Rider U. Celebrates Class Of 2023 In Commencement, Grad Wins New Car

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — Rider University celebrated the undergraduate and graduate Class of 2023 at the commencement ceremony held May 13, at the CURE Insurance Arena.

More than 1,200 students earned their degrees.

President Gregory G. Dell'Omo, Ph.D., regognized the resilience of students during the COVID-19 pandemic and remembered those who lost loved ones.

"You faced these circumstances with courage and overcame them with hope instead of despair, with faith instead of doubt," Dell’Omo said. "Everyone with us today shares that hope and faith in your future."

Chairman of the Board of Experts for Birthing of Giants, Lewis Schiff received an honorary Doctor of Business. Schiff has been a mentor to students in the course "Inside the Entrepreneurial Mind" and at the Moonshots and Moneymakers conference, where Rider students are able to attend each summer.

"On one hand, we celebrate your huge accomplishments today. And, on the other hand, what comes next?" Schiff said. He encouraged students to remember the lessons they learned during their time at Rider as "what got you here today will also get you through your future."

Senior biology major Sanjana Butala delivered the student speech. She reflected on her experience as a transfer student, nearly 8,000 miles away from her family, and urged graduates to stay optimistic and grateful in the face of uncertainty.

Butala is headed to medical school and hopes to pursue a career as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, focused on victims of domestic violence.

Members of the Class of 2023 come from 31 states and one U.S. territory with 75 percent graduates calling NJ home. About 4 percent of the class are international students, hailing from 18 different countries, including Kuwait, Nigeria, Singapore and Venezuela.

Meanwhile, Nicole Chen, a biology major from Cherry Hill, won a new 2023 Toyota Corolla SE during the University's annual Cruisin' From Commencement contest.

Chen entered the contest to win the car for her mom. “We currently share a car, which unfortunately forces her to stay home most of the day since I either have to go to work or class,” Chen said. “Now I am able to give her a gift I could have never imagined was possible with my current financial status.”

The contest has been organized by the University's student-run radio station, 107.7 The Bronc WRRC-FM since 2016.

Chen got a two-year lease on the car along with ToyotaCare, a vehicle maintenance and roadside assistance plan, for two years courtesy of Team Toyota of Princeton.

The winner was determined by an expert panel of judges who narrowed down the entries to 10 finalists.

Here are more photos from the event, courtesy of Courtesy of Peter G. Borg/Rider University

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