point in my life,” said Civadelic. “Performing well in school is not something that comes naturally to me. I’ve had to work really hard these past three years – you’ve definitely seen me in the computer lab at Alexander Library with my noise-canceling headphones. But I couldn't have done it without my support system. I have the most amazing family and friends. My parents, Cheryl and Steven Civadelic, and my younger sisters, Miranda and Delaney, encouraged me to push through group projects, inspired me to study abroad, and held my head high through professional rejections. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins drove me to be myself – the talkative, enthusiastic kid they watched grow up. My roommate of three years, Melanie Buschgans, housemates, sorority sisters, and coworkers have been my biggest cheerleaders and shoulders to cry on. They have made me the person I am today – the person who will stand before the SCI Class of 2025, faculty, and loved ones.”

As for the advice she plans to give her fellow classmates during her speech? “Not too long ago, I was at the School of Arts and Sciences scholarship celebration, one of the peers at my table said, ‘If you throw a rock in New Jersey, you're bound to hit a Rutgers alum. If it bounces, you’ll hit three more.’ With this anecdote in mind, I suggest that the Class of 2025 reflect on their time on the Banks fondly but remember that graduation is not their final Rutgers experience. We will find Rutgers everywhere we go.”

Explaining the knowledge and experiences she gained from these roles, Civadelic said, “I've learned that any professional experience is experience. Just because you haven't had an internship in X, Y, and Z doesn't mean other experiences haven't prepared you for your dream job."

Civadelic, who is graduating in only three years (she entered Rutgers with 25 college credits and she took 15 to 18 credits every semester), said she chose to major in JMS and minor in Creative Writing because of her part-time, minimum wage, food service job from high school. “I have worked at Oakland Bagels and Pastry, the heart of my small town, for the past seven years,” she said. “Besides making sandwiches and coffees, a big part of my job is listening and observing. And as customers come and go, they leave behind fragments of their lives. And while they may not think about me as much as I do them, there will always be a part of me that wonders how their lives turned out.

“Since 2018, it's been the stories of everyday people that stand out to me the most.  And as an assembler of fragments, I crave the opportunity to make parts into wholes. The best way to do that was to study journalism, obviously, but also creative writing. I've had the pleasure of growing under the guidance of Joyce Carol Oates and seasoned authors published in The New York Times and The New Yorker. These educational experiences have transformed my storytelling abilities, and I'm grateful for that.”

Civadelic said while she knew she wanted to major in JMS before she arrived on campus, her passion for journalism only grew at SC&I, and she credits her peers and professors for inspiring her. “I've had such a positive experience learning the craft of journalism,” she said. “I want to thank Professor Ken Schlager, my Writing for Media professor and faculty mentor for FIGS, as well as faculty members  Mary D'Ambrosio and Regina Marchi, whom I traveled alongside for field experience reporting from Barcelona, San Sebastian, and Guernica. On this trip, I met one of my best friends, Ruby Hoffman, and got to know the rest of our brilliant peers. As the youngest on the trip, my classmates took me under their wings in more ways than one. Because of these people and these experiences, I feel prepared to be a journalist and lead the rest of my life giving back to young, aspiring professionals."

In addition to managing a heavy class schedule, at Rutgers Civadelic also wrote for the Inside Beat of The Daily Targum, The SC&I JMS magazine Kairos, and Spoon University. In the fall of 2024, she independently facilitated a first-year interest group seminar “Exploring Journalism and Media Studies” through the Office of Career Exploration and Success, where she works as a peer career educator, editing resumes and managing the career closet. She also served as the vice president of chapter relations and standards for Alpha Chi Omega and the recruitment chair and co-secretary of the Rutgers Chapter of The Society of Professional Journalists.

"I suggest that the Class of 2025 reflect on their time on the Banks fondly but remember that graduation is not their final Rutgers experience. We will find Rutgers everywhere we go.”

Explaining the knowledge and experiences she gained from these roles, she said, “I've learned that any professional experience is experience. Just because you haven't had an internship in X, Y, and Z doesn't mean other experiences haven't prepared you for your dream job. At the ‘peak’ of my career, I see myself as an editor-in-chief of a magazine – but to get there, I had to be a waitress at Henry's Diner, substitute teach in a K-8 district, edit resumes for CES, teach a FIGS course, and interview that group of minions for a feature story on Homecoming Charity Bed Races. Hustling is nothing to be ashamed of. These experiences have helped open my eyes to corners of Rutgers and the world I never dreamed of seeing. I've met the most thought-provoking, unique people. It's places and people like these that I'll carry with me through the rest of my career.” 

After graduation, Civadelic intends to enter the journalism industry immediately as an associate editor or editorial assistant, whether in print magazines or digital news. She also plans on continuing her education in journalism at the master's or doctoral level to “hopefully” come back to SC&I, or a different higher education institution, to teach.

“While on paper (or online) I'm a journalist,” Civadelic said, “I'm a lifelong learner and educator. I plan on moving back home to Oakland and living with my family. I'm looking forward to spending more time with my parents and sisters, devoting time to new hobbies, and traveling to new cities. While I'm looking forward to my post-grad era, I'm excited to relax and not have to respond to a discussion board post for a while.”

Learn more about the Journalism and Media Studies major at the School of Communication and Information on the website.

Photo: Courtesy of Natalie Civadelic