The ceremony was the first for college President Dr. Jianping Wang, who spoke about the American Dream.
WEST WINDSOR -- 1,188 Mercer County Community College students were handed diplomas during commencement Thursday evening on campus.
That number was the highest on record for the college in its 49 year history.
The ceremony was the first for college President Dr. Jianping Wang, who spoke about the American Dream during an address to the students.
Wang described how she was born in China, "at the time girls were not valued, let alone given opportunities to go to college."
Her first paid job in the United States was at a McDonald's and she completed graduate studies with the help of scholarships and part-time jobs while raising two children as a single parent, she said.
"You have similar stories," Wang said. "Many of you came from faraway places. You have faced substantial social, economic, and cultural challenges. You have to manage work, care for children, manage a household, and care for family members while pursuing an education."
It is not easy, but you did not quit," the president said. "You persisted and here you are, celebrating a major milestone of your journey of achieving your American Dream."
Marsha Stoltman, a 1981 alumnus and owner of The Stoltman Group, a corporate event planning business in Hamilton, delivered the keynote address.
She challenged the graduates to follow their dreams and passions.
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"You know the old saying - 'Do what you love, and you will never work another day in your life,' there is a great deal of truth in that statement," Stoltman said. "And I also challenge you to work harder than everyone else, to surround yourself with people smarter than you, and to be nice.
"Nobody likes a bully, and bullies always lose in the end," she said.
The student speaker was Gabriel Matt, an 11-year U.S. Army veteran who earned a degree in engineering science.
In a statement, the college praised Matt, saying the Hamilton resident was diagnosed with dyslexia and other learning issues at a young age and was told that he would not go far in life.
"Flash forward several decades and Matt has proven the early predictions very wrong, thanks to his tremendous work ethic, a strong spirit, a solid support system, and his service dog, Louie," the college's statement said.
After serving in the Army for 11 years - which included two deployments to the Middle East, multiple injuries and rehabilitation - Matt is graduating with 3.25 grade point average and plans to transfer to Rutgers University in the fall.
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