TOMS RIVER – 1,438 associate degrees were conferred at Ocean County College’s 57th Annual Commencement Ceremony, the culmination of the graduates’ academic achievements. Approximately 730 students participated in the ceremony, which took place onFriday, May 24 onthe college’s main campus in Toms River.
Stephan R. Leone, secretary of the OCC Board of Trustees, opened the ceremony by welcoming assembled guests and introducing students from Ocean County Vo-Tech’s Grunin Performing Arts Academy (PAA), located on the OCC campus, to perform the National Anthem. The Ocean County Sheriff’s Department provided the Honor Guard. Chaplain Barbara A. Miles from Holy Temple of God in Christ and Sadie Vickers Resource Center delivered the invocation.
Dr. Pamela Monaco, president of OCC, congratulated the graduating students and asked them to consider what type of person they would like to be. “Will you be known as a kind person?” she asked. “Will you commit yourself to exhibiting moral courage, being the kind of person who will make the difficult decisions because they are the right things to do, even if others do not agree?”
Joseph Nappi, New Jersey’s 2023-24 Teacher of the Year and a 2002 graduate of OCC, urged the graduates to strive for true happiness, which he described as a gift we receive when we give of ourselves to others. “Be mindful of your focus. It’s often as simple as where you’re looking that will determine where you’re going,” he said. “And find your happiness in purpose and service to others – for while I would love to see you go out in this world and do well, I hope even more that you will go out into this world and do good. That is the path to true happiness.”
Student commencement speaker Sadain Siddique encouraged fellow graduates to pursue their passions while always remaining humble and open to new ideas. “As you prepare to exit these halls as alumni, you will encounter new challenges that will test your resolve,” said Siddique. “Use your education to ask tough questions, challenge long-held assumptions, and approach problems from a fresh perspective. Embrace the courage to take calculated risks, to fail forward, to lift others as you climb, and to give up your biases and fight against polarization.”
The 57th Annual Commencement Ceremony was broadcast on www.ocean.edu and on Ocean TV-20 via Comcast of Toms River and Long Beach Island (Channel 20) and Verizon FiOS of Northern Ocean County (Channel 24). Repeats will be broadcast throughout the month and the video is also available for viewing online. For more information, visit ocean.edu.
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