Across the Bronx last month, college students donned caps and gowns and walked proudly across stages to mark a major milestone: graduation.
The 2025 commencement season brought celebrations to campuses throughout the borough, as thousands of students were recognized for their years of hard work and perseverance.
Graduates from Lehman College, Fordham University, Manhattan College, Bronx Community College, and Eugenio María de Hostos Community College are now preparing to take their next steps—as doctors, teachers, engineers, attorneys, and more. But before moving forward, they paused to celebrate their achievements.
At Bronx Community College’s 65th Commencement Ceremony on Friday, the school honored its class of 2025 valedictorian, Genesis Nicacio Gomez. An immigrant from the Dominican Republic, Gomez delivered a heartfelt speech about the challenges of adjusting to a new language and culture.
“The journey can feel hard, but the challenge makes us stronger,” Gomez said, addressing her fellow graduates from the lectern.
Gomez graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA, earning a degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences with a focus on Early Childhood Education. She will continue her academic journey this fall, pursuing a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education at Lehman College.
Lehman spotlighted educators at its 2025 Graduate Ceremony on Tuesday. Julia Rampersand was chosen to speak at the college’s first-ever master’s and doctoral student commencement on May 27.
A public middle school teacher, Rampersand completed her master’s degree in Literacy Studies. She spoke of her commitment to educational justice, starting a literacy intervention program at the Bronx school where she teaches and shared her frustration over what she deemed a lack of diverse voices in literature.
“As many of you, if not all of you in this room know, diverse individuals are not just qualified, but overqualified,” Rampersand said to the auditorium full of graduates. “For they have to work twice as hard to overcome barriers to entry that still keep them out.”
Rampersand said that students in the Bronx needed to see themselves represented in successful works of literature.
“How can I look my students in the eye and tell them that they are destined for greatness when the stories of those who achieved greatness are being erased, or even worse never told at all,” Rampersand said.
At Manhattan University in Riverdale, the college honored one Bronxite who achieved greatness with an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters. Anthony N. Fernicola, President and Chief Customer Officer of Salesforce, Inc., accepted his honorary degree on May 17 and spoke to Manhattan University’s undergraduate class of 2025.
Fernicola, who graduated from Manhattan University in 1978 and 1982, was born and raised in the Bronx and the first person in his family to go to college.
“Manhattan University gave me the book smarts and the Bronx gave me street smarts,” Fernicola said.
Fernicola told the graduates not to be afraid of failures, setbacks and uncertainty. He stressed the importance of embracing working in a group.
“Be a team player,” Fernicola said. “Show up not just for yourself, but for the people around you. Put shared goals above personal glory and be better together.”
