South Middlesex Times

Nearly 1,500 students, including 328 from Rutgers, were honored at Jersey Mike's Arena at Rutgers University in the annual Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Graduate Achievement Ceremony. Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway commended the graduates, stating, "Every year as we send into the world remarkable students like you, who have been given a valuable opportunity, seized it, and turned it into a college degree, we come closer to fulfilling the promise of New Jersey."

Holloway, alongside Lt. Gov. and Secretary of State Tahesha L. Way and EOF Executive Director Hasani Carter, addressed the attendees at the event hosted by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education and the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. Holloway praised the students for not only surviving the challenges brought by the pandemic but thriving as college students, saying, "We couldn’t be prouder."

Amanda Bachan, a first-generation Rutgers-New Brunswick student, expressed her gratitude for the EOF program, calling it "a community of scholars with shared academic aspirations that understand and support each other." Bachan, who is graduating with a degree in ecology, evolution, and natural resources, plans to pursue a master's degree in business and science at Rutgers Business School.

Established in 1968, the EOF program aims to provide meaningful access to higher education for students from economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. Participants receive financial aid support, counseling, tutoring, and other services to ensure their academic success. Jacqueline S. Moore, Rutgers SEBS EOF director, welcomed the graduates and their families to the ceremony, with additional speeches delivered by N.J. Assemblywoman Linda S. Carter, Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, and Byron Ward, EOF board chair.

The ceremony celebrated the achievements of students who overcame challenges and demonstrated academic excellence, highlighting the impact of the EOF program in supporting their educational journey.