Lisha Brito, a first-generation college student and daughter of Dominican immigrants, initially planned to join the Navy in 2021. She reconsidered, deciding to stay close to home and began looking at local colleges, including Bloomfield College of Montclair State University.
“I was going to go into the Navy,” Brito said. “But circumstances changed, and I decided I wasn’t ready to leave home. I wanted to be around my family.”
Brito admitted that she arrived at her orientation feeling discouraged and disconnected. “I went in like, I don’t want to talk to anyone. I’m just in it for the school. I’m not here to make friends.” Her outlook shifted when a student ambassador invited her to join a table during orientation. “Ever since that day, Bloomfield became home to me,” she said.
As a first-generation college student, Brito found navigating higher education challenging. “Filling out my FAFSA? I couldn’t lean on my parents for that. They didn’t know how any of this worked.” She credits Bloomfield’s EOF and TRIO SSS programs for providing guidance: “EOF really helped me a lot. My counselor was very supportive,” she said. “They gave me advice my parents couldn’t give me – academic, financial, and emotional.”
Support extended beyond academics for Brito; staff members in the mailroom and dining hall took notice of her dietary preferences and well-being throughout her time on campus.
Brito joined the cheer team as a freshman and later became its president. “My coaches really do run a strict program,” she noted. Cheerleading helped her build accountability, public speaking skills, resilience in facing criticism, and confidence.
Her involvement with cheerleading encouraged her next step—joining Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., in fall 2024 due to its community service mission. “One of their main partnerships is with St. Jude’s, and my family has been donating to St. Jude’s since I was in high school. I took that as a sign.” Through the sorority’s affiliate programs, she now mentors younger girls by organizing high school events and etiquette dinners.
Graduating with an accounting degree and a minor in Africana Studies, Brito plans to open both a business and a nonprofit focused on financial literacy for minorities, emancipated minors, and small businesses. “I want to help minorities, emancipated minors, and small businesses really start building generational wealth,” she said.
She hopes eventually to become both a financial advisor and college professor.
Reflecting on her college journey at Montclair State University—a public research institution serving more than 23,000 students across several New Jersey communities according to the university’s official website—Brito advised prospective students: “If I could go back, I’d tell myself: go to the events. You’re not just getting free stuff – you’re building relationships and knowledge.” She encourages others not to wait for friends but instead take advantage of opportunities available on campus.
Montclair State University is recognized as New Jersey’s largest Hispanic-Serving Institution according to its official website, with over half its students from underrepresented minority groups.
This story is part of an ongoing series highlighting graduates who represent Montclair State University’s mission of broadening access to education while contributing positively within their communities.
Story by Jayda Brown; photography by Mike Peters.
