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At the event, each military graduate received a certificate and a red, white and blue honor cord worn at the 2015 commencement ceremony. During the event, the college screened the third installment of the Veterans History Project, an initiative of the Library of Congress that was created to collect, preserve and archive personal accounts of American service members.
In the video, Berkeley College students, associates and other veterans chronicle their experiences during military training, deployment and combat. This year’s video added the perspective of military families.
Two of the Berkeley College students included in the project are Sgt. Major John Parlin and Major Chris Carbone. Parlin is a 22-year veteran of the U.S. Marines who served in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Parlin retired in 2014 and decided to pursue the next phase of his life at Berkeley College.
He is a member of the Berkeley College NJ Cross Country team, where the 41-year-old runner competes against athletes half his age.
Carbone, a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, has served in Iraq and Africa and has received a number of service distinctions, including the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Army Commendation Medal with Valor.
He continues to support Berkeley College military-and veteran-related endeavors, such as speaking at the Memorial Day ceremony and attending Snowball Express initiatives for families of fallen service members.
At the event, guests heard from speaker Joe Quinn, Northeast regional director and New York City chapter captain of "Team Red, White and Blue," a nonprofit that connects veterans to their local communities through social events and physical fitness activities. Student Jose Pagan, a veteran of the U.S. Army, also told his story about facing homelessness after his military service.
Adam Rosen, director of counseling, student development and campus life, received the 2015 Veterans Graduate Award. Rosen was selected by the graduating student veterans as someone who has been “on their side” during their time at Berkeley College.
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