Ceremonies will take place on the Quad at Mount Laurel campus

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ — Rowan College at Burlington County will celebrate graduating students at three ceremonies this week in Mount Laurel.

Ceremonies will occur in the Quad according to the following schedule:

• Liberal Arts – Wednesday, May 11 at 10 a.m.
• STEM – Thursday, May 12 at 10 a.m.
• Health Sciences – Thursday, May 12 at 1 p.m.

“Graduation is an inspirational time to celebrate our students and their accomplishments,” said RCBC President Dr. Michael A. Cioce. “All of our graduates have exhibited tenacity, hard work and dedication, and those traits are exemplified by the three students who earned designation as Valedictorian and President's Award recipients. I can't wait to hear their stories during the ceremonies.”

The three students selected as Valedictorian and President’s Awards recipients have demonstrated outstanding academic excellence and community service while overcoming challenges in their lives.

Valedictorian Christina Scillieri’s journey at Rowan College at Burlington County was forged in tragedy. Nine months before the start of her first semester she lost her mother and shortly after that the world shut down for COVID. Lost as a person, she decided to break free from the cycle of trauma and overcome her hardships on her own.

She immersed herself in her studies and community, serving as Student Government Association President and keeping the food pantry open to fellow students when the rest of the college shut down during the pandemic. With her 4.0 GPA in Political Science, Scillieri is planning to transfer to Stetson University in Florida.

President’s Award winner Gia Carosiello overcame addiction and is celebrating five years of sobriety. She volunteers at Hope Sheds Light to help others in their battle with addiction. She also supports the soup kitchen at Urban Promise in Camden.

After graduating with a 4.0 GPA in Human Services, with an Addiction Counselor certificate, Carosiello has already begun classes at Rowan University.

President’s Award winner Aaron Caldwell has been challenged in many ways, but he accepted those challenges and thrived at RCBC. After struggling in high school and nearly dropping all of his courses during his first semester, he found his passion for exercise science and knew he wanted to help lift people up physically, mentally and spiritually.

He has already done that on campus – establishing a running club and serving as officers of the Chess Club and Campus Crusade for Christ – and off campus at King’s Christian School where he trains students to improve their athletic skills. With his 4.0, Aaron plans to transfer to Rowan University where he will continue to break the mold on his potential and let his accomplishments speak to who he is instead of being defined by what people might assume about labels like autism.

In addition to the students, each ceremony will feature a different keynote speaker to inspire graduates as they continue to a four-year college or begin their careers: Troy Singleton, Burlington County’s state senator who represents the 7th District, Sam Thevanayagam, President and CEO of Parts Life, Inc. and DeVal Lifecycle Support, and Dr. Shannon Williams, RCBC Nursing Instructor.

All ceremonies will be live streamed on the college’s YouTube channel. Complete details are available at rcbc.edu/commencement.

Original Article