Cranford, NJ – The New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) honored students from each of the 18 community colleges who were named to the New Jersey All-State Academic Team. The recognition took place at the NJCCC’s Annual NJ Community College Scholars Celebration on April 25 at the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton. From UCNJ, the two students being honored are Michaela Fajardo and Camila Taddeo.
Fajardo, of Elizabeth, is a psychology major and Taddeo, of Union, is a student in the JFK Muhlenberg Harold B. and Dorothy A. Snyder School of Nursing. Both are members of UCNJ’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the national honor society for two-year schools. At the NJCCC Celebration, these students are recognized for their exceptional academic achievements and service to their communities and colleges as members of PTK. Fajardo is the Vice President of Fellowship for the College’s Iota Xi Chapter of PTK. She was voted by her peers for the Distinguished Officer Award. Fajardo is also a tutor in the Academic Learning Center, the treasurer and social media director of the Psychology Club, and a member of the College’s soccer team. Taddeo is the President of the Iota Xi Chapter of PTK where she supervises all events and projects helping the Chapter to achieve 5-star status. She is deeply involved each semester with the Blood Drive for the American Red Cross. Taddeo also received the Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise scholarship. She is a tutor at the Academic Learning Center and volunteers as an EMT for the Springfield First Aid Squad.
“We are proud of Michaela and Camila for their academic dedication and success as well as their contributions to the UCNJ community. They are great representatives of what community college students can achieve. We congratulate them and look forward to what they will do next,” stated UCNJ President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.
UCNJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater Union County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The College offers a wide variety of academic and extracurricular activities. UCNJ provides many experiential learning opportunities such as access to a Bloomberg Business Center, Innovation Center, and Student Research Hub. Additionally, students at UCNJ attend one of the top 25 community colleges in the country for 2023 as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. To learn more, visit www.ucc.edu .
