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Besides bottled water to manage the Las Vegas’ heat, tissues were the second most-sought after supply for the parents at UNLV’s Rebel Ready Week.

Though many family members shed tears, it was a time of excitement. Students, some coming from out of state, were about to get their first taste of independence.

To help both students and families with the transition, Rebel Ready Week scheduled activities to offer a preview of what campus life will be like. 

On Aug. 19, Family Day, the moms, dads, siblings and more toured campus, attended info sessions, made some crafts, or stopped by the parent lounge for coffee, snacks, and a little A/C. We caught up with a few to see how they felt about this new transition for their student — and themselves.

Roots Established

“Let me show you a photo!” says Maria Belisario as she grabs for her phone to show off pictures of her son Zhaeden. 

The first photo shows Zhaeden in his new room at the residence hall, a neon light that spells out his name above the bed; the next shows him at high school graduation, bedecked in leis.

Zhaeden is an incoming first-year student in the Honors College. His father, Rummel Etrata, also made the trek from Honolulu, Hawaii, with his mom to help him settle in.

“I’ve cried a lot,” says Belisario. 

Meanwhile, behind his dark sunglasses, Etrata remains stoic, though he admits, “I cried in the shower.”

While Belisario says she remains anxious about the distance and his safety, she understands that her son was ready to spread his wings and become more independent. Zhaeden, she says, chose UNLV because of Las Vegas’ reputation as the “Ninth Island.”

He’ll be studying business, so she says that by living in Las Vegas, he can make more connections and have unique experiences that only exist in the Entertainment Capital of the World.

“UNLV will be a really good fit for him, and we cannot wait to see what the future has in store,” says Belisario. “As our friend said, ‘Be his roots and let him grow.’ We’ll definitely do just that.”

A Healthy Choice

Thanks to a full scholarship, UNLV was an easy choice for Nadereh Shoeibi’s daughter, Newsha, an Honors College student studying biochemistry with a minor in neuroscience.

“She wants to go to dental school,” says Shoeibi.

Shoeibi, who works as a nurse at Sunrise Hospital, was attending Family Day programming with fellow UNLV mom, Dorota Bielecke. They met through their daughters, both of whom attended the same high school. Bielecke’s daughter, also an Honors student, will study biochemistry, as well.

It’s not, as they say, Shoeibi’s first rodeo. Her oldest daughter graduated from UNLV’s School of Nursing with a bachelor’s degree and then returned to further her studies as she prepares to take the MCAT.

While her oldest child stayed in Las Vegas for her degree because of COVID; Newsha wanted to prioritize being able to graduate with little to no debt.

“You know when you go out of the state, at least — you have to pay back $50,000, $60,000, $80,000 — just for your bachelor’s. And a lot more for your housing and everything,” says Shoeibi. 

Having her daughter graduate free of debt means she can become financially independent at an earlier age. In their family’s culture, she says, it’s customary for the parents to let their children live with them for as long as they need.

“We don’t kick them out,” says Shoeibi, jokingly adding that that’s exactly why families in their culture refrain from having a lot of kids.

A Family of Rebels

While higher education — and UNLV, specifically — are familiar territory for Scott Roberts, this is his first foray into sending his own child to college.

His oldest daughter, Marley, an Honors College student, will be investigating her interests through the interdisciplinary studies degree program.

“I’m trying not to shed tears, I think,” says Roberts, who graduated with a master’s in public administration from UNLV in 2013. “It’s one of those moments in time where you know it’s never going to be the same again.”

While he was attending Rebel Ready Week sessions, his wife was busy helping to run it. Barb Roberts is UNLV’s associate vice president for enrollment management.

Over the weekend, the family had helped Marley move into her room at Tonopah residence hall and got a chance to meet her new roommate. The two had connected over the summer.

Scott was another parent eager to share old photos; he pulled out a picture of pre-teen Marley at a Rebel event. Serendipitously, she’s standing in front of the Honors College's building, where she'll likely spend a lot of time.

“[This morning], she actually spoke at the College of Liberal Arts session, where they did a Fact or Fiction Q&A. It was fun to see her up on stage with the department chair,” he says.

UNLV is old stomping grounds for Roberts, too. Now vice president of development at the Oklahoma State University Foundation, he previously served as vice president for UNLV’s Division of Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement. 

Over the past six months, he’s adjusted little by little to Marley’s independence since she began driving and picked up a part-time job.

“I talk to her every day usually, so it’s going to be different,” Roberts says, now that his daughter will be living on campus instead of their Henderson home.

But, he says, “she’s ready.”

Maintaining A Mindset

Who would’ve guessed House Hunters could influence what someone studies in college? Dana Cox, a senior research analyst with ProCaps Laboratories and her son, “JJ” Cox used to watch the program together.

“I was actually chosen to be on the show,” says Cox, who ended up a finalist but didn’t quite make it onto a TV episode.

But HGTV — and some serious house hunting when he was little — influenced JJ’s interests. The Honors College student will be studying architecture and business. In the future, he’d like to own an architectural firm and build luxury houses as well as housing for the homeless. 

Cox says her son began cultivating his artistic side after she started a program at work that allowed employees to bring their children in to observe different STEM professions.

“[A colleague] in business applications took him up to his office and introduced him to anime and drawing,” says Cox. “After that, he started drawing anime and characters like Batman.”

As he got older, Cox says her son’s interests grew. He went to the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts. He plays viola and creates music that he posts online. 

Well-rounded, JJ played basketball In high school. His ambitions appear to be never-ending as he also plans to get a real estate license.

“He’s more driven than I was [at that age],” says Cox. “I saw a letter that he wrote to financial aid, and I was like ‘Let me see what you wrote.’ It was so professional and well-written.”

Still, Cox says she does have one hope for her son as he embarks on his college career: to keep himself surrounded by people who are motivated and maintain a positive mindset.

“My one word of advice is to stay connected to people that talk about their future and about where they want to go. Because you don’t want to be with people who say, ‘That’s stupid,’ you know? Talk about what you want to do.”