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Determined
to put the Graduate School on the map, Ricardo Orteg—n wants to "make the
region aware of the high-quality graduate programs at Montclair State."
The director of Enrollment Management and Recruitment is working to increase
enrollment for all graduate programs.
"With today's growing economy, there are a lot of job opportunities out there," he said. "ÔA lot of the advancement in today's market is through higher education. Companies are trying to get the best, so it's a big advantage to have a graduate degree."
Ricardo, who is in his third year at Montclair State, holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's in international trade from Texas A&M International University, where he previously worked as director of Graduate Services.
Last spring, more than 400 graduate school candidates attended the Graduate School's first comprehensive open house. These open houses are now held each semester. Prospective students will soon have the opportunity to apply to Montclair State online as Ricardo continues his work with Embark.com, a leading company providing online application services for colleges and universities throughout the country. Ricardo said he hopes online applications will be available in the next few weeks.
Born and raised in Laredo in South Texas, Ricardo, who enjoys swimming, exercising and cycling, is the youngest of five children. He came to New Jersey two years ago. "I wanted to explore and learn about a different part of the country and a different culture," he said. "One of the things I enjoy about New Jersey is that you can actually see four seasons. When I was in South Texas, it's pretty much summer all year round. I saw snow for the first time when I came to Jersey."