SJC Brooklyn for the first time since 2007 will host commencement at its picturesque campus in Clinton Hill on Saturday, May 22.
More than 270 members of the campus’ Class of 2021 will graduate and celebrate their accomplishments during four socially distant ceremonies, with start times ranging from 10 am. to 4 p.m. Members of the campus’ Class of 2020 — who were unable to celebrate an in-person commencement due to the dangerous conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic — were invited to participate in this year’s ceremonies.
Three of the ceremonies will take place under a large event tent outside the Dillon Child Study Center. The fourth ceremony will occur inside The Hill Center. The in-person commencement events are closed to the public and only registered attendees may participate.
Class of 2021 Valedictorian Rachel Rocha, a marketing major with a minor in business administration and a concentration in sports management, will help kick-start the excitement on Thursday night, May 20, with a speech during Student Life’s virtual Toast to the Graduates. Rocha beams with pride as she talks about her class’ ability to persevere and finish their degrees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We couldn’t be more excited for our graduates from the Classes of 2020 and 2021, whose resilience over the last 15 months allowed them to reach this fantastic milestone,” said Shantey Hill-Hanna, St. Joseph’s vice president for student life and campus services.
Rocha and her fellow graduates at Saturday’s ceremonies will hear encouraging words from St. Joseph’s College President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D.; Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Robert Riley, Ph.D.; and SJC Board of Trustees Chair Christopher R. Carroll ’88, Esq.
Registered attendees, including graduates, will need to submit proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 PCR test, and must fill out a health screening questionnaire. Face masks and social distancing are mandatory at the events.
Click here for more information about SJC Brooklyn’s 102nd annual commencement exercises.
