CRANFORD — 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. Two ceremonies were held — one in the morning and the other in the afternoon — to accommodate the more than 700 graduates and their families. UCNJ President Margaret M. McMenamin, Ed.D., presided over the commencement exercises.
The ceremonies included the conferral of Associate Degree in Science, Arts, Applied Science, Certificates, and Certificates of Achievement, along with 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.
During the afternoon ceremony, the Post-Day Memorial Award was presented to Sophia Argenziano, an English major from Clark, and Michaela Fajardo, a psychology major from Elizabeth. Ms. Fajardo also was the student speaker for the ceremony. 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.
