Burlington County College celebrated more than 1,200 graduates at its 45th annual Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 16 at 10 a.m. on the Pemberton campus. This was the first commencement ceremony for BCC’s new President Paul Drayton and it featured a keynote address delivered by the Honorable Tom MacArthur, Congressman for New Jersey’s 3rd District.
This year’s graduating class received a total of 1,313 degrees and certificates, with 91 students earning more than one degree or certificate. The top five most popular majors include liberal arts and sciences, liberal arts, business administration, nursing and criminal justice, in that order. The average class GPA is a 3.24, which means nearly 70 percent of graduates earned above a 3.0. The Class of 2015 also includes 59 international students who come from countries across the world as well as students from 17 different states.
The Nursing and Allied Health Pinning Ceremony, which includes the symbolic candle lighting ceremony and pinning of 176 graduates receiving degrees in dental hygiene, nursing, human services, diagnostic medical sonography, hearing instrumentation, health information technology, and radiography, took place on Thursday, May 14 at 6 p.m. under the graduation tent at the Pemberton campus. Kimberly Twaddell, MSN, APN-C, an acute care nurse practitioner for Trauma/Division of Surgery at Cooper University Hospital was the guest speaker. Ms. Twaddell is a BCC alumna and adjunct faculty member.
The Class of 2015’s valedictorian is Kathleen Erin Keane, of Burlington Township. She graduated with highest honors and two degrees, an Associate of Arts in Sociology and an Associate of Applied Science in Human Services. She plans on continuing her education at Rider University, which awarded her its highest transfer scholarship –$19,000 per year. She also received BCC’s Fran R. Pliskin Transfer Scholarship to assist with the costs of her bachelor’s degree program. She plans on studying psychology and working toward a career as a licensed professional counselor.
