Attendees are invited to join in a memorable encounter with Luke, a local star who has graced the screen with powerful performances and inspiring authenticity. HCCC Trustee Emeritus Bakari G. Lee, Esq. will moderate a 4:00 fireside chat, “From Jersey City to the World,” at HCCC’s Gabert Library.

The free event is open to HCCC students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the entire community. Additional Program Highlights on Tuesday, September 9:

• The celebration begins at 2:00 PM with pre-event photos and giveaways at the Gabert Library, followed by a formal program at 2:30 PM featuring remarks from HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber, Hudson County Executive Craig Guy, and other esteemed voices, plus the unveiling of a special ceremonial time capsule.
  
• From 3:00 to 5:30 PM, the Library, Student Center, and Culinary Park will host an array of other fun events for the whole family, including interactive games, signature wall and photo stations, music, refreshments, and much more.
  
• Then, the festivities culminate at Culinary Park with a Dance Party & Champagne Toast (5:00–7:00 PM), featuring DJ Prince Hakim, a special video message from Jersey City’s own Robert “Kool” Bell, founding member of Kool & the Gang, and a celebratory raffle for signed bottles of Le Kool Champagne.
  

HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber states, “We are honored to welcome Derek Luke back to Jersey City and to our Journal Square campus for this historic celebration. His remarkable career and  deep Jersey City roots make him a symbol of achievement and purpose, perfectly reflecting the journey and aspirations of our College community.”

To learn more about HCCC’s yearlong “Fifty and Forward!” celebration, please visit https://www.hccc.edu/50th/index.html

To register for the kickoff celebration and other 50th anniversary events, please visit https://www.hccc.edu/50th/events/index.html

About Hudson County Community College

Hudson County Community College serves 23,000 credit and non-credit students annually. The College offers more than 90 degree and certificate programs, including award-winning English as a Second Language; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management; Nursing and Health Professions; and Humanities and Social Sciences. The HCCC Culinary/Hospitality Management program was ranked number six in the U.S. by Best Choice Schools. The College’s School of Continuing Education and Workforce Development offers cutting-edge, industry-recognized, stackable credentials in alignment with high-priority workforce needs.

HCCC has partnerships with major four-year colleges and universities in the greater New Jersey-New York area and beyond, accommodating seamless transfer of credits for further undergraduate and graduate education.

The College has received dozens of national awards throughout the years. HCCC was a finalist in seven categories of last year’s American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) national “Awards of Excellence” and earned 2024 CEO of the Year, Faculty of the Year, and Student Success Awards. In 2023, HCCC received the Outstanding Member Institution Award from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU).

For the fifth consecutive year, HCCC was selected as one of only a few community colleges in the United States to be named one of the “2025 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges” by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD). HCCC was one of 22 community colleges in the nation, and the only college in New Jersey, to be recognized by ModernThink LLC and the “Chronicle of Higher Education” as a 2025, 2024, 2023 and 2022 “Great College to Work For®” and named to the 2024 and 2023 “Great Colleges Honor Roll of Distinction.”

HCCC is one of two colleges in the United States to be named a Top Ten Finalist in all three program categories for the nationally recognized 2023 Bellwether Awards, and received the 2023 Bellwether Award for the College’s cutting-edge “Hudson Scholars” program, which also won the 2024 Bellwether Legacy Award. 

The College’s exemplary work in advancing student success has been recognized with 2025, 2024 and 2023 “Leader College of Distinction” designation by Achieving the Dream, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community colleges as catalysts for equity and mobility in their communities. The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) named the College the sole recipient of the 2025 ACCT Northeast Regional Impact and Success, and Faculty Member Awards. HCCC also earned the Campus Prevention Network Seal of Prevention in 2024 and 2023 for demonstrating leadership in digital prevention programming focused on student safety, well-being, and inclusion.