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Brian Wheeler ’22 of Wayne, New Jersey, served as the student speaker for William Paterson University’s 2022 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on May 18 at the Prudential Center in Newark. He earned a bachelor of science degree in marketing, summa cum laude, with a minor in economics.
In 2020, University officials decided to rotate the selection of undergraduate and graduate commencement speakers through William Paterson’s four colleges. Students were selected by their respective college deans from among their highest-achieving graduates.
During his address, Wheeler talked about the community that he found on campus. “My story after high school led me to William Paterson, where I was able to involve myself on campus thanks to this community who welcomed me with open arms,” he said.
He urged the graduates to remember that their stories continue after graduation, and encouraged them to “follow your heart, intuitions, and passions. Chase them. Be relentless, be obsessive, be resilient. Let everything else be secondary.”
Wheeler was the founder and president of the Data Analytics and Science Club, the first data-oriented student club on campus. He also served as technology consultant to the Global Business and Finance Institute in the Cotsakos College of Business, assisting faculty and students with the sophisticated hardware and software platforms in the Financial Learning Center, and worked as a technology assistant in the Department of Information Technology on campus, providing technical support to the campus community.
A Dean’s List student, Wheeler completed the Business Track in the University’s Honors College, conducting research on the role of data visualization in decision making. He received the University Honors College Scholarship as well as the Trustee Scholarship, which recognizes high-achieving students for their academic accomplishments.
