Commencement Ceremony the First of Many to Come
The Rutgers Future Scholars program in Rahway is helping one single-parent family of five children attend college. The oldest will graduate with a Rutgers degree in May. Inspired by her kids, their mother plans to begin work toward a Rutgers degree this fall.
The oldest of five siblings in a single-parent household, Je-Naya Shipley of Rahway was unsure of her future, until she was accepted into the Rutgers Future Scholars program. On May 19, Je-Naya will graduate with a psychology degree from the Rutgers Camden College of Arts and Sciences. “It’s meant a lot to be in the Futures Scholars program,” says Je-Naya. “It opened a lot of opportunities that I didn’t think that I would have.”
Je-Naya says she is grateful for the support she received from the program. “It gives me a sense of family,” she says. “I already have a big family, but this is different.”
She was pleased when her four siblings all applied and were accepted. Nyjae Shipley, the second oldest, says she was unsure if she would be able to go to college and is excited to graduate with a degree in communications from Rutgers–New Brunswick in May 2027.
Next up is Jayden Shipley, a sophomore at Rutgers–New Brunswick studying communications, and younger sister Nyla Tisdale, a freshman at Rahway High School who wants to become a teacher, who were also accepted to the Rutgers Future Scholar program.
Youngest sister Journi, a seventh grader at Rahway Middle School, was accepted to the Rutgers Futures Scholars program in Rahway in early April.
"The Rutgers Future Scholars program in Rahway supports promising students in accessing a college education at Rutgers,” says Shareyna N. James, senior program manager. “As we mark our 10th year in Rahway, we are proud to continue preparing students for college and supporting their success once they arrive. We are especially excited to support multiple generations within the same family, a testament to the strength and reach of our program.”
Launched in 2008, Rutgers Future Scholars has guided more than 3,700 promising students. The program enrolls students in seventh grade creating a pathway to and through to college graduation, offering college preparation along with academic and mentoring support with no out-of-pocket tuition costs for those admitted to Rutgers. It operates in middle and high schools in New Brunswick, Piscataway, Newark, Rahway, and Camden. As many as 70 percent of the students, in any given year, have graduated high school and enrolled at Rutgers. The program was the first of its kind in the country and has served as a model for seven other universities. The 2026-27 academic year marks the 10th year of Rutgers Future Scholars in Rahway, which will celebrate with an elegant night of appreciation and celebration on December 4.
First to Graduate College
Je-Naya is excited to be the first in her family to graduate college. “I'm happy and I'm a little sad—it's an accomplishment for me, for my family, and for my mom,” she says.
She says that her goal is to make life better for troubled teens. “I wanted to create change.”
Je-Naya, who plans to get her master’s in social work after graduation, says her goal is to open a group home for underprivileged youth to assist with their rehabilitation.
She also enjoyed Rutgers. “I got to experience life without being the big sister,” she says. “I just got to be me and figure out what I like.”
Nyjae Shipley, who will graduate in December 2027, says she worried she would not be able to afford college. “When I found out I was going to be a Rutgers Future Scholar, I felt very hopeful for my future,” Nyjae says. “I realized at that moment that college was possible.”
Nyjae enjoys the atmosphere on the New Brunswick campus. “I feel like there’s a lot of nice people and a lot of mentorships, which I have experienced,” she says. “I think it is all about just advocating for yourself.”
Rutgers Future Scholars has given Nyjae and her family a chance and made a major impact on all of their lives, she says, acknowledging how Kim Williams, director of the program, is always available to talk to me and asks me how I am doing, she says. “She has been very helpful and wants me to excel.”
Jayden Shipley, a sophomore at Rutgers–New Brunswick also studying communications, says he likes the Rutgers community and how friendly everybody is on campus. “You can just walk down the street and compliment somebody and they'll shoot you one back,” he says. “It's always good vibes on campus.”
The Rutgers Future Scholars program has opened the world to his family, he says. “I'm so appreciative that my whole entire family can experience the things that not a lot of people can.”
In fact, Nyla Tisdale, a freshman at Rahway High School, says the RFS program “makes me think more about college, about what I want to do, and it makes me really excited.”
Nyla says she has decided that that she wants to study education at Rutgers–New Brunswick and become a teacher. She is also excited to follow in the footsteps of her older sisters and brother.
Nyla, who considers herself a shy person around strangers, says the Rutgers Future Scholars program is helping her become more outgoing. “It is making me more talkative and break out of my shell.”
Journi Tisdale, a seventh grader who was just selected as a Rutgers Future Scholar earlier this month, is excited to join the program. “It feels special,” she says. “I want to meet new people and try new things.”
Journi, who enjoys dancing, says she would like to be a nurse and work at a hospital someday.
Nicole Simpson, mom of five and safety professional at NJ Transit where she works in compliance and safety regulations, says she is proud of her children and is thrilled to see her eldest daughter graduate in May. “It’s kind of bittersweet,” she says. “It’s been a long road and it’s been so hard.”
Simpson says that her mother, who lives close by, has assisted with the kids. “It takes a village a lot of the time. If my mom wasn’t here to help me, I wouldn’t be here right now.” Her children’s success is an accomplishment for the whole family and has pushed Simpson to pursue her own dream of attending Rutgers–Newark this fall, she says. “It has pushed me to do something for myself,” she says.
“Having kids and seeing them go through school made me think that maybe I need to do something,” she says, adding she took classes at Union County College. “I just never had the time or funds. Now that they are older and everyone is pretty much established, there is time for me.”
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