In Spanish, Online, and On Your Time: Ronnie Rivera’s Trajectory as Spanish BBA Specialist

(MANHATTAN, NY — June 13, 2025) Ronnie Rivera joined Empire State University as a bilingual assistant registrar eight months ago, with an already layered understanding of hard work. His passion for helping students succeed in academic settings draws upon a lifetime of resilience and a deep commitment to assisting others.

Rivera was born in the Bronx, where he oscillated between English and Spanish at different points of his early years. “When I was born, and before I started school, I only spoke Spanish,” he explains. “Then, I started kindergarten and transitioned to English.” The summers of his childhood unfolded speaking Spanish with relatives in Puerto Rico, where he would help with coffee harvests on the family farm: “Before I even ate breakfast, [I was] already in the coffee fields, taking coffee in “sacos”, “sacks,” all the way up to the house,” Rivera recalls. Growing up this way established a work ethic built upon discipline and persistence.

This same work ethic came into play during Rivera’s time in the U.S. Marine Corps as an IT technician from 2004 to 2009, where he learned many of the technical skills he now applies in his role at Empire State University. “[The military] was very grueling work, which I enjoyed because I had that [earlier] experience of very grueling work,” he says. “Then, I started college and realized there’s also grueling work in academics.” His experience navigating often-tedious landscapes, particularly that of higher education, motivates him to convey information to prospective Spanish BBA students clearly in both English and Spanish—to do the heavy lifting for their benefit, so to speak.

Rivera’s life changed abruptly in 2010 following his mother’s passing, when he saw a need to return to Puerto Rico and run her business. “I found out that I wasn’t very good at [Spanish] until I was living in a country where the predominant language is Spanish.” Immersed into his life on the island, he newly sharpened the Spanish language skills he grew up with and acquired an entrepreneurial mindset.

Because his business experience inherently entwines with bilingualism, Rivera clearly sees the value of Empire State University’s new Spanish BBA. The initiative, designed to serve degree-seeking Spanish speakers, is meant to equip its students with business skills in their native language—skills through which they can uplift enterprises in their local communities. “This program is the first of its kind in the SUNY system,” says Rivera. “If more people knew [about it], they would make a great decision in their life by joining.”

A high school graduate who dreams of a better job but struggles with English. A working parent who studies at night in hopes of gaining upward mobility in their field. These are just a few of the examples Rivera lists of people who may thrive with Empire State University’s program taught entirely in Spanish. “They want to progress in life. They want to help their family,” he says. “This program can benefit them.”

A current MBA student at the university, Rivera adds, “[Empire State University] has mastered online learning for years—trust the fact that we can help you. We are here; we are real.” He emphasizes the workflows that have been implemented specifically for the Spanish BBA, the team of specialists that will be at the disposal of its students, and the ease of use when it comes to the university’s online learning interfaces. Having found his path, Rivera is ever determined to help others find theirs.