Hudson County Community College’s Class of 2013

 

JERSEY CITY, N.J. / May 15, 2013 — Hudson County Community College President Dr. Glen Gabert announced that David Tadros of Bayonne has been chosen as Valedictorian for the College’s Class of 2013.

 David Tadros is not what many people would consider a “traditional” college student, insomuch as he is older — 26 years of age — and had postponed pursuing a college education until just two years ago. What’s more, he is “surprised” by the fact that he has been chosen as Valedictorian, despite the fact that he carried a 4.0 grade-point average throughout the two years he was studying at the College.

 The son of Egyptian immigrants, Mr. Tadros states that he was “a bad student in high school,” earning mostly C’s and D’s.

 After losing his job and not being able to find full-time work in 2011, Tadros decided to attend Hudson County Community College, and began working towards his Associate of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts – English. In addition to working part-time in the College’s student labs, he resurrected the College’s student newspaper, The Orator, and served as that publication’s Editor. Mr. Tadros was a member of Beta Alpha Phi, the College’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa international honor society, and was involved in a number of community projects as well as Co-Vice President of Communications. In addition, he was presented with first prize in Arts & Entertainment/Critical Writing, two-year college category, from the New Jersey Collegiate Press Association 2012-13 College Newspaper Contest for his review of “Assassin’s Creed 3,” a video game.

 Mr. Tadros credits one of his professors — Deborah Kanter — for his academic success, stating, “She gave me the confidence I didn’t have. She nurtured and honed my writing skills.”

 He also applauds his fellow students for their accomplishments: “I look up to the students who are parents and had to work and raise a family (while studying). I didn’t have too much to worry about; I only worked part-time. They deserve the praise.”

 After graduating, Mr. Tadros – who currently works full-time in Bayonne – will attend Rutgers University – New Brunswick and study journalism on scholarship. He states that if he should pursue a Master’s degree, it will be at Columbia University, and that he would love to move to San Francisco and write about video games.