As part of our traditional commencement report, we feature faculty and staff who have earned their degrees from William Paterson University and also include family of faculty and staff who graduate. Below are graduates who participated in the University’s 186th commencement on May 19.

Deborah and Jennifer Anderson		Amanda Fabiano		Douglas Lomonico, and Sergeant Neil Lomonico

Jennifer Anderson, the daughter of Deborah Anderson, a technical assistant in the office of payroll, hopes her master of business administration degree (MBA) will help her in her new job as a contract and pricing analyst at Stryker Orthopedics, a medical device equipment manufacturer. Working and going to school fulltime, as she did, was a challenge, but her mom was supportive. “She always gave me an extra boost of confidence,” Jennifer says. “She encouraged me to stay focused and confident.”
 
Returning schoolbooks to the Cheng Library at the end of this semester left Keyana Darby “feeling good.” Darby, who works fulltime in the financial aid office as an assistant director, typically went to class right from work. “The opportunity was there,” she says.  “It made it a whole lot easier to do it while working on campus.” She believes that her master’s degree in business administration is increasingly “necessary for any job along with on-the-job experience.”

Don Engold, assistant head grounds man, has helped to beautify the campus for commencements for more than thirty years. This year, however, commencement took on special meaning as he watched his daughter, Donna, graduate with a bachelor’s degree in English, and a minor in women’s studies. “Donna’s story is a miracle,” Don says of his daughter who was named after him. “She was born ten weeks early and was a two-pound premie. We didn’t know if she was going to survive. But she’s an avid reader and teaches Sunday school.” Donna’s mother, Susan Heyboer Engold, is a 1981 graduate of the University.

Although she lost her mother, Monika Fabiano, just two months before commencement, Amanda Fabiano attended the ceremonies. Monika, who was an inspiration to her daughter, had worked in the office of field experiences for seven years. “My mom was a big help,” Amanda says. “She helped to get me into school and helped me with homework. She was always supportive of everything I did.” Amanda, who played soccer from the time she was six years old until her senior year in college, could always count on her mother to attend her games. She plans to use her bachelor’s degree in English and certification in preschool education to secure a job as a teacher.

Douglas Lomonico, son of Sergeant Neil Lomonico, University Police, feels well prepared for law school. He has just completed his first semester at Stetson Law School in Gulfport, Florida, (he graduated in January 2009), and credits MichaelPrincipe, professor of political science, and director of the pre-law program at William Paterson, with the inspiration to become a lawyer. “I had originally planned on being a police officer,” he says. “But Professor Principe showed me that it was possible for me to be a lawyer. He helped me to see what it was like, and was helpful in the transition to law school.” Douglas says his father gives him a different perspective of the law, that of a police officer. “It’s a different angle,” he says. “And it’s always interesting.”
 

Rosa Williams-Hopkins and Whitney Lluen		Damita Ross and Qadir, her son		James and Laurie Nyulassy

Whitney Lluen, who just received a degree in English, is the daughter of Rosa Williams-Hopkins, an administrative assistant in the Center for Continuing and Professional Education. Lluen attended the University through Paterson Teachers for Tomorrow  (PT4T), a full scholarship program for students who wish to explore teaching as a profession, and become certified professionals who are dedicated to teaching in the Paterson school district. Lluen plans on attending graduate school in the fall and pursue certification as a teacher.

Damita Ross, a principal clerk typist in the office of graduate services, made many sacrifices on the path to a degree in sociology with a criminal justice concentration. A non-traditional student and a single parent of a ten-year-old son, she has worked fulltime on campus for more than eleven years. “I did a little bit at a time,” she says. Charley Flint, a professor of sociology, acted as a mentor to her. “She’s been very helpful to me,” Ross says. “She opened some doors for me, and offered advice, to show me a better way.” Ross would like to “pursue a law degree and be an advocate for women who end up in prison for drug abuse.”
 

James and Laurie Nyulassy, married since 2004, also pursued a graduate degree together, and together earned master of business administration degrees (MBA) in August 2008. James is an assistant director in telecommunications technology, and Laurie is an assistant director in telecommunications administration. “You’re never done learning,” Laurie says. “Getting the degree was a good opportunity for us for us.” Francis Cai, the MBA director and a professor of economics, finance, and global business, was inspirational for them. “The best part of the program was that Dr. Cai cared so much about the students. The faculty taught us to draw on the experience, and we would apply that to the real world,” James says.  “We care about the students,” Laurie adds. “That’s our reason for being here. They motivated us. Seeing their seriousness made me want to better myself. The degree helps us to give back to the students what’s been given to us.”

	Sonia Musa		Kathleen Wehmann, James and Laurie Nyulassy

“Pursuing a master’s degree in bilingual/ESL education presented many challenges to Sonia Musa, who has worked as a project manager for the University’s Small Business Development Center since 1997. “The most difficult one was managing my time between working two jobs, attending school part time, and finding time to study among all my obligations,” she says. Even so, she completed her degree in just two years.

Kathleen Wehmann, a cousin of Laurie Nyulassy, assistant director, telecommunications, earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education with a concentration in K-12 health and exercise physiology. She was on the softball team for all four years, and received the Student Athlete Excellence Award and was named to the All-NJAC Academic Team, both in her senior year. Initially, she came to the University to check it out as a possible school, and immediately liked what she saw. “I took a tour of the campus, and talked to the softball coach,” she says. “Everyone was so helpful.” She is currently looking for a job as a physical education teacher and wants to attend graduate school in the near future.