TOMS RIVER —1,495 associate degrees were conferred at Ocean County College’s 58th Annual Commencement Ceremonies, which took place onThursday, May 22, 2025, onthe College’s main campus in Toms River.
After inclement weather forced the College to cancel the ceremony on the Gateway Building lawn, graduation festivities were moved indoors to the gymnasium, with three smaller ceremonies arranged to accommodate the graduates and their guests. A live stream was provided for additional family and friends to watch the ceremonies from locations on campus or to view them remotely.
Dr. Pamela Monaco, president of OCC, congratulated the students on the culmination of their academic achievements and encouraged them to create new communities as they move ahead into their future. “Continue to explore what interests and excites you, and find others who share that same passion,” she said. President Monaco also encouraged the graduates to do their best to avoid pressure from influencers who may try to tell them who to be. “Most important, be your authentic self,” she advised. “True authenticity gives you enormous peace and power. Follow your moral compass. Remember the friends you have who like you for your true self. Follow your path, and take as your three words of strength: ‘This is me.’”
OCC’s student commencement speaker, Elizabeth Macchioni, reminded graduates that Commencement Day provides proof they are stronger than they ever imagined. “College may have felt like a strange land at first, but it turned out to be our training ground,” Macchioni said. “We did not just survive it; we conquered it—with humor, with heart, and maybe, once or twice, with a burrito during a Zoom lecture. We entered as strangers to this world of higher education, many of us first-generation, returning students, parents, dreamers, doers, and everything in between. And now we leave not just with degrees but with stories of perseverance, growth, and quiet bravery. Community college did not just educate us—it transformed us.”
Photo courtesy Ocean County College
Among the 2025 graduates were 45 Ocean County high school students participating in OCC’s Early College/Academy programs and 48 OCVTS Performing Arts Academy students who earned an associate degree in Performing Arts. Each of these remarkable students earned an associate degree from OCC before receiving their high school diplomas. Also present were seven graduates receiving their degrees through OCC’s partnership with Ben Hudnall Memorial Trust of Kaiser Permanente, an agreement that enables eligible employees to take classes at OCC with no out-of-pocket costs.
The College also recognized two faculty members for excellence in teaching during the ceremonies: Christine Perricone, Associate Professor of Science (2025 Full-Time Faculty of the Year), and Steve Baglivio, Adjunct Professor of Business (2025 Part-Time Faculty of the Year), were selected from more than 240 nominations received from students this year.
The 58th Annual Commencement Ceremonies were 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). The video remains available for viewing online. For more information, visit ocean.edu.
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