Montclair State University 2025 Commencement Celebrates Graduates’ Perseverance and Purpose

Montclair State University honored 3,839 graduates at its Spring 2025 Commencement, celebrating perseverance, academic excellence and inspiring stories from a diverse and resilient class.

Two ceremonies were held on May 7 and May 8 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, to celebrate graduates who reflect Montclair’s mission to expand access to higher education and empower individuals to make meaningful contributions to society.

In his remarks, President Jonathan Koppell reflected on the University’s founding mission to support democracy. “We’ve grown into a comprehensive research university. But we’ve stayed true to our mission,” he said.

“The University is more accessible and more inclusive than it has ever been, and that is a key source of our excellence,” Koppell said. “We show that the best way to achieve social progress is to give every single person a chance to realize their full potential and embrace the imperative that she or he ought to be a source of positive social change.”

Coming from 36 states and 10 countries, the Class of 2025 exemplify the talent, dedication and ambition that define the Montclair community. They excelled across more than 300 academic programs and are now prepared to contribute meaningfully to society – in public service, health care, education, business, science, the arts and more.

On Wednesday, May 7, degrees were conferred upon graduates from: College of the Arts, College for Community Health, College for Education and Engaged Learning, College of Science and Mathematics, and School of Nursing.

On Thursday, May 8, degrees were conferred upon graduates from: Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Feliciano School of Business, and University College.

A Joyful and Triumphant Celebration

Family, friends, faculty and staff filled Prudential Center with cheers, tears and applause as graduates walked across the stage. From confetti showers to tassel turns, the ceremonies marked both a culmination and a beginning – a farewell to college and a welcome to what comes next.

For some, this moment was years in the making.

Ralph Castellano, a retired firefighter, finally completed the degree he began 50 years ago. Earning his Business Administration diploma, he said simply, “I don’t like to leave things unfinished.”

Inspiring Journeys, Powerful Voices

Many graduates overcame profound obstacles – economic hardship, personal loss, illness, the Covid-19 pandemic – and used their education to uplift others and drive change in their communities.

Jade Alycia Webber, the graduate student speaker on May 8, shared a message of hope. “In times of uncertainty and instability, remember there is opportunity. The opportunity to succeed, to achieve and to overcome. The opportunity to make a positive impact and to move forward with ambition,” said Webber, who earned her Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Digital Marketing.

Rey Emmanuel Sentina, graduate student speaker on May 7 and recipient of a Master of Arts in Higher Education, reflected on identity and self-worth:

“Through my journey at Montclair – through learning, working and growing – I’ve come to realize that I’m not ‘just’ anything. I’m a leader. I’m a practitioner. I’m not a nobody. We are not nobodies,” he said. “Each of us holds many roles in our lives and communities – and none of them are small.”

Student Government Association President Mikayla Houston encouraged her peers to recognize their strengths:

“Believe in your power to shape the world, to break new ground, and to uplift those around you. The future is not just something we enter – it is something we create.”

Among the graduating class are inspiring stories of hope, grit and purpose:

• An Anthropology major who overcame a near-fatal illness and now uses research to amplify underrepresented voices and reclaim forgotten histories.
• A classically trained singer who found purpose in music therapy, inspired by her grandmother’s journey with Alzheimer’s.
• Two preschool classmates with hearing loss who earned doctoral degrees in Audiology and now advocate for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
• An Olympian and Army veteran graduating with honors in Sports Communication, ready to inspire through athletics and storytelling.
• A Molecular Biology graduate student, supported by scholarships and faculty mentorship, on a mission to revolutionize cancer treatment.
• A first-generation Bloomfield College of Montclair State University student who turned a childhood love of gaming into a NASA internship and a future in educational technology.
• A Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate and entrepreneur who built a successful sportswear brand from his dorm room – designing uniforms, mentoring peers and investing in his community.

“What will sustain you in the years ahead?” Koppell asked the graduates. “It matters – because you are graduating at a pivotal moment in our nation’s history. You will help define what the United States of America will be.”

Celebrate With Us

Watch the replay for May 7 (English | Español) or May 8 (English | Español)