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Colorful orange and black streamers capped the celebrations in Wightman Stadium on campus as William Paterson University awarded nearly 1,500 doctoral and master’s degrees during two Graduate Commencement ceremonies on May 21.
Graduates of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and the College of Science and Health were recognized during a morning ceremony. Costakos College of Business and College of Education graduates participated in an evening ceremony.
This year’s ceremonies included two graduates who were awarded doctor of nursing practice degrees, 11 candidates who were awarded doctor of education in leadership degrees, and 10 who earned doctor of psychology degrees in clinical psychology. The graduates hail from 16 states and 56 countries and included 19 veterans and active-duty service members.
President Richard J. Helldobler gave remarks at each ceremony. He left the graduates with what he called “Helldobler’s last lesson,” stating, “Of all the successful people I have had the privilege of meeting in my life, not a single one has ever attributed that success to material things. Instead, they credited a person—whether a family member, professor, mentor, or all of the above. So, be sure to nurture those relationships and remind those people of what they mean to you. And strive to be that person for others.”
He urged them to remember what kindness, caring, dignity, and integrity look and feel like. “While I am confident our faculty have prepared you to be successful in your career pursuits, we also, above all, want you to be good humans to your family, your neighbors, and those who look, worship, and love differently than you do. As our spirit song lyrics state, ‘l’ll stand for you, and you will stand for me as William Paterson Pioneers.’”
Amanosi Agbugui, who earned a doctor of psychology degree, served as the graduate student speaker at the morning ceremony. She spoke about the spirit of collaboration that she felt in her program.
“While still acknowledging each of our individual differences, the shared experiences reveal mutual understandings. The recognition that in our own contexts, many of us are pioneers, perhaps even on the same journey,” she said. “The spirit of ‘lifting one another as we climb’ grounded me in my journey, inside and out of the classrooms. It is the support of my classmates, faculty, family, friends, colleagues, supervisors, church, professional organizations… my community that encouraged a pioneer adventure.”
Agbugui encouraged her fellow graduates to continue to seek moments of connection. “From this journey, I hope we all will be brave enough to continue to go first and generous enough to bring others with us,” she continued. “Take advantage of those seemingly small moments of connection because there lies a seed to be planted. Tell your story and listen to someone else’s. Be still and offer support. Lead and follow. Live at that intersection of community and pioneering.” Agbugui will continue her training as a postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Autism Services, Science, and Innovation at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
The evening ceremony speaker was Marc Medley ’80, MEd ‘84, who earned a doctor of education degree in leadership. A graduate of William Paterson with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in educational leadership, he is a principal in the Paterson Public School system.
Medley noted that the graduates represented two powerful forces in society: those who shape minds and those who shape systems. “Educators build the future one student at a time. Business leaders shape the structures, opportunities, and innovations that define our world,” he said. “And yet, despite these different paths, at the intersection of both fields lies a deeper responsibility—one that goes beyond knowledge and skill. We share a common purpose.”
He recalled President John F. Kennedy’s 1963 commencement address at American University, during which the president challenged the graduates to seek genuine peace that would build a better life for their children. “Graduates, that ‘better life’ is now in our hands. In classrooms where students are searching for direction; in boardrooms where decisions impact communities; in conversations where voices need to be heard,” he said. “We are the ones who will create environments where people can grow, hope, and thrive.”
“But let us be clear—this work will not always be easy,” Medley added. “There will be moments when progress feels slow. Moments when your voice is challenged. Moments when the weight of responsibility feels overwhelming. In those moments, remember this: You have already done something difficult. You chose growth when comfort was an option. You chose discipline when excuses were available. You chose purpose when distraction was everywhere. That same resilience will carry you forward.”
The graduates, including many who earned degrees fully online through the University’s WP Online platform, processed from tents on the Practice Field through festive arches of black and orange balloons to Wightman Stadium. Nearly 4,000 family and friends filled the stadium for each ceremony.
