New Student Experience/Welcome Center Manager Mimi Oliveira is a recognizable presence at Rowan College at Burlington County. She’s often staked out at the front desk of the Student Success Center or in her nearby office — fitting for a role that centers on guiding students to resources such as registration, advising, and financial aid, and on training RCBC’s student ambassadors to do the same.
Bold, full of energy, and integral to the rhythm of daily campus life, Oliveira feels like a longtime fixture of the Baron community, despite having arrived just four years ago.
Before coming to Mount Laurel, Oliveira studied in Orange County, California, later relocating to the East Coast, where she quickly grew to love the area. With a background in psychology counseling, she found her path in brand marketing, working with companies at national conferences, expos and social events. Her role gave her the unique opportunity of traveling across the country and into Canada, connecting with diverse audiences and bringing brands to life. This avenue intersected with her work at the college through the College Readiness Now grant, leading to her transition into the full-time position she holds today.
“Stepping into this position… I realized it incorporated many branding elements. While we’re not branding the school directly, we are, in many ways, promoting it,” Oliveira said. “We serve as the face of recruitment and exposure for our community, so it's been a great fit. I think it was a natural integration of my skills and this role.”
When Oliveira trains student ambassadors, she draws on that same experience. As many visiting students’ first guides and ambassadors, they learn to create a welcoming, energy-filled atmosphere that encourages prospective students to feel connected and excited to stay.
"I emphasize to our students: strong customer service skillset is really important," Oliveira said. “It's important that every student, visitor and partner who walks through our doors feel a true sense of belonging, something that is still a growing focus in higher education."
Student ambassadors often begin college with limited career experience. In their roles, they may start wary or nervous, but over time they become more confident, immerse themselves in campus life, and, as Oliveira noted, grow into “young professionals” by the end of their first year.
Watching her student workers grow day by day into the people they aspire to become is especially meaningful. “It makes me really proud,” Oliveria said.
Students, workers, colleagues; Oliveira consistently lifts others, checking in on how they are doing and recognizing individuals for their hard work. One of her most defining qualities is her understanding that the college experience doesn’t end when she or her student ambassadors send a student on; it simply becomes another department’s opportunity to continue the support she helped begin.
“In many ways, the RCBC community is like a web; each connection strengthens the whole and supports students' success,” Oliveira said.
Such careful consideration for her peers, her student ambassadors, and the Barons who walk this campus every day earned her the coveted Barons Best award for the spring semester, which is awarded to a staff member who exemplifies the ideals of being an RCBC Baron – hard work, loyalty, innovation, service to the community, and a student-first disposition each semester.
As in her daily work life, Oliveira was with students when the announcement was made that she had won the award at the college’s most recent collegewide gathering for staff.
“I was just finishing my sandwich with two new Student Ambassadors when my name was called, completely unexpected,” Oliveira said. “I was focused on getting the team to feel connected to our RCBC community and activities… Receiving the award was both surprising and incredibly meaningful.
“I've been inspired by my Student Ambassador team, who bring an almost superhuman level of dedication when helping students find the support they need. Together, we operate as a connected community, each of us playing a vital role in helping students find their path in education and career preparation.”
