DUI Lawyers in Stockton, NJ

Galloway, N.J. – Stockton University students from six different departments and programs were recognized for their academic excellence, leadership and impact at a ceremony on April 14.

The Rising STAR Awards Ceremony is a new event, spearheaded by the Student Transition, Access and Retention (STAR) branch of Student Affairs. STAR encompasses many student support offices and programs, including the offices of Career Education & Development, Military & Veteran Success Center, Academic Achievement Programs, Student Transition Programs and the Educational Opportunity Fund program.

According to Ana Edmondson, assistant vice president for STAR, by combining all student-recognition celebrations under the Rising STAR umbrella, she and the teams that make up STAR can honor the “rising stars of Stockton.”

“I may not know each of you personally, but I do know what it feels like to sit where you are,” Edmondson said, referencing late study nights and balancing multiple deadlines. “I see you, I get it, and I’m so deeply proud of what you all accomplished.”

During the ceremony, student speaker Jayden Hamlet, recipient of the Sankofa Champion Award, reflected on the many opportunities he experienced as an undergraduate student. Highlights included travelling and presenting research at conferences, studying abroad in Ghana, and hosting programs like a campus-wide drum circle.

For Hamlet, getting involved allowed him to find mentors who supported his growth and development and gain a community of peers.

“My time at Stockton was full of community building and engagement and sharing new ideas and creations with the campus so that more new ideas and creations can flow,” he said.

Interim Vice President of Student Affairs William Latham urged the students to remember two principles: expertise and authenticity.

“We want to honor and celebrate those who had their journey, but we also want you to recognize that these programs built two principles that will stay with you for the rest of your life,” Latham said. “Expertise comes from the roles and experiences you had in these organizations, and authenticity comes from the love, failures and achievements you had in the process.”

The complete list of awards and honorees:

Staff members of the Career Education and Development office recognized two students and a department for their efforts in supporting the professional development of Stockton students.

Yesenia Pacheco, coordinator for STAR, presented four students with awards following their work in designing, scheduling and promoting the third annual Empowered Leadership Conference.

Michael Barany and Ashley Jones of the Military and Veterans Success Center presented challenge coins and cords to the graduating seniors who are a part of the community of military-connected students on campus.

Barany, director of the MVSC, explained that challenge coin presentations are a military tradition that symbolize connection, strength and the bonds that they share.

“Tonight, we’re not just honoring their academic achievement: we’re also saying thank you for what they have given to our campus community and our country,” Barany said.

Graduates: Connor Adams; Yousaf Afzal; Jocelyn Aguilar; Kylee Alvarez; Malik Alverio; Michelle Arana; Jessica Badger; Kayla Bieniakowski; Karla Blanquera; Isabelle Boyer; Melvin Bravo; Marcus Bridgers; Jennifer Chavez; Olivia Collucci; Blake Cronin; Katherine Cupo; Daphney Deravil; Alexis Dimenza; Misty Downs; Samuel Driscoll; Ryan Elkner; Gabriel Fisher; Deazia Franklin Alexis Frias; Marc Galati; Avery Garlic; Olivia Gonzalez; Deborah Gunter; Tyler Hodsdon; Colby Hunter; An Khuc; Paul Kline; Katelyn Koller; Eugene Laielli; Kaitlyn Lemoine; Urick Lewis; Nicholas Ligameri; Jasmin Martinez; James Martinez; Kelsea Martinez; Dustin McDonnell; Kelley McGuckin; Andrew Mitchell; Adam Monteith; Juliana Morell; Karley Murphy; Erica Nelson; Ernest Oravsky; Melissa Ortiz; Siddheya Patade; Parth Patel; Akash Patel; Nicholas Pellegrini; Michael Prusik; Jessica Rafalko; Andrew Rafter; Corinne Reed; Sofia Rossi; Emily Schadt; Mary Sepp; Christian Simpson; Rachel Soucier; Leianne Teresa; Kaylyn Ullman; Bryan Vasquez; Aidan Winters; Kylie Yannacone; and Theresa Zawrotny.

Prior to presenting the students with awards, certificates and stoles, Candace Mitchell, director for Student Transition Programs, shared data that demonstrated the impact that this year’s cohort of TALONS (Transition Activity Leaders of New Students) had on new students.

According to her, over 600 first-year students have considered applying to become one of the friendly faces new students meet during orientations and other on-campus programs, due to the many valuable interactions they had with their orientation leaders.

“The work that this team does matters and helps our students stay here and become successful, so let’s celebrate them today,” Mitchell said.

Head Talons: Aniyah Harris*, Andrew Simoes*, Ivanna Taveras* and Lacey Wilson.

Talons: Jonathan Baez; Davina Brito; Courtney Combs*; Allanah Docherty*; Marc Galati*; Jessica Gibbs; Teresa Guzman; Emma Kearney; Leon Lai; Kaela Ljungquist; Emmanuel Moreno Palomec; Brianna Nguyen; Favour Owowo; Mashrur Pasha Pantho; Virginia Perez Santiago; Marisa Riley; Tiana Rosario; Khushi Shah*; Isabella Steelman; Marliza Thomas*; Jacob Thompson; Jessica Vasquez; and Jazmyne Warner.

Graduate Assistant: Priya Parikh ‘23*

*These students are graduating this May.

Ian Bouie, director of Academic Achievement Programs, presented first-generation students with awards and stoles while praising their initiative and gumption as the club grew and changed over the last two years.

“They have done a phenomenal job and kept up the momentum, including attending conferences and hosting First-Generation Week on campus,” Bouie said. “They do a lot of great things, and I know that they will continue to.”

Graduates: Nicole Brown; Dean Cifelli; Crystal Luo; Faith Strina; Brianna Sullivan; Nathaly Yac Alvarado; Alexa Zambino; Ivanna Taveras; Zikra Naz; Sami Suleman; Melissa Zakora; and Jalea Wood.

According to Bouie, these retention initiatives targeting underrepresented populations underwent a transformation and became Living & Learning Communities, requiring that participants both room with and attend a required seminar with each other, leading to brotherhoods and sisterhoods being formed. These participants received awards, stoles and certificates.

Graduates (Sankofa): Aaron Casterlow; Amlan Das; Joaquin Feliciano; Michael Innocente; Jayden Hamlet; Ty Lawrence; Aaron Manning; Nathaniel Manning; Dominick Mcpherson; Mohamed Metwaly; Joel Morales Bass; Samuel Quadri; Sean Ramos; Mehki Reed; David Smith; Sami Suleman; Devin Tetti; Xavier Tomlin; and Antoine Torres.

Graduates (TogetHER): Nana Akua Agyei-Sam; Francesca Ali; Sofia Angee; Serenity Aviles; Destanee Bright; Natalie Elyas; Jaala Howard; Zaneyah Hughes; Trinity Joly; Irena Jones; Makasia Kelly; India Little; Meerab Malik; Candice NeSmith; Shaniya Nichols; Krisha Patel; Mikaili Philbert; Axe Ramos; Jadziamary Serrano; Natalia Swanson; and Alicia Waith.

Tom Itaas, associate director for Academic Achievement Programs, presented awards to faculty, staff and students for their work within the Success Scholars program.

Success Scholars: Alyssa Bernstein; Carson Clemas; Saira Desai; Courtney Eggleston; Imani Gardner; Viola Gianna; Riya Goyal*; Jose Hernandez; Juliana Hurst; Julia Heath; Aarti Kapoor; Luke Maguire; Alexa Merker; Daphne Noronha; Jayme Palmieri; Alexa Pasnicu; Eva Marie Pizzimenti; Samantha Scheidle; Charles Sher; Gurtej Singh; Sinla Tanriverdi; Niles Toomer; Jose Uchillan; Michael Wiedemann; and Eve Wilson.

*These students are graduating this May.

Staff members of the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) in both Galloway and Atlantic City honored their graduating class with awards, certificates and stoles.

“Today, we recognize not just the degrees that you’ve earned, but the barriers that you’ve broken and the futures that you are shaping,” Ana DeNise, director of EOF, said. “To our graduates: you inspire us and remind us why our work matters. You are living proof that when given access, opportunity and unwavering support, greatness will follow.”

Graduates: Jocelyn Aguilar (AC); Korey Allen (AC); Saphire Alvarado (Galloway); Gianna Andros (Galloway); Christian Armstrong-Thomas (Galloway); Andres Arteaga (Galloway); Sulman Awan (Galloway); Praise Barclay (Galloway); Katirah Barnes (Galloway); Jennifer Barralaga (AC); Azhani Best (AC); Marium Bhatti (Galloway); Kurtis Bonti (Galloway); Kayla Boyer (Galloway); Norma Brito-Torres (Galloway); Tamisha Bruce (Galloway); Aali’Yah Callaway (Galloway);Kimberly Canelas-Euceda (Galloway); Lesly Ceron-Diaz (Galloway); Joel Choudhury (Galloway); Payal Choudhury (Galloway); Alani Connor (AC); Gregory Copeland III (AC); Christella Dabel (Galloway); Brianna De Jesus (Galloway); Gwendelynne DeKnight (Galloway); Peyton Diefenbach (Galloway); Emily Fernandez (AC); Robert Fox (Galloway); Melanye Garcia Estrada (Galloway); Hadiya Gayle (AC); Joshua Gbaroye (Galloway); Jazlyn Graham (AC); Renee Guzman (Galloway) ; Chanel Guzman (AC); Abdul Hadi (Galloway); Alexis Hall (AC); Josiah Hamilton (Galloway); Christivens Jean-Paul (Galloway); Damelis Jimenez (AC); Jamar Johnson (Galloway); Jayonna Jones (Galloway); Karishma Karabi (Galloway); Deena Khan (Galloway); Julianna Kirsch (Galloway); Bangale Kromah (Galloway); Rhoa Maarouf (Galloway); Michaela Elyssa Macalalag (Galloway); Ahmed Malik (Galloway); Emma Martin (AC); James Martinez (AC); Anthony Mendoza (Galloway); Debani Mercado Feliciano (Galloway); Taylor Merrell (AC); Jose Morales Rivera (Galloway); Abrian Moran (AC); Zikra Naz (AC); Kendrick Norton (AC); Joehur Ovee (Galloway); Milagros Palacios (Galloway); Jade Pawlowski (Galloway); Karen Paz (AC); Nicholas Pellegrini (Galloway); Angela Portillo (Galloway); Eva Ramirez (Galloway); Carla Rodas Cajamarca (Galloway); Karen Rafael (AC); Rachel Rodriguez (AC); Numa Rodriguez-Rojas (AC); Eduardo Rojas (Galloway); Elisabeth Rojas (Galloway); Melissa Roman (Galloway); Keidy Romero (AC); Andrea Sandoval (Galloway); Khaliyah Sellers (AC); Martel Smith (Galloway); Paige Speece (Galloway); Ka’llure Standard (AC); Ipshita Tamjid (Galloway); Ivanna Taveras (Galloway); Cachary Tolentino (Galloway); Michael Torres (Galloway); Kyla Torrez (Galloway); Dontay Turner (Galloway); Fares Vasquez (Galloway); Destiny Vatthanavong (AC); Melvin Vazquez-Andujar (Galloway); Roberto Vega (Galloway); Abriana Velez (Galloway); Edely Vilorio (AC); and Alyssa Whalen (AC).

A former successful Stockton University head coach has filed a massive 21 page lawsuit versus the following:

Rhoads is the former head coach of the Stockton University men’s hockey program.

Rhodes lost his position following the City of Atlantic City banning him from the Atlantic City Skate Zone premises.

This is the facility where Stockton practices and plays its home games.

Rhoads could not continue when he was not able to attend home games or daily practice.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY

CAMDEN VICINAGE

CIVIL ACTION NO:

COMPLAINT FOR VIOLATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS (42 U.S.C. § 1983)

JURY TRIAL DEMANDED.

Basic news has been following Small every where.

Small (himself) stands criminally charged for alleged:

The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office alleges that Small hit his daughter multiple times in the head with a broom causing her to lose consciousness, among other serious charges.

I was banned for rightful civic activism. For speaking up in an effective, principled, and exemplary manner. I used my abilities to defend a public facility that has served generations of kids and families, which also holds deep personal meaning to my own life. This lawsuit is about one thing, and one thing only:

JUSTICE.

Government officials, regardless of party, are free to tell the public:

We don't care about the ice rink. We don't care about your children, we don't care about your families, and we don't care about your community... What we care about is money."They have every right to say that.

What they don't have the right to do, is misuse the power of their elected offices to illegally retaliate against me for publicly and proudly disagreeing with that position.

I look forward to hearing what our federal judiciary has to say about the matter, said Rhoads.

Rhoads officially docketed his Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit, which he filed on May 21, 2025.

Atlantic City, N.J. — Stockton University represents much more to Olivia Bereza than just a place to take classes.

“It’s a place filled with opportunities that allowed me to explore, pivot and ultimately, find my niche,” said the Class of 2025 graduate.

Bereza spoke at the university’s morning Commencement ceremony at 9:30 a.m. on May 16 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall. A second ceremony was held at 2:30 p.m. More than 1,800 Class of 2025 graduates received bachelor’s degrees.

Stockton President Joe Bertolino reminded the attendees that they are ready to go out into the world not only because of what they learned at Stockton but because of how they learned it — through questioning, collaborating, solving real problems and standing up for what matters. Bertolino mentioned his Ethic of Care, and he called on all of the students to show others dignity, respect, kindness, compassion and civility.

“Take those values with you and show up — in your workplaces, your communities, your families. And lead with compassion,” he said. “Listen deeply. Build connections. Stand firm in what you believe and stay open to what others have to share.

“Today, you leave with a degree. But you also leave with a responsibility — to give back, to lift others up, and to help build a world that is more just, more kind and more hopeful.”

Figuring out her way to give back to the world wasn’t always easy for Bereza. The Westwood resident, who finished her bachelor’s degree in Psychology in December 2024, originally thought she would major in Health Sciences, and even added a minor in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. She finally landed on Psychology and assumed therapy would be her calling.

But it was Stockton’s internship program at a mental health practice that revealed something unexpected.

“I didn’t want to be a therapist,” she said. “That realization was overwhelming. I had devoted so much time and effort to that goal that walking away felt like starting my entire journey over.”

Student speaker Courtney Combs, of Berlin, told the audience at the afternoon Commencement ceremony that Stockton 'didn’t just teach us — it prepared us, shaped us and connected us to opportunities that would set our futures in motion.'

But her coursework at Stockton, especially with Associate Professors of Psychology Mark Berg and Kaite Yang, introduced research as another possibility.

“Stockton gave me the confidence to change course, to embrace a new direction,” said Bereza, who now works as a research assistant in the Center for Stroke Rehabilitation at the Neurolinguistics and Brain Connectivity Lab at the Kessler Foundation in West Orange. “I wasn’t lost. I was supported, encouraged to explore and reassured that changing directions didn’t mean I had failed. It meant I was growing.”

The student speaker at the afternoon ceremony also spoke about facing adversity during her time at the university and how that helped her grow.

“Our story is one of challenges, opportunities, laughter, tears and, most importantly, success,” said Courtney Combs, a Bachelor of Arts graduate in Communication Studies. “Yet, despite the obstacles, we adapted, we learned and we grew. Stockton didn’t just teach us — it prepared us, shaped us and connected us to opportunities that would set our futures in motion.”

The Berlin resident also emphasized that attending Stockton taught her so much more than just the requirements to obtain a degree.

“College is about learning how to show up, how to push through self-doubt and how to recognize that we don’t have to fake it until we make it,” she said. “We step up, we learn and we excel.”

Commencement keynote speaker Dwight McBee, the chief patient experience officer at RWJBarnabas Health, reiterated how progress can be obtained through struggle. In his speech he took each letter of the word “struggle” to provide nuggets of advice to the graduates beginning with the letter “S,” which he said means “sway but never buckle.”

McBee told the students about the phone call he received from his wife when they found out their daughter had Rett syndrome, a rare, neurodevelopmental disorder.

“My storm became a hurricane,” said the 2015 graduate of Stockton’s Master of Business Administration program. “What I didn’t know was that God was moving me into position. My family’s greatest challenge is now our greatest source of strength. And my career in patient advocacy is now fueled by the storm.”

McBee is the first to hold his position at New Jersey’s largest academic health system. He is responsible for the advancement and integration of patient experience strategies and priorities to align them with RWJBarnabas Health’s mission, values and business goals. He also works collaboratively with facility and system leadership teams to develop and execute strategic planning of patient experience and patient engagement initiatives.

The Barnegat native and Southern Regional High School graduate in Manahawkin also spoke about how an osprey, Stockton’s mascot, is a “remarkable creature that embodies resilience, determination and has an unbreakable bond with home.”

“Ahead of you, storm clouds gather, and the winds begin to blow. And yet, my fellow Ospreys, this is not the moment to fold your wings. It is the moment to spread them wide,” McBee said. “It is time to fly. When you are on your way, just remember in your heart to say, ‘An Osprey always finds their way home!’”

The university graduated its first class of students with a Bachelor of Arts in Education and Human Development. The program is built on three minors at Stockton — Childhood Studies, Disability Studies and Gerontology.

At the morning ceremony, the university also presented Andrew “Tim” Kiniry a honorary Doctor of Public Service degree. Kiniry, of Buena, is a World War II Army veteran who served as a medic in the 45th Evacuation Hospital during the Battle of the Bulge and provided medical care to survivors of the Buchenwald concentration camp.

Over the years, the 103-year-old has frequently shared his stories as a witness to war through Stockton’s Holocaust and Genocide Studies programs. In December, he was presented with the National Order of the Legion of Honour, the highest order of merit awarded by France.

Visit Flickr for photos of the morning and afternoon ceremonies.

-- Story by Mark Melhorn, photos by Susan Allen and Vernon Ogrodnek

Tagged: commencement2025News

Perched on a hill high above the Delaware River sits a historic inn that begs to be visited. Just above the tiny downtown of Stockton, New Jersey, is the historic Wolverton Inn.

This centuries-old home, built in 1792, is now operated as a bed and breakfast and restaurant. The owners, Mario and Mary Passalaqua, purchased the property 10 years ago and lovingly maintained, preserved, and improved the property to its spectacular present condition.

Next door to the eight-room BNB and six cottages is a restored old authentic barn turned into an amazing fine-dining restaurant. The owners are gracious and welcoming to all of their guests, which includes wedding parties and other special occasion gatherings from time to time.

The barn is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday, with fine dining Wednesday through Saturday, 5 to 8 p.m., and a more casual Sunday supper is offered on Sundays from 4 to 7 p.m.

Wolverton Inn in Stockton is in the southwestern corner of Hunterdon County, just above Lambertville. It's cozy, a little getaway that’s perfect for a special occasion, dinner, evening out, or a quiet, cozy weekend getaway.

Their slogan, "A far away place close to home," sums up this place perfectly. The food at the Barn restaurant is top-notch, and the service and hospitality at the Inn are unmatched.

As you’re driving along the Delaware River on Route 29, look for the signs for the Wolverton Inn and definitely make that turn. You definitely will not regret it.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

Report a correction ????