Winter Graduates Feel Elation, Nerves After Commencement Ceremony

As 2,346 students earned degrees Wednesday at Stony Brook University's winter graduation ceremony, Samuel Stanley Jr. touted the school's diversity of its student body, its award-winning faculty, its research programs and other merits.

"In my opinion, each of you have a powerful leg up over graduates of other universities as you enter this global economy," Stanley said in his commencement address.

Since its founding in 1957, Stanley said, more than 135,000 students have graduated from Stony Brook. According to university statistics, about 94 percent of its class of 2007 is employed or enrolled in another educational program, and Payscale.com ranks Stony Brook as No. 23 for highest-paid graduates from public universities.

Click here to read one graduate's story leading up to Wednesday's commencement ceremony.

On Wednesday, many graduates spoke of mixed feelings: they're excited to graduate but nervous about the challenges ahead, including a less-than-robust job market and student loan debt.

Graduation is "a huge weight off my shoulders. I plan to go find a job, just try whatever I can find," said Peter Kahn, 22, of Staten Island, who graduated with a B.S. in applied mathematics and statistics.

Some are headed right back to school for a graduate or professional degree.

Joseph Ayala, 23, of Port Jefferson Station, completed a Master's in technology and society. He was inspired in 2009 to return to school after completing his undergraduate degree and looking for work – unsuccessfully.

"I found it extremely difficult, even though I was getting good interviews. ... The cards just weren't in my favor," said Ayala, who is headed back to school again, this time to an M.F.A. program at Parsons.

"The whole reason to go to school now is that the economy doesn't look good. But I'll keep going back to school until it works out," said Rakibul Hoque, 22, of Ozone Park, who graduated with degrees in both biology and psychology.

Dana Reyes, who wasn't sure how much she owes in student loans, agreed.

"I'm going to try and stay in school to not pay that off right now," said Reyes, 21, of Far Rockaway, who earned a degree in sociology. "It's a good thing we have our parents to help us."

Jenne Relucio, 28, of the Philippines, completed her Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology and considers herself lucky to not have student loans. But she knows she'll have to "step out of the job market box" to find a position.

"I understand that it's not a great job market, but you just have to look at the nonconventional ways of finding jobs," she said. "If you actually go out and meet people, make the right connections, sometimes they will actually create a job for you."

Michele Mayer, 58, is already well on her way. The Setauket resident, who completed a Doctorate of Nursing Practice, works as a midwife at a Port Jefferson practice.

"Being a midwife was in the works for a while, but I wanted to do more research," she said.

After Stanley reflected on shared student experiences like attending sporting events, making friends, and parking in the P-Lot, many of the graduates themselves added one more to the list: feeling relieved to be graduating.

"I'm just glad to be done. It feels awesome," Relucio said. "This is closure."