Wes Moore, best-selling author, Robin Hood CEO, and noted entrepreneur,
to deliver the keynote address; Pedro Moranchel named Valedictorian.
May 20, 2021, Jersey City, NJ – Hudson County Community College (HCCC) will honor graduates with a combination of virtual and in-person 2021 Commencement celebrations. They include the Virtual Commencement that will premiere on Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 12 p.m. on YouTube; and in-person Grad Walk events Monday, May 24 through Thursday, May 27, 2021 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 4 to 6 p.m., at the HCCC Culinary Conference Center, 161 Newkirk Street in Jersey City.
“We worked diligently to ensure that the May 2021 Commencement experience will be exciting, celebratory, and, above all, safe for our graduates, their families, and the entire community,” said HCCC President Dr. Chris Reber. The format for the events was determined utilizing information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE), and input from a survey of graduating HCCC students.
The pre-recorded Virtual Commencement will feature speeches and customized slides for graduates. The speakers include Dr. Reber; HCCC 2021 Valedictorian Pedro Moranchel; and entrepreneur, veteran, best-selling author, and CEO of Robin Hood, Wes Moore, who will deliver the keynote address. Robin Hood is one of the largest anti-poverty forces in the nation.
The optional Grad Walk events will allow members of the HCCC Class of 2021, as well as those who graduated in 2019-2020, to celebrate in cap-and-gown with up to three guests each. Graduates will process across the stage in the HCCC Culinary Conference Center Banquet Room, where they will be cheered on by a small group of faculty and staff. Each graduate will have the opportunity for traditional diploma photos.
The Grad Walk events will be live-streamed. Participants will be required to wear masks and observe social distancing. The schedule includes:
- HCCC Divisions of Business, Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management; and English and ESL, on Monday, May 24, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 4 to 6 p.m.
- HCCC Division of Humanities and Social Sciences on Tuesday, May 25, 11 a.m. to
1 p.m., and 4 to 6 p.m.
- HCCC Divisions of Nursing and Health Sciences; and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), on Wednesday, May 26, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 4 to 6 p.m.
- All Divisions on Thursday, May 27, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 4 to 6 p.m. Early College graduates will also be featured during the day’s 4 to 6 p.m. event.
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About Hudson County Community College
Hudson County Community College serves more than 18,000 credit and non-credit students annually. The College offers more than 60 degree and certificate programs, including award-winning English as a Second Language, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management, Nursing and Health Sciences, and Fine and Performing Arts. The HCCC Culinary/Hospitality Management program was ranked number six in the U.S. by Best Choice Schools. Over 94% of HCCC Nursing program graduates passed the NCLEX first time out, placing the program’s graduates in the top tier of two- and four-year nursing programs nationwide. In 2017, the Equality of Opportunity Project ranked HCCC in the top 5% of 2,200 U.S. higher education institutions for social mobility.
HCCC has partnerships with every major four-year college and university in the greater New Jersey-New York area and beyond, accommodating seamless transfer of credits for further undergraduate and graduate education.
