Over four years at Rutgers University-Newark, Esron Holder didn’t just attend college; he ingrained himself into it. Now with his undergraduate degree in hand, he’s stepping into this next chapter with a clear sense of purpose: to give back to the community that helped shape him.
This fall, Esron will begin his Master of Business Administration (MBA) at RU-N while serving as a Graduate Coordinator for Campus Engagement with the Office of Career Resources and Exploration (CRE).
As a graduate of Rutgers Business School, Esron broadened his experience through study abroad opportunities, internships, and stepping outside his comfort zone.
“I learned how to hold my own in those rooms,” Esron shared. “Through these experiences, including with Braven, I realized that being confident in who I am will help me immensely in the business world.”
Central to that growth was a mentor who believed in him early. Assistant Teaching Professor Hyacinth Miller has been in Esron’s corner since his freshman year, helping facilitate study abroad experiences in Barbados and Ghana and planting the seed for an opportunity that would prove transformative.
“It’s important to have someone who is constantly supporting you, wanting to see you win, and helping you become the best version of yourself. That’s the person Professor Miller has been to me,” Esron said.
It was Professor Miller who first encouraged Esron apply to the Capitol Hill Fellowship program, offered in partnership between Braven and RU-N since 2024.
He secured a spot as a Capitol Hill intern, and made the most of every moment, working with Congresswoman LaMonica McIver’s congressional office in Washington DC.
“As a business student, networking and communication are my thing. Being on Capitol Hill was like my playground,” Esron said. “I used it as an opportunity to reach out to so many different people and learn how their experiences could help me with my own.”
Now, as he prepares to start his MBA and a role serving RU-N students, Esron sees the through-line clearly.
“To me, this is a full circle moment,” he shared. “I’m going from being a student who was poured into by this community to being the person who pours into the students.”