Raritan Valley Community College awarded associate degrees and certificates to more than 1,200 graduates at its recent commencement at RVCC’s Branchburg campus.
The program featured Sam Manongsong, of Raritan, as the student commencement speaker. Dr. Frank Forte, associate professor of Mathematics, delivered the faculty commencement address.
Manongsong, an honor college student and Business Administration major, graduated from the College with honors. He is also a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and was selected to participate in the prestigious Sanofi Corporate Mentorship Program. Manongsong is actively involved on campus and in the community. He serves as vice president of marketing for the RVCC Business Club and works on the College newspaper, RVoices, and as a sports photographer. He has been a dedicated member of his church for the past 10 years.
As a first-generation college student, Manongsong is driven to keep growing both academically and personally. He plans to continue his education at Rutgers University to pursue a career in supply chain management within the pharmaceutical field.
Dr. Frank Forte has been teaching mathematics for 28 years, the past 11 of them at RVCC. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Drew University and a Master of Science degree
in Mathematics from Montclair State University. He recently completed his Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from Montclair.
Forte’s dissertation examined the struggles that preservice elementary school teachers face while solving nonroutine math problems. It also focused on ways to help these future teachers improve their math problem-solving skills and become better educators. At RVCC, in addition to teaching mathematics courses, Forte serves as faculty liaison to the Honors College and has worked with the college’s concurrent enrollment program.
Esmeralda Ochoa, of Flemington, also participated in the commencement ceremony. Ochoa, a first-generation college student and Communication Studies major, graduated from the college with honors. During her time at RVCC, Ochoa has taken on strong leadership roles across campus, founding the Business Club and serving as its president, as well as vice president of marketing for the Activities Board.
She has been an EOF scholar and mentor at RVCC, earning the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award for her EOF participation. She is also a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Ochoa has completed over 100 hours of volunteer service at the RVCC Resource Center and Food Pantry, and her efforts earned her the President’s Volunteer Service Bronze Award.
At the recent Student Leadership Awards ceremony, Ochoa was celebrated for her efforts guiding the Business Club, receiving Club of the Year and Club President of the Year honors. She is a mentee in the prestigious Sanofi Corporate Mentorship Program and has been awarded the Cento Amici Scholarship, the Zach Bunsa Memorial Scholarship, and the Gold Bond Marketing Scholarship. Ochoa plans to transfer to Montclair State University to pursue a degree in Public Relations.
Photo caption: Raritan Valley Community College President Dr. Michael J. McDonough speaks at the college’s commencement ceremony on May 16. – Photo courtesy of RVCC.
