Red Bank and Belford students among Alvernia University graduates

MONMOUTH COUNTY — Alvernia University recently celebrated the graduation of more than 600 students from the Class of 2024 during a graduation ceremony at Santander Arena in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania, as part of a revamped weekend dedicated to celebrating students’ graduations in the presence of family and friends.

Eastern Monmouth County graduates include:

• Richard Wall of Red Bank, who earned a bachelor of science degree.

• Shane Doyle of Belford, who graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

“This year’s commencement is of great importance to each of us,” said Dr. Glynis A. Fitzgerald, president of Alvernia University. “Being together is especially meaningful to the more than 400 students who graduated from high school in May 2020, when the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic deprived you of this key milestone. I hope you have had the opportunity in recent weeks to celebrate this rite of passage, rest assured that these cherished traditions you helped create will be here ready to welcome you back to campus.

Graduates received Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate degrees as the university celebrated its commencement indoors at the Santander Arena for the first time since 2019. Beginning this year, the university restructured its alumni event schedule to allow for easier travel for parents and other loved ones to attend a variety of events that included health sciences program pinning ceremonies, senior athlete awards reception, honors convocation and graduation mass.

“The Class of 2024 has faced unprecedented challenges, navigating the turbulent waters of the COVID-19 pandemic with unwavering strength and resilience,” said student speaker and newest graduate Cora Cox. “Despite the upheaval it has brought to our lives, we have refused to be defined by adversity. Instead, we have risen to the occasion, demonstrating extraordinary adaptability and resilience in the face of uncertainty. The world eagerly awaits your brilliance, your passion, and your limitless potential. Go forth and make your mark on the world, knowing that you carry with you the Alvernia values ​​and a spirit of service, compassion, and humility.”

Following the ceremony, a list of the names of all graduates was displayed on newly installed video boards in the arena and Santander Arena, while confetti cannons showered the graduates with burgundy and gold confetti.

Alvernia University 2024 Graduates by the Numbers
• A total of 606 graduates
• 2,900 miles is the furthest U.S. students must travel to study at Alvernia University
• 130 are first-generation college graduates
• 18 is the age of the youngest graduate
• 62 years is the age of the oldest graduate
• 11 graduates are military veterans
• 8 countries represented by graduates

Alvernia University is a comprehensive Catholic university with a liberal arts foundation established by the Bernardine Sisters in 1958. The university serves more than 3,000 students in Reading, Pottsville, and Philadelphia, offering a unique combination of a rigorous liberal arts education, solid technical training in a variety of high-demand majors, expanding experiential learning opportunities through study abroad and internships, and community involvement through the Franciscan model of community service.