Rutgers University–Camden Celebrates Joyous, Jam-Packed Commencement Week

Commencement Week kicked off with a campuswide ceremony that united graduates across all academic disciplines. Chancellor Antonio D. Tillis exhorted degree earners to make the most of Commencement Week but to also remember that their Rutgers–Camden journeys are far from over.

“The lessons you learned, bonds you formed, and degree you earned at Rutgers–Camden are never finished and will never expire,” Chancellor Tillis said. “They are more than memories; they have shaped the person you are today and the one you will become. So, if you are feeling any hint of sadness about this part of your journey coming to an end, remember that your Rutgers–Camden experience will always be part of you as an individual and of us as a community.”

Brian K. Bridges, secretary of higher education for the State of New Jersey, emphasized that overcoming challenges and burdens has helped graduates identify their greatest opportunities and strengths.

“My wish is the memories you have here and now—and the ones you have made over the years at Rutgers–Camden—will anchor you and your purpose for years to come,” Bridges said. “Whether it’s hours of studying at the library, hounding your professors during and outside of office hours, or getting a class assignment done in between shifts at work, that’s where resilience is built.”

Although the day dawned cold, gray, and rainy, the mood inside Freedom Mortgage Pavilion on Wednesday, May 15 was festive as the 2024 graduates of Rutgers School of Business–Camden took their seats.

“Graduates, you are our sunshine today,” said Dean Monica Adya to the students, faculty, family members, and distinguished guests who had gathered for the event.

“You are poised to make a positive and lasting difference in this world,” Adya said. “Go forth and show the world what excellence looks like, because you are what excellence looks like.”

Chancellor Antonio D. Tillis congratulated the graduates, recognizing all they had overcome to get to this important day.

 “As you concentrate on your next elevation, pull on the strengths that got you through it all to this glorious and celebratory moment in your lives,” Chancellor Tillis said.

Keynote speaker Brian Schaller, president of Wawa, took the podium with advice derived from decades of academic and professional experience in business.

“Finding the right path in life takes a combination of courage and common sense,” Schaller said. “Be open to new experiences, step forward when opportunities are presented to you, and work as hard as you can to make a difference."

Before graduates were asked to move their tassels, Cal Maradonna SBC’74 GSBC’79, manager of the school’s off-campus BBA and learning abroad programs, encouraged them to become active alumni. Notably, Maradonna was celebrating his fiftieth consecutive Rutgers–Camden commencement ceremony.

“Embrace your Rutgers–Camden legacy with pride, hold steadfast to your beliefs, trust in the power of your dreams, and embark on each new adventure with courage and conviction," Maradonna said.

The graduation of the Class of 2024 was hailed as a momentous occasion by Rutgers School of Nursing–Camden Dean Donna Nickitas, who looked out over the 289 gathered master of nursing science and bachelor of nursing science graduates and declared, “All I see before me is the future of nursing!”

Dean Nickitas said the graduates are ready to make their mark in the world through the countless lives they will touch.

The ceremony was held at Camden’s Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in front of a respectful crowd that cheered the graduates as they processed into the arena.

The keynote address was delivered by Helene Burns, chief nursing executive at AtlantiCare, an award-winning integrated health care system headquartered in Egg Harbor Township, whose team of more than 6,500 serves South Jersey in over 100 locations.

Burns asked that the graduates be open, listen first, always be collaborative, and always be kind. She said these words have guided her in her nursing career for over 40 years. “And remember to be kind to yourself,” Burns said. “The best nurses know that it is important to take care of yourself so you can do your best to take care of others.”

Associate Professor Shelia Linz led the graduates in reciting the Nursing Pledge, which in part says, “I pledge to deliver nursing care non-judgmentally to all those who require it, to the best of my ability.”

The 450 graduates of the College and Arts and Sciences comprised the largest ceremony of the week at Rutgers–Camden. In honor of Military Appreciation Month, Dean John Griffin recognized veterans and active members of the armed forces among the attendees. Turning to the Class of 2024, he called graduation a new beginning, encouraging them to forge ahead. “Whether the future takes you into a full-time profession, service, or further learning, the future is yours for the taking,” he said.

Keynote speaker Louis Greenwald, majority leader of the New Jersey Assembly, delivered heartfelt remarks that drew from his own academic journey. Greenwald spoke of his parents and the enormous power he gained by earning an education. He shared that his mother, who grew up under humble beginnings in Camden and rose to political success, always aspired to earn a college degree.

“Her dream for her children and our dream for you is to take what she did not have, achieve greater success, go farther than you or any of us have ever dreamed,” Greenwald said. Echoing his father’s words to him as he earned his own degrees, Greenwald told the Class of 2024, “This is a great day. This is a wonderful accomplishment. No matter what lies ahead—good or bad—no one can ever take this diploma away. What you have achieved, you have earned.”

A spirited and heartfelt ceremony honoring graduates of Rutgers Law School’s Camden campus concluded Commencement Week festivities. Johanna Bond, leading her first graduation ceremony since taking over as dean of Rutgers Law in July, highlighted just a few of the qualities and statistics that set the school’s graduates apart in the legal field.

“You have learned from our faculty to serve your clients with empathy and legal acumen,” Bond said. She noted that 92 percent of the graduates are first-generation lawyers and that the Class of 2024 provided a collective 6,940 hours of pro bono legal services during their time in law school. “We watched you as you supported each other when lectures seemed impenetrable or classmates lost a loved one. You have built a community of not just professional contacts, but lifelong friends.”

Fabiana Pierre-Louis, a Rutgers Law–Camden alumna and the first woman of color to preside on the Supreme Court of New Jersey, spoke of what her education means to her.

“Cherish and appreciate the education, community, and never-ending support system you received at Rutgers,” Pierre-Louis said. “My parents always stressed the importance of education in opening opportunities for me. I proudly say I am an Rutgers Law graduate every chance I get.”

Pierre-Louis concluded with a call for kindness and compassion in the ever-evolving, often contentious legal field.

“Be courteous and respectful to others, even those who are your adversaries,” Pierre-Louis said. “It is unlikely that you will make a positive impact in legal profession or in any area of life if you treat people poorly. The legal profession has a reputation as competitive and non-collegial, but that is the exact opposite of what I experienced here at Rutgers Law. I learned to always treat others with respect, to be a good colleague, and to be ethical in everything I do. Those lessons, most of all, are what have led me to where I am today.”