New York Assemblymembers Karines Reyes and
Chantel Jackson Deliver Commencement Addresses

BRONX, N.Y., June 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Monroe University, a national leader in educating first-generation and international students, held its 93rd Annual Commencement yesterday at Radio City Music Hall in midtown Manhattan, a spectacular, iconic venue befitting this wonderful milestone in the graduates' lives.

Two separate ceremonies were held to accommodate the families and friends of the students earning Associate, Bachelor's, or Master's degrees or professional and advanced certificates. Degrees were conferred on 2,023 students in the Class of 2026. Another 1,276 students who are expected to complete their degree requirements this summer were permitted to walk now rather than wait until June of next year.

President Marc Jerome celebrated the graduates' accomplishments in his warm, celebratory remarks.

"Today, we are inspired and impressed by you," he told the graduates. "Just think back to the person you were when you first started at Monroe, arriving with a dream and the determination to make a better life for yourself, your family, and your community. Today, that dream comes true. Please give yourself a round of applause."

Graduates participating in the morning ceremony completed programs of study in Monroe's School of Allied Health Professions, School of Business and Accounting, School of Information Technology, and School of Nursing. The Grand Marshal was Loris Crawford, a valued employee for 41 years who is faculty with the School of Business and Accounting. New York Assemblymember Karines Reyes gave the keynote address.

The afternoon ceremony conferred degrees on graduate students from Monroe's King Graduate School, as well as undergraduate students from the School of Criminal and Social Justice, School of Education, and School of Hospitality Management and the Culinary Institute of New York. Josephine Cerrudo, a 35-year employee and current member of the Academic Technology team, led the processional as Grand Marshal. New York Assemblymember Chantel Jackson delivered the keynote address. NYC Councilmember Pierina Sanchez also gave congratulatory remarks to the graduates and their families.

The University was privileged to welcome a distinguished group of guests, including representatives from numerous Caribbean and African nations; government officials; members of diplomatic missions and consulates; leaders from ministries of education and the broader educational community; and administrators from local labor organizations.

Graduates in the Class of 2026 represented 33 states and 103 countries. In addition to students from the U.S. and its territories, the next largest contingents were from, in order: India, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, China, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

The University's three-semester academic calendar enables Monroe students to earn 45 or more college credits per year (compared to the 30 credits college students typically earn per year at other institutions). That means that many of the graduates this year earned their Bachelor's degree in three years or their Associate degree in less than two years.

ABOUT MONROE UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1933, Monroe University is a recognized leader in urban and international education. The University is proud of its innovative programs to increase college access, affordability, and completion outcomes, especially among first-generation students, and for the national recognition it receives for its strong impact on graduates' social mobility.

Programs are offered through Schools of Allied Health Professions, Business and Accounting, Criminal and Social Justice, Education, Hospitality Management and the Culinary Institute of New York, Information Technology, and Nursing, as well as through its King Graduate School. Liberal arts and continuing education programs are also available. For more information and admissions criteria, please visit http://www.monroeu.edu.

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SOURCE Monroe University