Nearly 1,000 Return for Special Commencement

fall 2020 graduation

Galloway, N.J. _ They waited five months to do it, but nearly 1,000 members of the Class of 2020 at 91视频 finally got to walk across a stage and hear their names announced as Stockton hosted eight separate socially-distanced outdoor Commencement ceremonies on the Galloway campus Friday.

鈥淚t鈥檚 his master鈥檚 degree 鈥 I wouldn鈥檛 miss it for the world!鈥 said Yvonne Ford of Jackson of her son Sean, a Smithville resident who earned his Master鈥檚 in Business Administration and posed for photos with his mom and father, Patrick.

graduation fall 2020 kesselmangraduation fall 2020 thumbs upThe eight smaller ceremonies were held on alternate hours at two locations on the Galloway campus.  Chairs were spaced 6-feet apart and face coverings were required.

鈥淵es, our ceremony set-up looks different,鈥 said President Harvey Kesselman. 鈥淲e are socially distant, but we are no less connected.  We are joined in fellowship to celebrate this long-awaited moment.鈥

He told the graduates that while 鈥渢hings happen鈥 that are unexpected, they must remain flexible and adaptable to thrive. He noted that their return to campus was about much more than being handed a piece of paper.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about an idea, symbolic of your stick-to-itiveness, your determination, your persistence, your resolve.鈥

graduation fall 2020 capZakiya Smith Ellis, chief policy advisor to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and former N.J. Secretary of Higher Education, who was scheduled as the keynote speaker in May at Boardwalk Hall, spoke at the 3:30 p.m. ceremony.

鈥淭oday this is not the commencement we all envisioned would be the understatement of the year,鈥 Smith Ellis said. 鈥淲e are all making sacrifices and living a life we never imagined. And all of it can be a bit exhausting.鈥

But, she noted, that this year has also proven that the Class of 2020 is prepared for anything.

鈥淲hat you have been through this past year means you can weather any storm,鈥 Smith Ellis said.

For the graduates, the event was an opportunity to reconnect with friends they may not have seen since March, and get official graduation photos on campus.

graduation fall 2020 zakiya smith ellis鈥淚 came to see all my friends again,鈥 said Erin Kenney of Washington Township in Warren County, who stopped for photos with Andie Labb of Pennsville and Neil McCarthy of Salem. The Hospitality Studies major is working as a nanny right now, but hopes to get a job in her industry as pandemic subsides.

Na鈥橳iasia Morales-McClendon, a native of Buena, returned from her job as a counselor at a college in North Carolina to join her family for the celebration.

鈥淚鈥檓 walking for me, my parents, my entire family,鈥 she said. 鈥淭his is bigger than me. I wouldn鈥檛 be here if not for them.鈥

Hospitality Studies major Breanna Betts of Manchester also said the ceremony was an important rite of passage to share with her parents.

鈥淚 was a first-generation college student,鈥 Betts said. 鈥淚鈥檓 the first in my family to get a bachelor鈥檚 degree.鈥graduation fall 2020 finally

A job offer from a casino fell through when the casinos closed during the pandemic and she is considering starting a master鈥檚 degree while waiting for the job market to bounce back.

Board of Trustees chair Raymond Ciccone, Class of 1979, welcomed the graduates to 鈥渙ur community of over 55,000 Stockton Osprey alumni, representing Stockton throughout the United States and beyond.鈥

Graduates Danea Hayes and Robert Fell performed the National Anthem at the 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. ceremonies respectively. 

Videos of the eight ceremonies can be viewed on the Stockton Commencement page.

graduation fall 2020 group wall

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Diane D鈥橝mico
Director of News and Media Relations
Galloway, N.J. 08205
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