Middlesex College graduates 1,600 at 55th commencement ceremony

EDISON — Middlesex College awarded 1,633 degrees and certificates to 1,600 students May 16 during its in-person 55th commencement ceremony.

The ceremony for the class of 2022, held at Jersey Mike's Arena at the Rutgers University campus in Piscataway, was the first since 2019 that college leaders, faculty, staff, guests, students and families were all together to mark the milestone.

This year's graduates wore eco-friendly caps and gowns made from post-consumer plastic bottles. Named GreenWeaver and manufactured by Oak Hall, the fabric is made from spun molten plastic pellets, with each gown requiring an average of 25 bottles. About 800 graduates participated in the exercises, so roughly 20,000 bottles were saved from landfills and the oceans.

Valedictorian Kimberly Christina Garcia delivered the class welcome which focused on previously being incarcerated.

“When I returned home at the age of 20, I was no longer just living for myself but also for my son, and although I wasn’t sure what I wanted my future to hold, I knew I wanted to change my life around,” she said.

Garcia enrolled at Middlesex College and majored in psychology because she wanted to help people. She also joined the Juvenile-Justice Reform Club.

“I was welcomed with no judgment and I found a group of people who actually cared about the many issues I was facing,” she said. “I knew I had found a home away from home. It was then that I grew the courage to tell my story in hopes of reaching others in those critical spaces. I began mentoring eight youths who were detained at a local juvenile detention center.”

Garcia reminded her fellow graduates that the fight for equality is ongoing and urged professors to continue to encourage students to follow their dreams. She also urged them to be students' voices when theirs are not heard, and implored administrators to continue the fight for accessibility while also listening to student needs.

Keith Menscher, a class of 2016 graduate who is now a lawyer at McManimom, Scotland & Baumann in Roseland, was the 2022 Alumnus of the Year. He spoke about reaching goals.

READ: RVCC graduates more than 1,200 for 2022, celebrates past classes of 2020 and 2021

“Age does not matter, origins do not matter. Each of you are capable of anything you set your minds to, and with dedication, determination and discipline, there is no task, no goal, no milestone that each of you cannot reach. By being here today, you have already proven to yourself, whether you realize it or not, that you are capable of success,” Menscher said.

Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios, who praised the graduates for persevering during the pandemic, also urged them to stay active in their community.

“I hope too that as you move forward with your life, you will challenge yourself to volunteer for a cause such as helping seniors, the disabled, the homeless, emergency services, or our veterans – any cause that is close to your heart,” he said. "It may be challenging to find time to volunteer, but I ask that you try your best to do so. Rest assured, whatever time you are able to dedicate to helping others will be worth the sacrifice."

Mark Finkelstein, vice chair of the College Board of Trustees, congratulated the graduates on their accomplishments during the pandemic .

“...That is what makes the class of ’22 so special. You directly faced adversity and did not allow it to deter you from your dreams of earning a college degree. You faced unprecedented stress, far beyond what should be expected of a college student," he said. "You are strong, you are determined. And you are an inspiration to many others who are deciding if a college education is feasible.”

College President Mark McCormick said graduations recognize and honor the talent, grit and perseverance of students in achieving their educational goals and the support they received along the way.

A week earlier, the college honored Chambers Award winners. The award, named for the college’s founding president Frank Chambers, recognizes graduates who achieved the highest-grade point average. The 2022 award recipients are: Fatima Akhtar, Stephanie V. Belizario, Myesha Renee Bennett, Izabella N. Burzynski, Shelby Collins, John Joseph Cowhig, Thomas Emens, Kirsten D. Francisco, Kimberly Christina Garcia, Maria Cristeli Gomez de Marte, Evy Maria Guzman, Jessica Marie Hochadel, Amy Lin, Ana Filipa Martelo, Rafaela Sofia Martelo, Pavitra Patel, Beshoy Emad Rezk, Kristine Rodriguez, Brian Alonso Ruiz, Kathleen Sabo, Kevin M. Schell, Sparsh Amit Shah, Parth Akshay Sheth, Jennifer Smith Mullen, Marie Christine Tender, Caitlyn Testa, Sara Umar, Alfredo Velasco Olivares, Snezhana Veselkova, and Isha Warra.

Among this year's notable grads are Veronica Bonilla of Perth Amboy, Marine Corps veteran Melvin Rodas of Piscataway and Jessica Medina of North Brunswick.

Bonilla, 26, who came to the U.S. from Colombia at age 16, will be pursuing a bachelor’s and majoring in advertising at Kean University. She hopes to use her education to one day start her own business so that she can hire and support women like her grandmother, who watched the ceremony online from Colombia, who just need an opportunity to create a better life for themselves.

Rodas will attend Rutgers this fall to study political science in hopes of becoming a future legislator. He has always been interested in societal structures and how political decision-making affects everyone's day-to-day lives. During his time at Middlesex College he served as a work-story ambassador for veterans services.

Medina, who will be starting Rutgers Business School in the fall with the goal of taking the CPA exam, first started college in 2007. The mother of two young sons later had to withdraw, but is now better able to juggle family with two teen boys and a 6-year-old daughter, a full time job and school.

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com 

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Middlesex College NJ commencement ceremony 2022