Cranford, NJ – UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ held its spring commencement ceremonies for the class of 2024 on May 15 at the College’s Cranford Campus. There were two ceremonies to accommodate more than 700 graduates and their families. UCNJ President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin presided over the commencement ceremonies.
The ceremonies included the conferral of Associate Degree in Science, Arts, Applied Science, Certificates, and Certificates of Achievement, and a presentation of the Alumni Prize and the Post-Day Memorial Award. These special recognitions highlighted graduates who demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, and involvement in extracurricular activities. The UCNJ celebrations included presentation of awards and the traditional address to the graduating class.
In the morning ceremony, the Alumni Prize was presented to Juan Vasquez, a computer science major from Elizabeth. The Post-Day Memorial Award was presented to Nicole Resende, an engineering major from Union, and Myrvens Sylvestre, a computer science major from Roselle. The ceremonies included a student speaker to represent the graduating class. The student speaker for the first ceremony was Precious Opaola, a social services major from Linden. She is a Kaplan Leadership program scholar who will attend Princeton University in the fall.
In the afternoon ceremony, the Alumni Prize was presented to Damari Bernia, a business major from Elizabeth. The Post-Day Memorial Award was presented to Sophia Argenziano, an English major from Clark, and Michaela Fajardo, a psychology major from Elizabeth. The student speaker for the second ceremony was Fajardo. She was named to the New Jersey All-State Academic Team and is finalizing her transfer plans.
“At UCNJ, we are transforming our community, one student at a time. I am proud of our graduates and excited to witness the positive impact they will make in their communities and beyond,” stated Dr. 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. UCNJ provides many experiential learning opportunities such as access to a Bloomberg Business Center, Innovation Center, and Student Research hub. Additionally, students at UCNJ attend one of the top 20 community colleges in the country for 2025 as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. To learn more, visit www.ucc.edu.
