Paterson’s Class of 2026 Is Ready for What Comes Next

View our College Sendoff 2026 photo album 

For more than 50 college-bound Paterson students, Saturday morning marked both a celebration of how far they’ve come — and a sendoff toward everything still ahead.

On August 8, NJCDC in partnership with Paterson Public Schools hosted the 12th Annual College Sendoff at our Rogers Meeting Center, bringing together graduates, families, and community leaders before students head to colleges and universities near and far this fall. Many will be the first in their families to attend college, pursuing fields ranging from nursing and engineering to international affairs, business, theater, and fashion. And thanks to the generosity of NJCDC supporters, every student in attendance received a scholarship, totaling nearly $30,000 to help ease the costs of that first year.

But throughout the week’s festivities, students received something else, too: a reminder that wherever their journeys take them, their relationship with Paterson doesn’t end when they leave for college.

“We want to see you come back to Paterson because you’re Paterson’s future,” NJCDC Founder & CEO Bob Guarasci told a smaller group of graduates gathered for NJCDC’s annual Farewell Luncheon earlier in the week. “Paterson is only going to grow and get better if young people like you, when you’re done with college, decide to stay or come back and do what you can right here in this city.”

That message carried into Saturday, when Mayor Andre Sayegh offered a fitting charge of his own: “Take Paterson with you everywhere you go because you’re going far.”

Advice for the Road Ahead

Emceed by NJCDC Special Assistant to the CEO & Director of Community Outreach Eddie Gonzalez, Saturday’s celebration featured encouragement from Paterson Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Laurie Newell and Board of Education President Joel Ramirez, as well as Bob and other community leaders.

Students also heard from someone who knows firsthand what it means to take the next step beyond Paterson: NJCDC program alum Alysha Acosta, a 2022 Columbia University graduate who is now attending Columbia Law School.

Acosta encouraged students to make the most of college — from visiting professors during office hours and pursuing internships to building relationships with classmates and developing their networks. She also acknowledged that entering an unfamiliar environment can bring moments of self-doubt.

“You might feel like you don’t belong there, and you’ll look at everyone around you and realize that that’s actually not true,” Acosta told them.

A New Scholarship Program, and Nearly $30,000 in Awards

This year’s Sendoff brought exciting news born from a growing partnership between NJCDC and William Paterson University (WPU): the launch of the University’s Paterson Promise Scholarship program. Beginning this year, 10 Paterson students will receive full academic scholarships covering tuition and fees for four years.

NJCDC and its supporters also awarded nearly $30,000 in scholarships, providing every college-bound student in attendance with financial support as they prepare for the next chapter. The awards celebrated academic achievement, leadership, community service, perseverance, and the tremendous promise represented by Paterson’s Class of 2026.

Five additional $1,000 awards were presented through the Dr. Allan DeGiulio Scholarship Fund, honoring a longtime higher education leader devoted to education and community service, as well as his wife, Elizabeth, who spent decades as a public-school ESL teacher. Dr. DeGiulio and Elizabeth’s legacy was represented by several generations of their family, with their grandchildren Ben and Grace taking the podium to present scholarships to Adolfo Castro (PCCC), Alyson Betancourt (Northeastern), Arianna Lugo (Felician), Mireya Quispe (PCCC), and Ileana Zuniga (Montclair State). The DeGiulio family also generously made an additional $5,000 contribution to continue the scholarship fund.

For Arianna Lugo, the scholarship will support the next step in a journey already closely connected to NJCDC. The youngest of 10 siblings and a participant in NJCDC’s Junior YouthBuild and Paterson Youth Council, Arianna will study biology with a pre-veterinary concentration at Felician University.

One More Moment Before College Begins

A few days before the larger celebration, NJCDC welcomed Arianna and 10 other graduating seniors for our annual Farewell Luncheon, an intimate gathering where students talked about their plans, reflected on growing up in Paterson, and considered how they might one day use what they learn to benefit their hometown.

Rafan Rahman is heading to Rutgers University–New Brunswick to study nursing. He spoke about healthcare needs he sees in Paterson — and already envisions putting his education to work here. “If I work in Paterson, I want to serve my community,” Rafan said. “And if I go on to medical school, I’d want to come back here and do the same thing.”

Samiya Ahmed, a Paterson Youth Council participant who will study nursing at Rutgers University–Newark, reflected on the opportunities she found right here at home while offering advice to younger students. “Paterson has so many opportunities,” Samiya said. “Through the Paterson Youth Council, for example, I was able to gain a lot of leadership and confidence. I would say to use the resources around you to build yourself up.”

And Sophia Cristobal, an International High School graduate headed to WPU, offered advice of her own — and a reminder not to let perceptions of their hometown define what Paterson students believe is possible. “Dream big,” Sophia said. “A lot of people say that Paterson is small and that you’re not able to dream as big as you want, but I say go for it.”

Their reflections offered a glimpse of what our 2026 College Sendoff ultimately celebrates: young people prepared to venture beyond the familiar, seize new opportunities, and represent the promise of their hometown wherever they go.

Some will stay close. Others will travel farther away. All will encounter new people, new challenges, and possibilities they cannot yet imagine. And, as Bob Guarasci reminded them, Paterson will be here — ready to welcome home whatever they choose to bring back.

Congratulations to Paterson’s college-bound Class of 2026. We can’t wait to see how far you go!

We are beyond grateful for our donors who make it all possible!

Champion Donors: Lisa Hirsh and Mark Schlossman; Merissa Buczny & Family; Ellen Lautenberg

Above and Beyond Donors: New Brunswick Development Corporation; Competitive Business Solutions; Bogue Systems; Michael Riesz and Co.; Horizon Foundation of New Jersey; Idida Rodriguez; Railroad Construction Company; Angela M. Imhof

Scholarship Donors: John T. Lutz; FIAMPACK; David Berninger; U.S. Financial Services, LLC; Encon; Elco Integrated Solutions; Reliable Benefits; Silver Fox Construction; Pike Construction Co. LLC; ; Senator Benjie Wimberly

Friend Donors: Ben Horten Architecture & Design; John F. Ehresman; Martin Vergara II; Evans Architects; Langan Engineering; Nextwave Web; IIUOE Local 68; Felisa Van Liew; Vanessa Serrano; Dr. Joshua Powers; Connie Nolan; Nancy Bracken Garson; Eileen Shafer; Sharon Harrington; Hasina Pathan; Ted Zangari; Geraldine Flach; Rachel Moseson Dikovics; Francis J. Blesso; Noreen Giblin