Cranford, NJ – UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ celebrated its Winter Commencement on January 9, 2024, at the historic Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway. Two ceremonies were held for more than 700 graduates who received their Associate in Science, Associate in Arts, and Associate in Applied Science Degrees, and Certificates. The graduates completed their degrees in either August or December 2024.
UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin served as the Master of Ceremonies and welcomed graduates and attendees to the celebration. Each ceremony included a student speaker who was selected to speak to their class. The student speakers were Carlos León Hernandez, of Elizabeth, and Elijah Z. Frieson, of Rahway.
The Alumni Prize was presented to William Becerra, of Elizabeth who graduated with a 3.98 and Adriana Lara of Westfield, who graduated with a 3.94 GPA. The Abdallah-Thomas Memorial Award, which was established in memory of UCNJ alumni, is awarded to two graduating students who have at least a 3.25 GPA, have participated in college life activities and/or sports, and have completed community service. The recipients this year were Mr. León Hernandez, Sabeen Rao, and Frank Ulrich.
“On behalf of the UCNJ community, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Class of 2025. Their commitment to excellence, perseverance, and hard work throughout their coursework at UCNJ has been admirable. Whether they are continuing their education at another institution or entering the workforce, I look forward to seeing their collective success and wish them the best in their future endeavors” stated President McMenamin.
UCNJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater Union County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The College offers a wide variety of academic and extracurricular activities. Students can participate in clubs, honor societies, and a full array of athletics. UCNJ provides many experiential learning opportunities such as access to the Bloomberg Business Center, Innovation Center, and Student Research hub. Additionally, students at UCNJ attend one of the top 10 community colleges in the country for 2025 as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. To learn more about UCNJ, visit o8xf.51rkb.com
