St. John’s Graduation Fair Showcases Resources Available to Soon-to-Be Alumni

An unmistakable sense of excitement filled the D’Angelo Center on April 13 as St. John’s University hosted its first-ever Graduation Fair, a collaboration between the Office of Alumni Relations and Student Government, Inc. that served as a one-stop destination for all things related to Commencement 2026.     

Nearly 200 soon-to-be graduates enjoyed a buffet and DJ music while gathering information essential to the May 17 undergraduate ceremony, when they officially begin life as St. John’s alumni. Some students, including Jorge Velez, an advertising communications and public relations major from the Bronx, NY, could not believe how quickly his time at St. John’s passed.         

“It was super fast,” Jorge said. “Looking back, the memories I made with my friends were incredible. It is crazy to think that in a short time I will be an alumnus.”

Jorge and his friend Kristen Pooran, a marketing student, shared some small bites while gathered at an Alumni Relations information table. The first in her family to attend college, Kristen called her time at St. John’s “surreal.” She has been offered a position as a marketing and communications manager with a magazine publisher.

“It does not feel real,” Kristen said of graduation. “It feels like I started here just last week.”

Part information session and part celebration of the class of 2026, the inaugural Graduation Fair introduced students to alumni perks and benefits, University Career Services resources, and more. Students could pick up class of 2026 sweaters, diploma cases, and scholarship cords while also receiving information on graduate school opportunities.

At separate tables, students could also thank scholarship donors and, of course, their parents and families. Aleena Alduenda, who will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology as part of a five-year, dual-degree program, is another first-generation college graduate.

“It is a huge accomplishment for me to graduate, but it is a reflection on my family as well,” Aleena said. “It was not only my hard work, but the work of those who supported me.”

Giselle Suarez, a graduating biology student, credited the St. John’s community with helping set her on a path toward a career as a physician assistant. “Without the help of the alumni, faculty, staff, and administration here, you would not be able to get far,” Giselle said. “They are the ones who have gone ahead of you.”    

Beatriz Vera, Assistant Director, Young Alumni and Student Engagement, Office of Alumni Relations, said events such as the Graduation Fair help the newest generation of St. John’s graduates establish lifelong alumni connections.

“It is all about building that community—developing a pipeline between the school and its alumni early on and showing the students the value of being a St. John’s graduate,” Ms. Vera explained.