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HCCC’s 50th Anniversary celebration continues on October 18th with the College’s first ever Homecoming Open House Block Party.

October 14, 2025, Jersey City, NJ – Each fall, colleges around the country welcome back students, alumni, and neighbors for the time-honored tradition of homecoming. This year, Hudson County Community College (HCCC) is hosting its own edition of this fall favorite for the first time, creating a new tradition for its growing community. HCCC is proud to invite students, future students, alumni, and community members to its first ever Homecoming Block Party on Saturday, October 18, 2025, as part of the College’s 50th Anniversary celebration, Fifty and Forward, which will also feature the Fall Open House.   

The festivities will take place from 10 AM to 3 PM at the Culinary Conference Center and Culinary Plaza Park at HCCC’s Journal Square Campus, bringing the community together for a day filled with music, performances, art, and reflection on five decades of growth and achievement.

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  Hudson County Community College will graduate its largest class ever at their 48th Annual Commencement Ceremony on May 21, 2025 at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

The Class of 2025 is the largest in the College’s History.

  Hudson County Community College (HCCC) will celebrate the academic achievements of more than 1,550 students at the College’s 48th Annual Commencement ceremonies. The event will be held on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 10 a.m. at Sports Illustrated Stadium, 600 Cape May Street in Harrison, NJ.  The College expects approximately 7,000 graduates, family members, faculty, staff, trustees, and guests to attend.

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Assemblywoman Barbara McCann Stamato (D) who represents the 31st Legislative District strongly condemned the state’s proposed $4 million cut to Jersey City schools, criticizing the ongoing underfunding of the city’s education system. The proposal comes at a time when Bayonne, another historically underfunded district, still requires additional resources to meet the needs of its students.

“Budgets are about priorities, and by cutting another $4 million from Jersey City schools, the state is once again showing that our students and teachers are not a high priority,” said Assemblywoman Barbara McCann Stamato. “This decision undermines the progress we’ve worked so hard to make in improving our schools, and it is especially damaging for Jersey City’s students, who already face significant challenges. At the same time, we must not forget that Bayonne, another district in need, continues to be underfunded and should be a focus of additional investment, not cuts.”

As a strong advocate for education, Assemblywoman McCann Stamato is committed to taking action to restore this critical funding. “As a member of the State Assembly, I will do everything I can to ensure these cuts are reversed. Our schools deserve adequate funding, and our students must have the necessary resources to succeed.”

Assemblywoman McCann Stamato has also made it clear that if these cuts are not restored, she will not support the State Budget. “We cannot allow these cuts to stand. If the state does not prioritize our students and their education, I will not support the state’s budget.”

Assemblywoman McCann Stamato remains committed to fighting for fair and equitable funding for Jersey City schools, Bayonne, and all schools across New Jersey, advocating for policies that ensure every child has access to a high-quality education.

About Assemblywoman Barbara McCann Stamato:

njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/484/assemblywoman-mccann-stamato
Assemblywoman Barbara McCann Stamato represents Legislative District 31 in the New Jersey State Assembly, where she works tirelessly to advocate for fair education funding, economic justice, and policies that support the well-being of her constituents and their families.

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Buddy Baseball group at City Council Meeting:  Bayonne Recreation Superintendent Pete Amadeo (at far right of photo) was joined by Buddy Baseball players and supporters at the Bayonne City Council meeting on August 14.  The Council awarded a contract for upgrades to the 11^th Street Oval, the location of Bayonne’s Buddy Baseball games.

          At its meeting on August 14, the Bayonne City Council awarded a $2.4 million contract for upgrades to the 11^th Street Oval, a playing field located on Avenue E.  The contractor with the successful bid is Picerno-Giordano of Kenilworth.  The project aims to create an appropriate facility for Buddy Baseball, a program for children with special needs.   The upgrades will include a new playing area, dugouts, bleachers, fencing, and handicap access to and from the field and playground.

Mayor Jimmy Davis said, “I am very excited that construction will start soon on transforming the 11th Street Field into a Field of Dreams for our great Buddy Baseball program.  I want to thank our Congressional representatives, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, the Hudson County Open Space Fund, and local developers for providing the funding for this $2.4 million project.  I look forward to the completion of this important facility for our special needs kids.”

At the Council meeting, Recreation Superintendent Pete Amadeo spoke to the Council Members about Buddy Baseball.  He thanked all of the levels of government that worked in partnership to fund the upgrades to the 11^th Street Oval.  Several of the Buddy Baseball players accompanied him at the meeting.  All of the City Council Members and several other Bayonne officials waved with foam fingers to show their support for Buddy Baseball.  City Planner Suzanne Mack stressed the importance of providing opportunities to special needs children, saying, “It changes their lives.”  Francesca Giarratana, Chair of the Hudson County Open Space Committee, represented the county at the meeting. 

The Buddy Baseball League, a program in Bayonne’s Recreation Division, began in 2015.  It is a program for Bayonne’s developmentally and physically challenged youth, helping them to enjoy the full benefits of baseball in an athletic environment structured to their abilities.  Buddy Baseball teaches the players baseball and softball, teamwork, sportsmanship, and fair play.  It also offers them the chance to socialize while strengthening their self-esteem. 

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Pictured here: architectural renderings of aerial and street views of Hudson County Community College Center for Student Success now under construction in the Journal Square area of Jersey City, NJ.

June 18th Groundbreaking for Journal Square Campus Tower which will house a gymnasium, theater, classrooms, conference rooms, offices, and much more.

Hudson County Community College (HCCC) pioneered the urban campus concept by integrating learning environments, cultural spaces, public areas, and workplaces within Jersey City’s Journal Square, the heart of Hudson County, New Jersey. In establishing the Journal Square Campus, the College became an essential part of the neighborhood that engages and serves the County’s residents and businesses where they live and has been the catalyst for the area’s development.

At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 18 the College l hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the HCCC Center for Student Success at 2 Enos Place in Jersey City, New Jersey. HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber and Trustee Pamela Gardner will welcome Hudson County Executive Craig Guy and other elected officials as well as representatives of the Hudson County Building and Construction Trades Council and labor leaders, and HCCC students, cabinet members, faculty, and staff.

Dr. Reber said that growing a campus embedded in one of the nation’s most densely populated areas poses unique challenges and that the College was keenly aware of its overarching need to serve as a good steward of the neighborhood.

“The Center for Student Success was designed to centralize and consolidate all of our student services in one convenient location and complement the architecture of the surrounding area. It is the final segment of the Hudson County Community College Facilities Master Plan,” Dr. Reber stated. “The County of Hudson has partnered with us through every step of our development so that we may provide our neighbors with the very best academic experiences possible. We are thankful for the ongoing support of County Executive Craig Guy, former County Executive Thomas DeGise, and the Hudson County Board of Commissioners.”

“This project will serve thousands of students here at Hudson County Community College. The HCCC Center for Student Success will be the epicenter of study, creativity, activity, and collaboration between students and the surrounding communities,” said Hudson County Executive Craig Guy. “Through this new Center for Student Success, HCCC and the County continue to work together to ensure everyone has equal opportunities to excel in their chosen field and drive economic development in the area.”

The eleven-story Center for Student Success, a 153,186 square-foot, mixed-use tower, is being constructed one block from the Journal Square PATH station on an existing HCCC-owned parking lot. It will replace several of the College’s small, segregated, and aging buildings. The tower plans include 24 classrooms; expanded student services areas; student common spaces; full-size National College Athletics Association (NCAA) gymnasium; fitness center; black-box theater; health sciences laboratories; 85 offices; eight conference rooms; a “University Center” for sister colleges and partners to offer baccalaureate instruction; and much more.

The HCCC Center for Student Success construction utilizes the newest and most environmentally sustainable materials and systems. A Project Labor Agreement assures that organized labor will be well represented on-site during construction. The grand opening is scheduled for Fall 2026.

Funding for the $96.3 million tower is supplied by proceeds from the sale of HCCC properties and the College’s reserve funds; the County of Hudson; and the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE), among others. 

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NJ Senate President Nicholas Scutari will deliver the keynote speech; Valedictorian Sally Elwir will address fellow graduates and their guests. Hudson County Community College (HCCC) will hold its 46th  Commencement Ceremony on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at 10:45 a.m. at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. Approximately 1,500 graduates, a college record, will be joined by family, friends, elected officials, the Collegeâ€s Trustees, as well as HCCC faculty and staff. New Jersey Senate President Nicholas Scutari will deliver the keynote address, and Sally Elwir will deliver valedictory remarks. Among the graduates, there will be 13 students from Hudson County High School who completed their associate degrees while still attending high school. There are also nine graduates who are incarcerated or reentry citizens.  “As members of the Class of 2023 embark upon the next chapters of their lives, we know they will continue to demonstrate the fortitude, perseverance, and leadership that brought them success as HCCC students,” said HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber. “We look forward to celebrating them and their families.”  Representing the 22nd District, New Jersey State Senator Nicholas Scutari is a strong education proponent. He co-sponsored the New Jersey STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Scholars Grant Pilot Program which builds upon existing STEM educational programs and creates new ones. Senator Scutari received his undergraduate degree from Kean College (now Kean University), his Masterâ€s degree from Rutgers University, and his law degree from the Thomas Cooley Law School at Western Michigan University. Currently the President of the New Jersey Senate, he serves as Chair of the Joint State Leasing and Space Utilization Committee.  HCCC Class of 2023 Valedictorian Sally Elwir is a Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Semifinalist who will receive her Associate in Science (A.S.) degree in Criminal Justice. She is President of the HCCC Student Government Association and Vice President of the Beta Alpha Phi Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) International Honor Society. Ms. Elwir is a frequent speaker at HCCC Town Hall and Board of Trustees meetings. She interned for the Hudson County Prosecutorâ€s Office and volunteered for “Itâ€s On Us,” an advocacy group dedicated to combatting sexual assault.  “I feel strongly about public safety and ensuring that peopleâ€s concerns are taken seriously. It is important that someone in the criminal justice field fight for social justice from the government and for the people, which I am confident in doing,” Ms. Elwir said. Coming from a large family of Middle Eastern descent, Ms. Elwir speaks English and Arabic. She participated in a federal work-study program and serves on the HCCC JED Campus Team, supported by the nonprofit JED Foundation, an organization that helps protect emotional health and prevent suicide among teens and young adults. She is also a member of the HCCC Student Affairs Committee of the All College Council (the HCCC participatory governance organization), and Student Conduct Board. She volunteers for the Hudson Helps Resource Center and Hope House, an emergency shelter for homeless women with children; and works for HCCCâ€s Office of Student Life and Leadership. Additionally, Elwir has served as an HCCC College Student Success Mentor. #   #   #About Hudson County Community College Hudson County Community College serves more than 18,000 credit and non-credit students annually. The College offers nearly 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. 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 Collegeâ€s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has been recognized with the 2021 Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Northeast Region Equity Award; the “INSIGHT Into Diversity” 2021 and 2022 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, this year honoring HCCC as one of seven community colleges nationally to be named “Top Colleges for Diversity;” and the “INSIGHT Into Diversity” 2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award. HCCC was a finalist last year for the American Association of Community Colleges†(AACC) “Advancing Diversity Award of Excellence.” For the second consecutive year, HCCC was selected as one of 20 community colleges in the United States to be named among the “2023 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges” by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) in collaboration with “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.” The College 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 2022 “Great College to Work For® You.”  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 Collegeâ€s cutting-edge “Hudson Scholars” program.  The Collegeâ€s exemplary work in advancing student success has been recognized with the 2023 “Leader College” designation by Achieving the Dream, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community colleges as catalysts for equity and mobility in their communities. HCCC was also presented with the Campus Prevention Network Seal of Prevention by Vector Solutions for demonstrating leadership in digital prevention programming focused on student safety, well-being, and inclusion.

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