Inspiring Essex County Graduation Stories: Family Bonds Shine Bright

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A mother and daughter will become social workers together. A 72-year-old grandmother finally nailed down a diploma after five decades. A world-famous music icon urged students to “forge new myths.” And five – count ‘em, five – siblings from the same family earned their degrees at the same time. These are just a few of the inspiring graduation stories that have taken place at colleges in Essex County this year.

Catch up with some recent stories that will put a smile on your face below. See Related: Graduation Season Is Here. Don’t Zap Power Lines With Balloons, Drones

BLOOMFIELD

At Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, more than 2,000 students, faculty, staff, family and friends gathered for the school’s 151st commencement event on May 18. It was a chance to seize a missed opportunity for many of them, who were among those whose high school graduations were canceled four years ago by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Members of the class of 2024 included students with citizenship in or originating from 17 countries. Graduates included both traditional students and adult students – and nearly 50 percent are the first in their families to attend college.

One of these students, valedictorian Leslie Yuqui, delivered a part of her speech in Spanish as a dedication to her parents for their guidance and support. Meanwhile, salutatorian Lisa Ruiz – who worked full time while raising a family and opened a restaurant before earning her degree – told her fellow graduates that “life’s hurdles need not impede our dreams … if anything, they serve as catalysts for growth and resilience.”

CALDWELL

Caldwell University held its 82nd annual commencement on May 18 and May 19, celebrating its graduating students with three ceremonies throughout the weekend.

The celebration included the school’s 13th annual Bachelor of Science in Nursing Convocation and Pinning Ceremony, which marked a big milestone for many future health care workers.

MONTCLAIR

Montclair State University experienced a unique moment this spring: the simultaneous graduation of quintuplets.

The Povolo quintuplets – Victoria, Ludovico, Ashley, Michael and Marcus – received scholarships from MSU in 2020. See Related: 5 Siblings Stick Together, Earn Free Ride To Montclair State

On May 13, the Povolos made history at the university’s commencement event when they walked across the stage one after another, earning their degrees at the same day.

“Montclair helped us be together, but also helped us to become our own people, with our own majors, our own interests, our own friend groups,” Victoria Povolo said. “We customized our own paths, but we got to the finish line together.”

• Read More: Quintuplets Make History As They Graduate From Montclair State

That wasn’t the only inspiring graduation story that came out of MSU this year.

Rosalyn Coppola, a 72-year-old grandmother who has been taking college classes over the past five decades, finally walked across the stage to receive her diploma. See Related: NJ Grandmother Earns Her Degree After Five Decades

Coppola’s commitment to lifelong learning, her tenacity and youthful spirit helped pave the way for her personal milestone. She is among 18 students earning the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies through the University’s Degree Completion Program, a pathway for adults to return and earn their college degree.

NEWARK

A pair of smile-inducing stories also came out of Rutgers this year, where mother-and-daughter Latonya Johnson and Laila Birchett graduated together from the Rutgers School of Social Work.

“My family – my kids, my mom and dad – everyone is proud because it’s two generations going to college together,” said Johnson, 43. “I never thought in a million years, I’d be going to school with my daughter and graduating in the same college and major. It’s kind of surreal but it has brought us closer because we connected on a level that I never thought I’d connect with my kids.”

She and Birchett, 21, both transferred to Rutgers in September 2022 from Middlesex College and Montclair State University respectively.

• See Related: NJ Mother, Daughter Will Graduate Side-By-Side From Rutgers

Earlier this month, more than 3,000 undergrad and graduate degree recipients got a chance to hear from rapper and multi-faceted creator Tariq Trotter, also known as Black Thought – co-founder of The Roots – at Rutgers-Newark’s commencement ceremony.

In a speech that cited sources as wide-ranging as Joseph Campbell’s “The Power of Myth” and the Declaration of Independence, Trotter encouraged the Class of 2024 to embark upon a journey of creation and self-invention.

“The collapse of the old world requires a new myth to be born that connects us all… You write it, discover it, calculate it, draw it, create it…You are the mythmakers,’’ Trotter said.

• See Related: Black Thought Of ‘The Roots’ Inspires Students At Rutgers-Newark

Another Newark-based college, the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), held its commencement ceremony earlier this month, inviting MZM Construction Co. president and CEO Marjorie Perry to speak to the eager graduates.

“You stand at the crossroads of what is and what can be, armed with the most powerful tool known to humankind — your collective imagination,” added Perry, speaking to more than 1,800 graduates inside the Prudential Center in Newark.

“You are the next generation of dreamers, creators and innovators,” Perry said.

• See Related: CEO Speaks To NJIT Grads: ‘Build a Future We Can Be Proud Of’

SOUTH ORANGE

Seton Hall University in South Orange held its baccalaureate commencement ceremony for the Class of 2024 last week.

“Graduation is one of life's most important and memorable milestones,” administrators told the new graduates and their families. “The Seton Hall community congratulates our graduates in advance for a job well done and extends warm wishes to the families and friends who will join us to celebrate this momentous occasion.”

The university shared some of the proud congratulations from family members (see them online here).

“Words are insufficient to say how very very proud of you we are,” one message reads. “Believe in yourself! You can be the change! Love you more than you know!”

Their adulations weren’t lost on the new graduates, who responded in kind with emotional messages of thanks (view them online here).

“I am so grateful for the unconditional support, guidance, and love that you guys have always showered me with,” a Class of 2024 alum wrote. “I have been able to grow into the woman that I am today because of everything you have done for me.”

“On this graduation day, we are not only celebrating me, but also all the lessons and wisdom that you guys have instilled in me that allowed me to get to this place,” she continued. “I love you so much and am so excited to see what my future holds. Thank you for being amazing parents for me.”

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