Class of 2024

Fordham's 179th Commencement celebrated graduates from each of Fordham's nine schools and colleges. These are a few of their inspiring stories.

Rebecca Tejiram working in a labrotory

Fordham College at Rose Hill
Advice from a Med School-Bound Fordham Senior

Expand your studies beyond your major, says Rebecca Tejiram, valedictorian of Fordham College at Rose Hill, who majored in biological sciences but minored in bioethics to prepare for making ethical medical decisions.

Read more about Rebecca

Damian Pacheco standing in front of a classroom

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Securing $500K to Help Struggling High Schoolers

Using lessons from his Fordham coursework, doctoral grad Damian Pacheco co-developed a remote program that helps nontraditional students complete their diplomas. It earned a $500,000 grant from the NYC Department of Education.

READ MORE ABOUT DAMIAN

Colleen Farrell headshot

GABELLI SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Connections Lead to Big Four Accounting Job

Joining Fordham’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, an honor society, helped Colleen Farrell land an internship at PwC last summer. In January, she will go to work there as an assurance associate.

Read more about Colleen

Commencement 2024
#Fordham2024: Hear It for New York

Commencement 2024
Looked Up at the Sky and It Was Maroon

Share Your Commencement Moments With #Fordham2024

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Commencement 2024

First-Gen Graduates Thank Their Families on Graduation Day

On the morning of their graduation, three first-generation college graduates reflected on their journey and thanked their loved ones for their support.

School OF LAW
Afrika Owes: A Tax Attorney Who Beat the Odds

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GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SERVICE
Anita Raman: Studying Social Work in England

SCHOOL OF CONTINUING AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
Miguel Angel-Sandoval: Military Network Comes Through

Headshot of Meet Patel

GABELLI SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
MBA Grad Picks Up Cross-Cultural Skills

Thanks to courses like Marketing with Cultural Intelligence, Meet Patel is well prepared to join his family’s new firm in North Carolina as a project manager and grow its client base in commercial real estate.

Read more ABOUT MEET

Jennifer Espinal

Fordham College at Rose Hill
Fulbright Scholar Aims for Immigration Law Career

A first-generation college graduate, Jennifer Espinal will hone her Spanish during an English teaching assistantship in Spain and hopes to become an attorney who works with immigrant families.

Read more about Jennifer

Emma Hazeltine

SCHOOL OF LAW
Finding Community in Law School

Fordham Law’s house system was important to Emma Hazeltine, a Midwesterner seeking community in NYC. As she prepares to join the trusts & estates group at a large firm, she's grateful for the "network of truly brilliant and kind-hearted individuals" she met at Fordham.

Read more about EMMA

Doreen Gibbs

Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education
Master’s Grad Integrates Spirituality, Mental Health

Doreen Gibbs sees possibilities for advancing mental health in church settings and enhancing social services with spirituality—something she’s found that clients appreciate.

Read more ABOUT DOREEN

David Escobar at WFUV, located in the basement of Keating Hall

Fordham College at Rose Hill
Journalism Student Selected for Report for America Corps

David Escobar, a public media master’s grad, will report on diversity in New York state’s Adirondack region for two news outlets—a local magazine and a public radio station. 

Read more about David

Clara Victorio working with classmate in lab

Fordham College at Rose Hill
Goldwater Scholar Studies Shapeshifting Proteins

Chemistry student Clara Victorio, who earned the prestigious national Goldwater Scholarship, plans to pursue a Ph.D. in chemical engineering and develop treatments for human diseases.

Read more about CLARA

Carolyn Cardell and family

Gabelli School of Business
Student-Athlete Celebrates the ‘Best Decision’ She Ever Made

Carolyn Cardell balanced academics with athletics and internships, following a family formula for success. It earned her a full-time job offer—and “taught me a lot about myself … time management, determination, and grit.”

Read more ABOUT Carolyn

Katelyn and Richard Figueroa

Fordham College at Lincoln Center
Father and Daughter Find ‘Second Family’ at Fordham

Some people assume that Katelyn Figueroa enrolled at Fordham only because her father is an employee, but the truth is that she “was in love with Lincoln Center and being in the heart of the city” for years. “It was everything that I wanted.” 

Read more about Katelyn

Daniel Hart holding CSTEP medal in graduation gown

Fordham College at Lincoln Center
CSTEP Community Helps Grad on Path to Law School

The third-generation Fordham grad says his mentors and peers “pushed me to do things I never dreamed of doing. … They gave me the tools to survive and thrive in such a rigorous setting.”

Read more about Daniel