I am Clay Stadler.

For as long as I can remember I have had the mindset that no matter

what happens, I will be successful in life. Born and raised right next to Princeton, NJ, I was lucky

to be grow up with a loving family that has always supported me and guided me through every

step in my life. My dad is my biggest role model and one of my favorite qualities that he

instilled in me is an outstanding work ethic. I watched him work his hardest every day not only

to provide for us, but to prove his qualities to his employers and help advance his career. He

taught me that it is possible to achieve anything that you put your mind to. Some of my

favorite quotes of his are, “if you want to be the man, you have to beat the man” and “rent is

due every day.” I think about these daily, and it reminds me to continue to work hard to

accomplish my goals.

Another important quality of mine is my emotional intelligence, and this is something

that I learned from my mom. She was not as fortunate to have a supportive family growing up,

so she constantly went out of her way to make sure that we felt loved, as well as emphasized

the importance of building deep connections and keeping them. I have a good sense of when

people are feeling off, and I enjoy talking with them to try and improve it. I think good

relationships are one of the keys to a happy life. A little over a year ago, my life turned around

when I lost one of my closest friends. Although it was a miserable time and there are

thousands of negative things I could say about the situation, it really did reinforce how much I

love and care about the people around me and how important they are to helping me grow as a

person.

The last thing that makes me who I am is my ability to put myself out there. If there is

something that will help me grow as a person, I am not afraid to get out of my comfort zone
and do it. First, my decision to go to college 1,000 miles away from home. I graduated with

800 people and a quarter of them went to Rutgers, so coming down here was a big step for me.

It was difficult to leave mt friends and family behind, but I knew how great of an opportunity it

would be to attend the Capstone and I took the leap. Next, was my decision to apply to be an

Honors College Ambassador. I had a great experience when I came to campus for a tour and

met with an Ambassador, and I wanted to have that same impact on other prospective

students. In the Spring of my freshmen year, I applied, was accepted, and have enjoyed my

time ever since. It can be uncomfortable meeting with families and serving as a “face” for the

University, but I have confidence in my ability to do so. Finally, I put myself out there to

achieve a Master’s degree in four years of school. It can be a lot of work at times and create

stressful situations, but I have persevered through it and it has helped me grow as a person.

When I am older, I want to doing what I love, working in finance, and making an honest

living. I want to have a family that I can love and support the same way my parents did for me.

I believe my willingness to put myself out there will put me in a position to get a job in a field I

enjoy. My hard work ethic will allow me to succeed in that role and work my way up the

corporate ladder. Finally, my emotional intelligence will allow me to build and keep

relationships that will maintain my happiness. I am Clay Stadler.