live streamed and recorded<\/a> so those who cannot attend can watch remotely. Some of the University\u2019s schools and colleges held virtual graduation celebrations in May when 4,380 degrees were conferred.<\/p>\n\u201cI really appreciate the fact that Montclair is giving us the opportunity to have an in-person ceremony. Although it\u2019ll be a little different than we pictured, I\u2019m excited to walk with my friends,\u201d says Stephanie Pitera who earned her master\u2019s in Public and Organizational Relations from the College of the Arts. \u201cI think it was a really great idea to have a week of ceremonies. This way we can celebrate and stay safe at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n
The initial 23 outdoor commencement ceremonies on Sprague Field were made possible once New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy raised the limit on outdoor events to 500 people. With one day\u2019s small ceremonies postponed and combined because of weather, the University reduced the number to 21 ceremonies still under the governor\u2019s guidelines, all spaced out with time between each one for spray sanitation of the stadium, with the last ceremonies scheduled for Friday, July, 24<\/p>\n
“I would like to feel celebrated”<\/h2>\n
While not all graduates chose to attend the ceremonies, those who opted to participate are enthusiastic and thankful for the opportunity to celebrate.<\/p>\n
Due to the mandatory quarantine for travelers, Coldin Grundmeyer\u2019s parents from New Orleans weren\u2019t able to make the ceremony, but Grundmeyer says he wouldn\u2019t miss it for the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like it\u2019s a memory you can\u2019t really replace,\u201d he says. \u201cEven during these crazy times I feel that it\u2019ll be very special to see my friends and people I saw in the halls all those years to receive the recognition they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grundmeyer, who earned a BFA in Acting and Musical Theatre, will stay in the New York City area to pursue his acting career while also attending Georgetown University for a master\u2019s degree in Sports Management.<\/p>\n
JoAnn Vespucci has waited more than 20 years to celebrate this moment. After transferring to Montclair State as an undeclared student in 1996, she\u2019s taken one class at a time to fit her schedule and budget.<\/p>\n
After taking some psychology classes, Vespucci knew she found her calling.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a twin sister who began to suffer depression at the age of 16. Early in her adult life she was diagnosed with clinical depression, and it has been a difficult road for her on and off. All I wanted to do was understand. I hated to see her struggling just to smile,\u201d Vespucci says. \u201cAs time went on and the more psychology classes I took, I learned and I began to understand more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vespucci\u2019s twin sister was in the bleachers, cheering her on as she accepted her bachelor\u2019s degree in Psychology.<\/p>\n
It takes a village<\/h2>\n
If no one has taken longer than Vespucci, no one has traveled farther than Fatimata Diabate, who earned her bachelor’s in Public Health. Born in the United States, she spent part of her childhood in West Africa, returning to start school at age 8. Diabate was first rejected by Montclair but called to ask what she could do to make herself a better candidate. Her persistence landed her a spot in the Educational Opportunity Fund program \u2013 as the first member of her family to step foot on a college campus.<\/p>\n
Diabate was a student speaker at the three ceremonies for the College of Education and Human Services.<\/p>\n