“We are ready for what's next” —Cassandra Hoy
The Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences bid farewell to the Class of 2025 during convocation ceremonies that filled Jersey Mike’s Arena four times and featured student speakers whose reflections on challenges and hard-won triumphs hit home with their classmates.
“Some of us are first-generation graduates, some of us worked multiple jobs to be here, and some of us had to fight battles that no one else could see,” said Cassandra Hoy, one of four student speakers representing the graduates. “But no matter our path, no matter how much we wanted to give up, no matter how far away graduation felt, we are here.
“We are deserving, we do belong, and we are ready for what’s next.”
The School of Arts and Sciences is Rutgers University’s largest and most comprehensive school, with a graduating class this year of more than 5,300. The school’s four convocation ceremonies on May 17 and 20 drew more than 3,500 students to the Livingston Campus arena.
“Today is a day of celebration, a day of reflection, and a day of gratitude,” SAS Executive Dean Juli Wade said, gazing out over the scarlet assemblage of seniors on the floor and the cheering families that filled the arena to the uppermost rows. “These past few years have tested us all in profound ways, and you persevered.”
Perseverance was a reoccurring theme throughout the ceremonies.
Mohammad Yosuf Ayni, the speaker for Tuesday morning's convocation, spoke of how he found a new life at Rutgers after fleeing Afghanistan.
“Four years ago, I arrived at Rutgers carrying the weight of a past shaped by displacement, by the necessity of survival, and by the hope of a brighter future,” Ayni said. “Forced to leave everything I knew behind, I found myself in an unfamiliar world, first in Iraq, and then here, at Rutgers.”
At Rutgers, he channeled his difficult past into a drive to help others. He earned a degree in political science and plans to work for non-profits helping to settle refugees in the U.S.
“I have come to learn to build bridges and to promote change,” he said in his speech. “I learned that our stories have the power to bridge divides, to inspire, and to create change.”
The Class of 2025 included around 400 international students, and nearly 1,500 first-generation college students. Students came from 30 states and 50 countries. Two students completed four majors, 25 students completed three majors and 676 completed two majors.
The graduates are headed off in an array of directions, including medical school, law school, and graduate studies across the academic spectrum. Graduates are also taking positions in government, the tech industry, arts and entertainment, education, journalism, finance, non-profits, healthcare, and other fields.
English major Ryleigh Ann Arlen plans to study fantasy literature at the University of Glasgow and eventually become a college professor. Her aunt, Linda Arlen Gordon, stood beside her outside the arena before the ceremony, taking in the moment.
"In our immediate family, I have been the only college graduate," Gordon said. "I came from the Jersey Shore to be here because it's a wonderful, amazing day for our family."
Madeleine Armstrong, a double major in economics and political science, is going to work as a financial statistics analyst for the Federal Reserve.
"The classes were amazing, and that was the best part of being here," she said.
Hoy, one of the student speakers, plans to become a trauma counselor. She's already working on a master’s degree in applied psychology through a five-year program. During her remarks, she thanked her family for rallying behind her after she left high school at the age of 16.
“I would have never thought I would be up here right now . . . if they had not given me the confidence to overcome my doubts and get my GED at 17, and if they were not tenaciously pushing me to give education, and myself, another chance at 18,” she said. “Thank you for always believing in me.”
Krina Patel, the student speaker at Saturday afternoon’s ceremony, reminded everyone how their undergraduate career began in the uncertainty of the pandemic.
“We carried those bottles of sanitizer, packs of masks, and lessons of resilience and perseverance into college, where new challenges awaited us,” she said. “But through it all, we pushed forward.”
Speaking at the first ceremony Saturday morning, Maksims Kurjanovics Kravcenko struck a timeless Scarlet theme: Finding community and companionship at Rutgers. It all started, he said, when a classmate asked him for help on a project, which led him to the campus hangout space for computer science students, the Coding & Social Lounge.
“From there, I met mentors, teammates, lifelong friends, and, at one point, a partner,” he said. “For the first time, I wasn’t fitting in—I was just existing. And that was enough.”
Kravcenko, a computer science major, went on to become a noted advocate for first-generation students.
“Success is measured not just by what we achieve, but by who we lift along the way,” he said at the conclusion of his speech. “And Rutgers? It will always be a part of us. No matter how far we go, we are forever bound to the place that shaped us and the people who made it home."
In the section below, meet a small but representative sample of students from the School of Arts and Sciences Class of 2025
Aqsa Anis
Aqsa AnisHometown: Piscataway, NJ
Major: Cell biology and neuroscience and psychology
Plans after graduation: I am planning on working as a medical scribe and then planning to go to medical school.
What I will miss the most about Rutgers: Rutgers is a very diverse university, and I will really miss that. I have met kids and students from all different types of backgrounds, countries, and cultures. I love learning about their cultures and how they adapt to the environment.
Ryleigh Ann Arlen
Ryleigh Ann ArlenHometown: Levittown, PA
Major: English with a minor in comparative literature
Plans after graduation: My plan is to go to graduate school. I have plans to go to the university of Glasgow and study fantasy literature, and then I want to come back and teach higher education. I want to become a college professor.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: My friends, the downtime, and studying together. But I really think I am going to miss my faculty. They were always encouraging me in the right directions. If I had an idea, they would encourage me and say, ‘hey, maybe try this avenue.’
Madeleine Armstrong
Madeleine ArmstrongHometown: Cherry Hill, NJ
Major: Economics and Political Science
Plans after graduation: I am going to work for the Federal Reserve as a financial statistics analyst in the Philadelphia office.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: Definitely my friends, and professors. The classes were amazing, and that was the best part of being here.
Mohammad Yosuf Ayni
Mohammad Yosuf AyniHometown: Afghanistan
Major: Political science with a minor in critical intelligence studies
Plans after graduation: I am working with nonprofit organizations including Interfaith-RISE to help recent refugees to the United States. We work with them on employment, language, and healthcare, and anything related to improving their lives here.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: The community that we have. I came here from Afghanistan, where the sudden shift of history forced me to leave everything I knew behind. Here at Rutgers, I found that I was not defined by where I came from, but by the potential of what I could become. I will miss this wonderful community, the great people and the resources.
Alex J. Bernstein
Alex BernsteinHometown: Burlington County, NJ
Major: Criminal justice with a minor in creative writing
Plans after graduation: I plan on attending law school. I look forward to taking the skills I have learned at Rutgers and applying them to my future career.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: I am going to miss the people and the many adventures Rutgers has to offer. I’ll miss sipping on a cold brew in the dining hall and saying hello to my favorite professors across campus.
Iyona Monet Black
Iyona Monet BlackHometown: Camden, NJ
Major: English, with minors in women’s and gender studies and creative writing.
Plans after graduation: I will be taking a bit of time to calm down and get used to the life outside of college. But I plan to continue writing and hopefully become an author one day.
What I’ll miss most about Rutgers: The community. I feel like I’ve met so many new people, including o the professors themselves, from whom I received so much help. It’s really a big family.
Evan Cirone
Evan CironeHometown: Point Pleasant, NJ
Major: Cell biology and neuroscience
Plans after graduation: I’ll be starting medical school in August and am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to take this next step toward becoming a physician. I’m super excited to see what the future holds!
What I will miss most about Rutgers: Spending time with my friends. I’ve made friends who’ve truly shaped my life, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.
Anmol Singh Hanjra
Anmol Singh HanjraHometown: South Plainfield, NJ
Major: Biological sciences
Plans after Graduation: I plan to enroll in dental school
What I’ll miss most about Rutgers: Being young, having fun, and hanging out with friends. It’s a unique experience. Once you are out of here, you go into the real world and things will change. I know I will reminisce often about just being free here at Rutgers.
Cassandra Hoy
Cassandra HoyHometown: Linden, NJ
Major: Psychology with a minor in education
Plans after graduation: My goal is to be a family and child trauma therapist. I am in the 4 plus one plan with the Graduate School of Applied Psychology, so I have one more year of graduate school to get my master’s degree in applied psychology. I will then complete the post-master’s requirements to become a Licensed Professional Counselor.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: My professors. They have so much experience. I love hearing about their practices, their experiences with clients. I had a professor who was on the licensing board and had so much knowledge it was incredible. I have had many professors that make me think, “I want to be like them someday.” They are so inspirational.
Kate Jackson
Kate Jackson
Hometown: Hopewell, NJ
Major: History with a minor in critical intelligence studies, and a certificate in public history
Plans after graduation: This summer I will be joining the Forest Corp, a branch of the AmeriCorp National Civilian Community Corps that partners with the US Forest Service. I will be serving in the Pacific Region, engaging in wildfire risk mitigation, reforestation and environmental conservation projects, and resource management.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: There are many things I will miss about Rutgers from writing my column at the Daily Targum to working as a tutor at the Plangere Writing Center to all of the classes I have taken in the history department. Most of all, I will miss having all of my friends in close proximity and being able to go on adventures at the drop of a hat.
Maksims Kurjanovics Kravcenko
Maksims Kurjanovics KravcenkoHometown: Monroe, NC
Major: Computer Science
Plans after graduation: I want to spend a few years getting acclimated to the workforce, and I am currently an incoming software engineer for AT&T in Dallas. In the long run I do see myself achieving a master’s or a PhD.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: All the options and possibilities that enabled me to grow and become the person I am today.
Joanna Llanza
Joanna LlanzaHometown: Jersey City, NJ
Major: Exercise Science
Plans after Graduation: I am going to be applying for physical therapy school. I currently work as a physical therapist aide in Bayonne, and I love my patients and I love the work.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: The greenery. It’s a very different environment from Jersey City! I love taking walks on campus, especially in the morning, on the Cook Douglass Campus.
Pranav Nair
Pranav NairHometown: Plainsboro, NJ
Major: Data science and computer science
Plans after graduation: I will be working in AI at Vanguard in Pennsylvania, then maybe after several years looking into getting an MBA.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: The people. The people are great. I think of Easton Avenue, walking down the street and you just see so many people. It is a great community.
Krina Patel
Krina PatelHometown: Piscataway, NJ
Major: Computer science
Plans after graduation: I graduated a semester early so I've been working as a software engineer in California for the past few months. However, I'm excited to learn about new topics outside of the field that I'm in.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: Ever since I was a kid, I would eagerly look forward to seeing what my classes and schedule would look like. I'm going to miss that feeling of excitement and structure that I would get when registering for classes.
Danaya Rakhimova
Danaya RakhimovaHometown: Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Major: Linguistics with a minor in creative writing
Plans after graduation: I plan to take a year off to gain experience in fields surrounding social media, film and TV as well as explore more of the US. Afterwards, I would like to go to graduate school for an MFA.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: I will miss the people that I've bonded with, both classmates as well as professors. The people I have met have been so inspiring and so supportive. I look forward to seeing them succeed further in their careers
Liyalani Roebuck
Liyalani RoebuckHometown: Newark, NJ
Major: Psychology with a minor in sociology
Plans after graduation: I plan to hit the ground running by launching a nonprofit organization that supports youth and provides resources for individuals with disabilities. I eventually intend to participate in graduate studies.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: The support of the faculty and the amazing connections that I made on campus. Rutgers showed me that there is still room for me to excel after surviving gun violence and other trauma in my community.
Landon Terry
Landon TerryHometown: Montgomery County, Md.
Major: Criminal Justice with a minor in comparative and critical race and ethnic studies
Plans after graduation: Pursue a master’s degree in either criminology, criminal justice or law enforcement, intelligence, and analysis.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: The friends I have made here will be the thing that I will miss the most. Being so far away from home these past few years has been hard but would’ve been next to impossible without the friends I’ve made.
Natalie Tom
Natalie TomHometown: North Brunswick, NJ
Major: Economics with a minor in political science
Plans after graduation: I will be working as a regulatory compliance analyst at Arch Insurance Group in New York City, with plans to pursue my JD or MBA in the future.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: I will miss the Rutgers community and events. I loved the endless opportunities to see friends and enjoy time with other students, whether at football games or fun little events on getINVOLVED. I’ll always appreciate being able to go on walks around campus with my friends, especially when we needed to talk about how stressed we were about exams, life, and everything in between.
Martrecia D. Zoegar
Martrecia ZoegarHometown: Newark, NJ
Major: Social work
Plans after graduation: I’m taking a gap year and will prepare for the Masters in Social Work program at Rutgers. My ultimate goal is to be director of a community center that deals with youth and afterschool enrichment.
What I will miss most about Rutgers: The different types of opportunities to learn, to get to know yourself, and to meet others.
