Commencement is right around the corner which means that Stockton students can be seen preparing for the big day. From shopping for clothes to decorating their caps, there is much to do before the end of the year. 

Stockton University has hosted events to help students prepare for graduation on May 16. On April 22 from 3-6:30 p.m., Student Development and the Student Alumni Association presented the Cap Decorating Party. There were a ton of graduation cap decorations to choose from, including stickers, ribbon, backgrounds. All of these were free to graduating students to choose from for their caps.

While students were there, snacks and refreshments were offered, including soft pretzels, soda, water, and popcorn. Since the event was held in the Coffee House near Dunkin, there was a lot of space to decorate and personalize a big moment for the graduates. 

The week prior to graduation sees the Send-Off Events, which the Office of Student Development has worked on developing for those that were graduating in Summer 2024, Fall 2024, and the future graduating class of Spring 2025. Tickets were made for purchase on April 8, and to see if there is still purchase availability, check the information desk and Stockton emails. The following are all a part of send off week: a Phillies Game on May 12, TopGolf on May 13, a free evening at Lake Fred on May 14, and the Dave and Busters Commencement Eve Bash on May 15.

Once the commencement ceremony is over, what are people’s post college plans? Post-graduation plans include finding a job in their profession, completing the next step in the educational journey, or even not having a set plan as of yet.

After creating a post on Yik Yak about Stockton’s overall help towards plans post college, a total of 61 votes (76 percent) of those that participated in the poll, states that Stockton has not helped them with their post college plans. 

When interviewed about how Stockton has helped them with post college plans, a criminal justice major stated the school “only [assisted] with things like social skills, options, reading, writing, how to create an excellent resume […] other than that, finding a job will definitely be hard.” This is where programs initiated to help connect students who are graduating with jobs in South and North Jersey would be highly beneficial.

Another commenter had a different outlook on the role the school has played in their time at Stockton. When asked about her time at Stockton, Isabelle Vazquez stated, “My favorite part about Stockton was being able to build a community and meet new people. It has been such a great experience in making new friends and meeting new people with the same interests as me.”

When also asked about how Stockton had helped with post college plans, Vasquez responded, “I’d say Stockton has helped me in many ways when it came to post graduation. I have always planned on going for my Master’s [degree], so applying to Stockton was easy. I got accepted and the process was easy to navigate. I know that Stockton will continue to give me opportunities to grow. Along with that, the social work program does a good job at getting internships for students. Most people get their first jobs from these internships.” 

While there are benefits to Stockton’s current career events and resources offered, there is room for improvement. Ways for Stockton to help with post college plans is by advertising internships, coordinators getting more involved in the classrooms, and connecting graduating students with post-college resources within the workforce. Preparation for the workforce that Stockton offers are events like Resume Rush or the Career Fair; however, for a lot of students the times when these are available do not match up with their classes, sports, or jobs.