Hudson County Community College held their first commencement ceremony since the pandemic began at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison this afternoon.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“At this, our first on-ground commencement ceremony since the beginning of the pandemic, we will proudly and properly celebrate the nearly 2,300 graduates of the Classes of 2020 and 2021, and the more than 1,400 graduates of the Class of 2022,” HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber said in a statement.
“The entire HCCC Family is delighted to come together in celebration of our students’ milestone accomplishments, and their families and loved ones who have supported them every step of the way.”
In a break with tradition, yet one that is perfectly in-line with HCCC as a student-centered institution, HCCC 2021 Valedictorian, Pedro Moranchel, delivered the keynote address.
Moranchel, now a Princeton student, received the esteemed 2021 Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship that covers tuition, living expenses, books and required fees for high-achieving community college students who transfer to often prestigious universities to complete baccalaureate and graduate studies.
He was also one of only 16 community college students nationwide admitted to Princeton last year.
Habiba Desouky, Class of 2022 Valedictorian and Bayonne resident, who will receive her Associate in Science in Medical Sciences Pre-Professional degree, delivered the Valedictory address.
Additionally, Rev. Dr. Dorothy Patterson, Pastor of Wallace Temple AME Zion Church in Bayonne, offered the invocation. She is the first female pastor of the Wallace Temple AME Zion Church, as well as an educator, advocate, and community leader.
